Climbing on Foot to Anghiari: Lanes and Workshops of the Valtiberina

There is a Tuscany most travellers never see: not the one of queues outside the Uffizi or selfies on the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but the one gathered up high, above a green plain furrowed by the still-young Tiber. Anghiari is one of these places. Perched on a spur at the eastern edge of Tuscany, a few kilometres from the Umbrian border, it preserves a medieval layout of walls, steep lanes and staircases climbing towards the ancient heart of the town. Here you walk slowly, because the gradient demands it and because there's no reason at all to hurry.

The history

The village is bound to the name of a famous battle fought in the plain below in 1440, an episode that also inspired a lost fresco by Leonardo da Vinci intended for Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. But Anghiari doesn't live on history alone: its identity is made of living craftsmanship, of furniture-restoration workshops, of weaving and trades passed down through generations. Walking along the main street and the side lanes, you come across genuine workshops, not shop windows built for tourists.

How to visit it

The best way to get to know it is to wander aimlessly among the uphill streets, pause at a viewpoint over the valley and then descend towards the surrounding countryside, where tobacco fields and oaks trace out a gentle landscape. The local cuisine is the honest fare of the Valtiberina: pici, meats, pulses and an olive oil with real character. All within walking distance, no car needed.

When to go

Anghiari rewards those who arrive out of season. In spring and autumn the light is soft, the temperatures mild and the lanes almost empty. You can use it as a base to explore Sansepolcro, the Valtiberina and northern Umbria, staying in places where tourism is still a discreet presence rather than a tide.

Related guides: Tuscany far from the crowds: hidden villages beyond the classic destinations · Hidden medieval villages in Italy: gems far from the crowds · Where to go in October without the crowds: villages, foliage and a sea still warm.

Getting there

Anghiari lies in the Valtiberina, not far from Sansepolcro. By train you stop at Arezzo station, from which a bus line directly connects Arezzo, Anghiari and Sansepolcro; by car you arrive from Arezzo along the main road towards the Valtiberina, or from the E45 dual carriageway at Sansepolcro. The reference airports are Perugia, the closest, and Florence.

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