Lucignano is a ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' (municipality) in the

Province of Arezzo The province of Arezzo () is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Arezzo. The province is bordered by the regions of Marche, Emilia-Romagna, Umbria, and the provinces Siena and Florence of Tuscany. It has an area ...

in the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

region

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

, located about southeast of

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

and about southwest of

Arezzo Arezzo ( , ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the Province of Arezzo, province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of Above mean sea level, above sea level. As of 2 ...

. Lucignano borders the following municipalities: Foiano della Chiana, Marciano della Chiana, Monte San Savino,

Rapolano Terme Rapolano Terme is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany, located about southeast of Florence and about east of Siena in the area known as the Crete Senesi The Crete Senesi refers to an area of the I ...

, and

Sinalunga Sinalunga is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Siena, in the Tuscany region of central Italy. History Aside from scanty prehistoric findings, the oldest historical remains date from the 8th century BC, when Sinalunga was perhaps an Etrusca ...

. It is one of

I Borghi più belli d'Italia () is a non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and artistic interest, that was founded in March 2001 on the initiative of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities, with the a ...

("The most beautiful villages of Italy").

History

The name Lucignano probably derives from the Roman family of the consul Licinio. Known as the "pearl of Valdichiana", Lucignano is a remarkably conserved medieval walled hill-top village (400 meters above sea level), elliptical in shape. Its altitude and strategic position on the road between

Siena Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...

and

meant that between 1200 and 1500 it was continually the subject of battles between these cities, involving also

and

Perugia Perugia ( , ; ; ) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area. It has 162,467 ...

. Its walls, with three gates, were constructed by the Sienese in 1371. Once the town came under the rule of

, construction began of the fortress, attributed to Bernardo Puccini.

Main sights

Sights include: * Sanctuary of the Madonna della Querce (attributed to

Giorgio Vasari Giorgio Vasari (30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance painter, architect, art historian, and biographer who is best known for his work ''Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'', considered the ideol ...

), c. 1568 *Convent of the Cappuccini (c. 1580) * ''Church of the Misericordia'' (1582) *'' Collegiata di San Michele Arcangelo'' (1594) *''Church of San Francesco'' *''Church of San Biagio'' *''Church of Santissima Annunziata'' Of note is the elaborate reliquary made for the church of San Francesco, which is now in the Museo Civico, on the ground floor of the 13th Century town hall (). Called the ''L’albero della vita'' ('' The Tree of Life''; ''The Golden Tree'' or ''The Tree of Lucignano'') the central stem is supported on a Gothic reliquary, from which spread out twelve branches, surmounted by a Crucifix and a pelican. On the branches there are sprigs of coral, representing the blood of Christ. The tree is gilded and bejeweled and is signed by two jewellers, Ugolino di Vieri in 1350 and Gabriello D'Antonio in 1471. Also in the museum are works by Luca Signorelli, the Sienese School, and a Crucifixion from

Umbria Umbria ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region of central Italy. It includes Lake Trasimeno and Cascata delle Marmore, Marmore Falls, and is crossed by the Tiber. It is the only landlocked region on the Italian Peninsula, Apennine Peninsula. The re ...

Cinema

The 2010 film '' Certified Copy'' directed by

Abbas Kiarostami Abbas Kiarostami ( ; 22 June 1940 – 4 July 2016) was an Iranian film director, screenwriter, poet, photographer, and film producer. An active filmmaker from 1970, Kiarostami had been involved in the production of over forty films, including s ...

was set and filmed in Lucignano.

References

External links

Official website

www.lucignano.com/
{{authority control Borghi più belli d'Italia