Monterchi 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 of

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 east 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 ...

. It sits in the northern part of

Valtiberina Valtiberina is a valley crossed by the upper course of the Tiber (which originates from Monte Fumaiolo in Emilia-Romagna), unfolding between Tuscany, Umbria Umbria ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region of central Italy. It includes Lake Trasime ...

(

Tiber Valley The Tiber Valley (Italian: ''Valle del Tevere'') is the largest geographical part of the of the Tiber river included in the Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, and the Lazio regions; it is characterized by river terraces and floodplain areas that e ...

), the valley where the

Tiber The Tiber ( ; ; ) is the List of rivers of Italy, third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the R ...

river runs going from Emilia-Romagna (where it originates from the

Mount Fumaiolo Mount Fumaiolo () is a mountain of the northern Apennines range of Italy located in the southernmost corner of the Emilia-Romagna region, c. 70 km from the town of Cesena. It's at the border between Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. With an elev ...

) towards

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. The valley runs through

Romagna Romagna () is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna, in northern Italy. Etymology The name ''Romagna'' originates from the Latin name ''Romania'', which originally ...

and

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 ...

, parallel to the

Casentino The Casentino is the valley in which the first tract of the river Arno flows to Subbiano, Italy. It is one of the four valleys (alongside Valdarno, Valdichiana, and Valtiberina) in which the Province of Arezzo is divided. Mount Falterona, from w ...

Valley. According to census data updated on Jan. 2017, the city's population was 1,742 while the Comune covers an area of .All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute

Istat The Italian National Institute of Statistics (; Istat) is the primary source of official statistics in Italy. The institute conducts a variety of activities, including the census of population, economic censuses, and numerous social, economic, a ...

. Monterchi borders with

Anghiari Anghiari () is a hill town and municipality (''comune'') in the Province of Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy. Bordering ''comuni'' include Arezzo (southwest), Pieve Santo Stefano (north) and Subbiano (west). It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("T ...

Citerna Citerna is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 50 km northwest of Perugia. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia () is a non-profit private association of small Italian ...

Città di Castello Città di Castello (); "Castle Town") is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Perugia, in the northern part of Umbria. It is situated on a slope of the Apennine Mountains, Apennines, on the flood plain along the upper part of the river Tiber. T ...

, Monte Santa Maria Tiberina.

Toponyny

The name Monterchi (Mons

Herculis The Herculis is an annual track and field meet at Stade Louis II in Fontvieille, Monaco. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events. Herculis is now part of the Diamond League. Editions World records Over the course of its histo ...

- "Mount of Hercules"), seems to originate from a legend stating that the half-god Hercules founded Monterchi after beating the Hydra, a

mythological Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

monster with several heads. The history is still depicted in the coat of arms of the city's banner. Madonna del parto piero della Francesca

The most famous cultural attraction of Monterchi is the

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

of the ''

Madonna del Parto The image of La Madonna del Parto ( English: ''Our Lady of Parturition'') is a religious depiction of the Blessed Virgin Mary as pregnant which was popularised in Tuscany, Italy during the 14th—century. Notable examples include works by Tadde ...

'' by

Piero della Francesca Piero della Francesca ( , ; ; ; – 12 October 1492) was an Italian Renaissance painter, Italian painter, mathematician and List of geometers, geometer of the Early Renaissance, nowadays chiefly appreciated for his art. His painting is charact ...

, painted between 1450 and 1465 in honour of the painter's mother, Romana di Perino da Monterchi, who was born in town and is in the Museo della Madonna del Parto di Piero della Francesca.

History

Monterchi was originally a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

town, perched on a

hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit, and is usually applied to peaks which are above elevation compared to the relative landmass, though not as prominent as Mountain, mountains. Hills ...

overlooking the beautiful Tuscan

countryside In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically describ ...

which spreads around in every direction. What remains of the great walls once surrounding the small

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

, traditionally built to protect inhabitants and assets from invasions and attacks by ravagers, let Monterchi maintain part of the suggestive appearance of a fortified town. Also some of the characteristics

alley An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane, footpath, path, or passageway, often reserved for pedestrians, which usually runs between, behind, or within buildings in towns and cities. It is also a rear access or service road (back lane), or a path, w ...

