More about our surroundings
As the name of our region tells you, we are in the Valley of the Tiber and the High Valley of the Tiber. We are very close to the eastern border of Toscana and the north-western corner of Umbria.
La Madonna del Parto
Citerna is an ancient Etruscan town, high on a hilltop; the name being derived from the word 'cistern' indicates the availability of water. It is here that our schools will be based.
Anghiari, also nearby, is a mediæval hill-top town, superbly constructed for defence. It was in the plain below the town that Pope Julius' army defeated that of the Duke of Milan (supporter of the French Popes) in the 16th century Battle of Anghiari. Michelangelo, whose labours in the Sistine Chapel were frequently interrupted by the Pope's tendency to go off and fight wars, was born in Caprese Michelangelo, nearby.
The third little town near to us is Monterchi where you can find the most delicate painting of the pregnant Madonna - La Madonna del Parto, by Piero della Francesca.
Further works by della Francesca may be seen in Sansepolcro, some twelve kilometres away, where he was born. The ancient city centre is a pleasure to wander about.
Citta di Castello became a rich and flourishing Umbrian centre by the end of the first century AD. A free city of the Guelph people, it had dominion over a wide area and is full of palazzi, churches and monuments reflecting the elegance of the Tuscan renaissance. The painters Signorelli and Rafael painted some of their most important paintings here.
A view towards Citta di Castello
Florence and Perugia need no commentary, being the capital cities of Toscana and Umbria, respectively. However, perhaps less well known is the city of Arezzo, capital of the Tuscan province in which Felcino Bianco is to be found. This, too, was an early Etruscan centre which became a Roman municipality and then a great mediæval city. Heavily fortified, Arezzo sits at the junction of four major valleys (Valteberina, Valdichiana, Valdarno and Casentino). It was thus at a major cross-road for trade, commerce and culture. This city has witnessed the totality of Tuscan history and its various owners over the centuries have combined to leave us a most splendid and gracious style of layout and buildings. The monthly antiques fairs are a pleasure to browse, if pricey. From here, trains run from Arezzo to Firenze and to Rome.
In the Piazza Grande, Arezzo
