Monterchi, on the border between Tuscany and Umbria, built on the top of an isolated hill which was originally known as Mons Herculis, the Mount of Hercules from which the name Monterchi derives, commands an enviable position, amongst the hills which roll down towards the Tiber valley, dotted with medieval churches and convents, including one which borders on the town walls. Even the true centre of Monterchi has maintained a medieval feel in spite of the destruction caused by numerous earthquakes. The narrow streets house small shops and characteristic eateries.
But that which has made Monterchi universally famous is the presence of an absolute masterpiece: it is the fresco of the Madonna del Parto (Madonna with child) painted by Piero della Francesca in about 1459, probably in honour of his mother, native of Monterchi. Majestically restored in 1992, today the fresco is protected by an ultra modern air conditioned glass structure and therefore it can be visited without pre-booking in the small museum dedicated to it which also shows a short film giving a historical and artistic profile to the work.
The visit to Monterchi is therefore the ideal coronation of the itinerary dedicated to the artist which obviously includes the works of Arezzo and Sansepolcro, but which relives the countryside of Monterchi which is so similar to those painted by the renaissance artist as well as the Madonna del Parto.
(1900 inhabitants 350 above sea level)