Monterchi @ The Town of the Madonna del Parto
Monterchi has developed around an 11th-century castle situated in an area that has been inhabited since prehistory.
The name of this town on the Tuscan-Umbrian border derives from
Mons Herculi, Hercules` mount, where Monterchi dresses, isolated. Probably, in Roman times, on the hill there was a temple dedicated to Hercules.
During the 15th century, the Florentine, the new rulers of Monterchi, extended the defensive works around the castle, which still today surround the town`s historical centre.
According to historical documents, the church of San Simeone already existed in 1230; however, the church that is to admired today was built in the 19th century. It houses three bas-reliefs and a 15th-century wooden crucifix, a 16th-century pulpit with the representation of Hercules killing the Hydra and paintings dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries.
View of Monterchi
The church and the monastery of San Benedetto, situated outside the city walls, are worth a visit. The monastery is said to be built where in the 11th century there was a pilgrim hostel. The first historical notes on the monastery date back to 1525. Once a cloister, the monastery was restored in 1840.
In Monterchi the
Madonna del Parto is to be admired. It is a famous fresco that Piero della Francesca painted in 1455 in honour of his mother`s birthplace. At first, the fresco decorated the walls of the chapel of Santa Maria in Momentana; after having been detached, however, it is exposed in the
Museo della Madonna del Parto (Museum of the Madonna del Parto).
The
Museo delle bilance e dei pesi (Museum of scales and weights) houses many interesting ancient measuring instruments.
