Set in the High Tiberian Valley, according to tradition, Sansepolcro was founded by Arcano and Egidio, two pilgrims coming back from the Holy Land .
Piero della Francesca's birthplace, the town developed around the large Benedictine Abbey, has conserved its medieval urbanistic structure and has, over the centuries, been enriched by important Renaissance and Baroque buildings.
The Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral of San Giovanni Evangelista was built in the early years of the XI century. It contains valuable works among which is the Volto Santo (a wooden sculpture from the Carolingian period, VIII-IX century), a polyptich depicting the Resurrezione attributed to Francesco di Segna and an Ascensione by Perugino.
The Church of San Francesco was built at the end of the XIII century in Romanesque-Gothic style. Inaside it is possible to admire a beautiful XIV century stone altar.
The Medici Fortress is a fine example of XVI century military architecture based on a design by Giuliano da Sangallo and completed by Alberto Alberti.
Other religious monuments are the Church of San Lorenzo (XV century), the Hermitage of Montecasale, the Church of San Rocco (XVI century), the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (XVI century) and the Church of Sant'Agostino.
In via Aggiunti 71 you can find the XV century house were Piero della Francesca was born. Now it hosts the Fondazione Piero della Francesca which is devoted to Renaissance studies.
The Civic Museum is known, above all, for the works by the painter Piero della Francesca (the Polyptich of the Madonna della Misericordia , the Resurrezione and San Ludovico e San Giuliano and also for an excellent collection of works by local painters from the XV to the XVII century.