s typical of the towns built in the

Middle ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

are still visible, and they now provide shade from the hot Tuscan sun, while they used to be safer to guard and protect than larger ones in case of attacks. Unfortunately, some violent

earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...

s significantly destroyed the original structure of the town, among them, the most violent ones were the one in 1352 (measuring 6 on the Richter scale) and the last one, on April 26, 1917. This is the reason why the medieval structure of the town only partially remains today and most of the buildings were built after 1917, like the

town hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

Giovanni Michelucci Giovanni Michelucci (2 January 1891 – 31 December 1990) was an Italian architect, urban planner and designer. He had the good fortune to live a long life almost entirely within the span of the twentieth century, giving us a valuable witness th ...

, in the main square of the town. The new town has developed at foot of the hill, where the main street to go either to

or to

Sansepolcro Sansepolcro, formerly Borgo Santo Sepolcro, is a town and ''comune'' founded in the 11th century, located in the Italian Province of Arezzo in the eastern part of the region of Tuscany. Situated on the upper reaches of the Tiber river, the town ...

and

runs. Also at foot of the hill, the Cerfone is a stream along which cultural and gastronomic festivals are held during the summer, like the

Polenta Polenta (, ) is an Italian cuisine, Italian dish of boiled cornmeal that was historically made from other grains. It may be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried or Grilling, grilled. The variety of cereal used is ...

Fest, which takes place in September.

Demographics

Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.8) id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1) id:barra value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.8) ImageSize = width:455 height:303 PlotArea = left:50 bottom:50 top:30 right:30 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:4000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:1000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:200 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo BarData= bar:1861 text:1861 bar:1871 text:1871 bar:1881 text:1881 bar:1901 text:1901 bar:1911 text:1911 bar:1921 text:1921 bar:1931 text:1931 bar:1936 text:1936 bar:1951 text:1951 bar:1961 text:1961 bar:1971 text:1971 bar:1981 text:1981 bar:1991 text:1991 bar:2001 text:2001 PlotData= color:barra width:20 align:left bar:1861 from: 0 till:2798 bar:1871 from: 0 till:3046 bar:1881 from: 0 till:3137 bar:1901 from: 0 till:3283 bar:1911 from: 0 till:3282 bar:1921 from: 0 till:3413 bar:1931 from: 0 till:3320 bar:1936 from: 0 till:3374 bar:1951 from: 0 till:3389 bar:1961 from: 0 till:2823 bar:1971 from: 0 till:2022 bar:1981 from: 0 till:1919 bar:1991 from: 0 till:1913 bar:2001 from: 0 till:1880 PlotData= bar:1861 at:2798 fontsize:XS text: 2798 shift:(-8,5) bar:1871 at:3046 fontsize:XS text: 3046 shift:(-8,5) bar:1881 at:3137 fontsize:XS text: 3137 shift:(-8,5) bar:1901 at:3283 fontsize:XS text: 3283 shift:(-8,5) bar:1911 at:3282 fontsize:XS text: 3282 shift:(-8,5) bar:1921 at:3413 fontsize:XS text: 3413 shift:(-8,5) bar:1931 at:3320 fontsize:XS text: 3320 shift:(-8,5) bar:1936 at:3374 fontsize:XS text: 3374 shift:(-8,5) bar:1951 at:3389 fontsize:XS text: 3389 shift:(-8,5) bar:1961 at:2823 fontsize:XS text: 2823 shift:(-8,5) bar:1971 at:2022 fontsize:XS text: 2022 shift:(-8,5) bar:1981 at:1919 fontsize:XS text: 1919 shift:(-8,5) bar:1991 at:1913 fontsize:XS text: 1913 shift:(-8,5) bar:2001 at:1880 fontsize:XS text: 1880 shift:(-8,5) TextData= fontsize:S pos:(20,20) text:Data from ISTAT

Main sights

The best view of the countryside surrounding Monterchi, full of fields of

sunflowers ''Helianthus'' () is a genus comprising around 70 species of annual and perennial flowering plants in the daisy family Asteraceae commonly known as sunflowers. Except for three South American species, the species of ''Helianthus'' are native to ...

and tobacco cultivation is the panoramic terrace of the Rocca (the ancient

Fortress A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from L ...

