One of Tuscany's most beautiful medieval hilltowns — artisan workshops, the Battle of Anghiari, exceptional local cooking, and barely a tourist in sight.
Anghiari is the kind of place that takes most people by surprise. It sits on a ridge above the upper Tiber valley — a perfectly preserved medieval town of steep alleyways, stone archways, artisan workshops and shaded piazzas. There are no chain restaurants here. No souvenir shops selling printed tea towels. Just a living, working community that happens to be extraordinarily beautiful.
The town is best known internationally for the Battle of Anghiari in 1440 — a decisive clash between Florentine and Milanese forces, immortalised in Leonardo da Vinci's lost masterpiece of the same name. The Museo della Battaglia e di Anghiari tells this story well, and is worth an hour of any curious visitor's time.
Walking the historic centre takes around two hours at a comfortable pace — longer if you stop for coffee, look into workshops, or pause at the panoramic viewpoints over the valley. The town has a quality independent bakery, several excellent trattorias, and a daily food market in the Piazza Baldaccio. The weekly market on Thursdays fills the lower town with local producers from across the Valtiberina.
Anghiari is also known for its handcraft traditions — textile workshops have operated here since the medieval period, and several continue to produce fabrics and accessories using traditional looms. The Museo del Tessuto (Textile Museum) documents this history with care and intelligence.
The Battle of Anghiari museum — Leonardo's lost painting, the history of the conflict, and the town's place in the Italian Renaissance. Compact and well-curated.
Textile workshops, woodwork studios, and ceramic makers operating in buildings that have housed craftspeople for 500 years. Many welcome visitors.
Several trattorias serving traditional Valtiberina cooking — fresh pasta, grilled meats, porcini and truffle in season. Reserve ahead on weekends.
Anghiari hosts a rich programme of events through the year. The Palio della Vittoria in June re-enacts the 1440 battle in medieval costume. Summer brings outdoor cinema in the Piazza Baldaccio and a series of classical music concerts in the churches and courtyards of the historic centre. The truffle fair in autumn draws food lovers from across Tuscany and beyond.
The Christmas market, which runs through December, is one of the finest in the region — small, artisan-focused and entirely local in character. A very good reason to visit Il Vigno in winter.
Anghiari is 20 minutes by car from Il Vigno. We recommend a morning visit — coffee, market, museum — followed by lunch in town and an afternoon back at the farm. Ask us for our current recommendations when you arrive. Get in touch here.
Il Vigno is a quiet adults-only agriturismo 20 minutes from Anghiari — organic farm stay, farm-to-table dinners, total peace. Book direct and save 10%.
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