One of the most interesting aspects of the works of Piero della Francesca, whether they are frescoes or panel paintings, is the landscape to which the artist devotes ample space in his works. Who has not paused for a moment to observe and submit to the attraction of those natural or architectural backgrounds which are to be found in the frescoes of the Legend of the True Cross in Arezzo or the Resurrection in Sansepolcro? The attraction that this aspect has always exerted, inspiring poets to pen noble verses and writers to impassioned prose, is well-known. Even today, the descriptions of the great travellers could guide the visitor through the works of Piero della Francesca, allowing him to discover that practically nothing has changed. The beautiful views, the daring foreshortenings, the barren and rocky mountains of the Valtiberina are those described in 1581 by Michel de Montaigne on a journey from Sansepolcro to Arezzo, via the La Scheggia pass, landscapes immortalised in the background to the Resurrection.
The itinerary through the province of Arezzo, in discovery of the works of Piero della Francesca, unwinds through the valley of the Tiber, the Valtiberina, taking in the towns of Sansepolcro and Monterchí, birthplace of the artist’s mother, Monna Romana, and the city of Arezzo.
text from dalla mostra "PIERO DELLA FRANCESCA IN TERRA DI AREZZO"
Monterchi - Madonna del Parto |
Web sites
Arezzo: http://www.pierodellafrancesca.it/en-home.phpMonterchi: http://www.madonnadelparto.it/
Sansepolcro: http://www.museocivicosansepolcro.it/en/home
Piero della Francesca in terra di Arezzo