), up in the old part of the town. The main attraction of the town is though th
Museo della Madonna del Parto di Piero della Francesca
where the

fresco by

is displayed after being taken down from the wall of the Chapel of Santa Maria di Momentana by the local cemetery. Interesting is als
The Scales Museum
house of one of the most important collections of

scales Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number ...

and

weight In science and engineering, the weight of an object is a quantity associated with the gravitational force exerted on the object by other objects in its environment, although there is some variation and debate as to the exact definition. Some sta ...

s in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. Many are the churches worth a visit. Church of San Simeone, dating back to the Middle Ages. In 1830 it has been completely demolished and rebuilt and it was subsequently seriously damaged by the earthquake in 1917. It hosts a wooden crucifix and a ciborium in polychrome terracotta from the 15th century and a stone pulpit depicting Hercules killing the Hydra from the 16th century. Church of San Michele Arcangelo ( St. Michael the Archangel) is a little outside the center of town, in the hamlet of Padonchia. It hosts many paintings depicting various saints such as St. Christopher and St. Sebastian, a noteworthy work depicting che Archangel Michael battling against the devil and ancient architectural elements such as four figured

corbel In architecture, a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal keyed into and projecting from a wall to carry a wikt:superincumbent, bearing weight, a type of bracket (architecture), bracket. A corbel is a solid piece of material in t ...

s sustaining the vault of the Presbitery. A Madonna and Child from the first half of the 1400s is also worth the visit. Church dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel can be found in the nearby hamlet of Pianezze. Built in romanesque style, the Church has a wooden ceiling and a

terracotta Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...

floor. The main attraction is the

painting depicting the "Madonna della Misericordia" (Holy Virgin of Mercy) from the 16th century and a "

Pietà The Pietà (; meaning "pity", "compassion") is a subject in Christian art depicting the Mary (mother of Jesus), Blessed Virgin Mary cradling the mortal body of Jesus Christ after his Descent from the Cross. It is most often found in sculpture. ...

" in

polychrome Polychrome is the "practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." The term is used to refer to certain styles of architecture, pottery, or sculpture in multiple colors. When looking at artworks and ...

. The romanic church of St. Apollinare dates back to the 7th/8th centuries and it holds the typical romanic structure: a

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

, a semi-circular

apse In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...

and a

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

. The latter has then been decorated in the Seventeenth century. Church of St. Mary in Scandolaia, another hamlet near Monterchi, lies near the ruins of the Montagutello castle, on the slopes of Mount Felcino. It's maybe the oldest Church in the area, dating back to the 12th century. The wooden sculpture of the Madonna and Child which originally decorated the Church has now been moved to the Church of Le Ville. Church of San Benedetto is part of a

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

that is said to have been built on the foundations of a preexisting hospital for wayfarers and sick men. The Church was completely renewed in the 16th century after the monastery had been destroyed during a local war. In 1840 the Church was renewed again by adding the

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...

s at the entrance and the decorations on the facade, the

plaster Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of buildings, while "re ...

decoration of the interior and the

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

. Church of the Madonna Bella (Beautiful Virgin Mary) is in Pocaia, and was originally built around the first half of the 16th century to be an oratory dedicated to the Holy Virgin. It hosts a beautiful

in the style of

Andrea Della Robbia Andrea della Robbia (20 October 14354 August 1525) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, especially in ceramics. Biography Born in Florence, Robbia was the son of Marco della Robbia, whose brother, Luca della Robbia, popularized the use of g ...

which is believed to protect from car accidents. Coming to more recent works, a significant palace within Monterchi is certainly the Town Hall, a project by the famous Florentine architect

which has long been forgotten to be his creature, probably even by himself. Built right before

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the paternity of the building has only recently made known to the public at large.

Churches

* Chapel of Santa Maria di Momentana * Church of Sant'Apollinare * Church of San Simeone * Church of San Benedetto * Church of San Michele Arcangelo (St. Michael the Archangel) in Padonchia *Church of San Michele Arcangelo (St. Michael the Archangel) in Pianezze * Church of the Madonna Bella (Beautiful Virgin Mary) *Church of Santa Maria in Scandolaia

Museums

Museo della Madonna del Parto di Piero della Francesca

The Scales Museum

Theaters

* Community Theater

Buildings

* Town Hall

References

{{authority control Cities and towns in Tuscany