Anghiari

Florence defeated Milan on the plain below in 1440, and the city later commissioned Leonardo to paint the battle on a wall of the Palazzo Vecchio; he experimented with a wax-based technique that failed, abandoned the work, and it was later covered by Vasari's fresco, so the Battle of Anghiari survives only in copies, including one by Rubens after a lost drawing. Whether fragments remain behind Vasari's wall has been investigated and disputed. The village itself is intact within its walls, with a steep main street, a museum of local crafts, and a long tradition of handloom weaving still practised in one workshop.

History

The Battle of Anghiari was fought on 29 June 1440 between the Republic of Florence and the Duchy of Milan, and it inspired Leonardo da Vinci's fresco for the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, known as the Lost Leonardo (Wikipedia, Anghiari).

Highlights

• The walled village - an intact medieval circuit above the plain.
• The battle site - the plain below, and the story of Leonardo's lost painting.
• The weaving workshop - handloom linen still produced in the village.
• The Palazzo Taglieschi - a museum of local art and craft.

When to go

April to October; the Palio della Vittoria foot race is run on 29 June, marking the battle. Summer weekends bring day trippers. Winter is quiet.

What to expect

The battle is commemorated, not visible; there is nothing to see on the plain. The village is small with steep streets. Museums keep short hours.

Nearby

Sansepolcro lies north; Arezzo is west.

Key facts