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Art and Artists of Sansepolcro Tuscany

An unusual piece of art that is worth seeing is in the left-hand apse of the Cathedral. This is a carved wooden Crucifix called the Volto Santo which dates from 900 AD. It is very unusual - one of just 3 surviving examples in the whole world - and has recently been restored. It used to be so discolored from candle smoke and centuries of dirt that when it was carried around the town in processions it frightened children! The cathedral itself dates from about 1350 and, like the majority of Italian churches, has been altered over the years. However, in the 1930s, nearly all the alterations were torn out so that the cathedral has reverted to roughly how it was in the 1300s. The only noticeable addition that remains, dating from the 1600s, is the chapel in the right-hand apse that is a pretty example of baroque style.

Sansepolcro's other famous son was the mathematician Luca Pacioli. For part of his life he lived in the monastery of San Francesco and two years ago a statue of Pacioli was erected in honor of the five hundredth anniversary of the publication of the Summa. It was in this book that he set out the theory of double-entry bookkeeping.

After the glories of the Renaissance, Sansepolcro went into a kind of decline. Up to the second half of the 19th century the main source of income for this area was from agriculture - mostly tobacco. Towards the end of the last century, the Buitoni family started the now famous pasta company which was extremely successful.

Until then, all Italian families made their own pasta and Buitoni offered the first ready-made pasta. The company was family-owned until the mid-1980's and it is now part of Nestle. However, it is still the largest employer in Sansepolcro.

Most towns in Italy have some kind of festival during the year and Sansepolcro is no exception. On the second Sunday of September, Sansepolcro holds the Palio della Balestra - and ancient contest against the nearby town of Gubbio, where crossbowmen (balestrieri) from the two towns aim at a target set up in the Piazza Torre di Berta. The bold nearest the center wins. The contest dates from the Renaissance and those that take part are dressed in authentic costume, made by the same designer from Rome that makes the costumes for Zeffirelli's films.

As an adjunct to the crossbowmen, there are the flag-wavers (sbandieratori). This is an art developed by standard bearers going into battle, armed with nothing but a flag. Certain movements were developed to enable the flag to be used as a weapon and now in the 20th century form part of a unique display. The flag-wavers are also dressed in costume and the flags are made from silk, hand-painted with the coats of arms of Sansepolcro's noble families. Sansepolcro's flag-wavers are world famous and each year travel to festivals throughout the world to give displays.

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