Caprese Michelangelo is named after Michelangelo Buonarroti, born here on March 6, 1475, when Ludovico, his father, was Chief Magistrate. The town is located on the backbone of the Apennines and stretches through the greenest area of the Tuscan Valtiberina. The area is perfect for a relaxing countryside stroll; rising to an elevation of 1400m above sea level on the Catenaria Alps, it’s carved by numerous waterways that converge in the Singerna torrent and join the Tiber River in Montedoglio Lake.
In 1737, after centuries of Medici rule and a brief period of French power, the Caprese Michelangelo territory passed to the Hapsburg-Lorraine family. With the referendum of 1860, all of Tuscany, including Caprese, joined the Kingdom of Sardinia (aka Italy). During this time, a visionary mind joined Caprese in the form and works of Giovanni Santini, a renowned astronomer and mathematician.
On February 9, 1913, a royal decree officially added Michelangelo’s name to Caprese, an homage to the birthplace of the great Renaissance artist.
Michelangelo’s presence still echoes in the Church of San Giovanni or within the city walls containing his birth home, now the Michelangelo Museum.
The Sale della Rocca of Palazzo Clusini, today the municipal government’s offices, holds traces of Michelangelo’s genius. Here, strolling through the open-air Sculpture Museum, you’ll find old plaster molds of pieces now housed in Florence’s museums.
Yet Michelangelo isn’t all Caprese has to offer: check out the 10th-century medieval fortress, the old Camaldolese Monastery in Tifi, the small Parish Church of Santi Ippolito e Cassiano, the Romanesque Church of San Cristoforo a Monna and the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Selva. Most of all, don’t miss the mystical feel of places visited by Saint Francis during his journey from Assisi to Sacro Monte della Verna: the Church of San Polo, Zenzano Chapel, and the Casella Hermitage.
Valtiberina Toscana has been the home of great artists. Piero della Francesca was born in Sansepolcro, although he went by the name Pietro dal Borgo; the maestro has immortalized Sansepolcro in many of his works, some of which are still on display today in the arwa.
The village of Monterchi, perched on a hill on the border with Umbria, is where Piero della Francesca created the extraordinary Madonna del Parto fresco for the historic church of Santa Maria a Momentana.
End your trip in Anghiari with a visit to the Anghiari Battle Museum, which offers the opportunity to deepen your understanding of the battle’s history and the artistic story that both Anghiari and Leonardo da Vinci share.
The Festa del Marrone DOP is held annually in October, in the historic center of Caprese Michelangelo. Recipes based on chestnuts, such as the famous castagnaccio, are on offer throughout the celebrations.
In Tuscany, the name Caprese Michelangelo is synonymous with chestnuts. The highly prized marrone, Caprese Michelangelo’s specialty, is distinctive for its intense flavor, erring on the sweet side. As evidence of its value and quality, in 2009 the "Caprese Michelangelo chestnut" obtained the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and its production is now regulated in a strict disciplinary fashion. The area is also well-known for its delicious mushrooms and truffles.
