Seeing Piero della Francesca’s frescoes, the Legend of the True Cross , is the highlight of a visit to the Tuscan town of Arezzo. Piero della Francesca was one of the best Renaissance painters and La Leggenda della Vera Croce (Legend of the True Cross) is considered his masterpiece and one of the best Renaissance works of art in Italy.
Legend of the true cross-display information
Arezzo’s unadorned church of St. Francis, the Basilica of St. Francis , is home to the famous frescoes by Piero della Francesca. You will find the 14th century church in the lower part of Arezzo, halfway between the train station and the cathedral. While the facade is made of brick and stone, inside are magnificent frescoes by various artists, including Piero della Francesca. The fresco cycle of the Legend of the True Cross is located in the Cappella Maggiore at the front of the church. You can see the frescoes from inside the church, but to get a closer look you need to buy a ticket.
Go down the stairs to the left of the entrance door to the ticket office (there is a display about the frescoes at the top of the stairs). Visits are for a maximum of 30 minutes and only 25 visitors are allowed at a time.
- Hours: Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sundays and holidays, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Tickets: at the time of writing 8 euros or 12 euros for a combined ticket that includes Vasari House, Medieval Art Museum and Archaeological Museum.
- Reservations (required although you can often go to the box office and reserve for the same day).
- Visit Piero della Francesca’s website at the Basilica of Saint Francis for current hours and prices.
Piero of Francesco Art in Tuscany
Piero della Francesco was born in Sansepolcro around 1420. The Sansepolcro museum (open from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm) houses two of his most important works of art, the Virgin of Mercy and the Resurrection of Christ . Another of his frescoes is in the Duomo of Arezzo. In nearby Monterchi, you can see his Madonna del Parto or Madonna en Labor. The Uffizi Gallery in Florence also has one of his paintings.
Visiting Arezzo
The hilltop town of Arezzo is located in eastern Tuscany, near the Umbrian border, and can be reached by train. View an online train map of Tuscany. It sees fewer tourists than some of the other Tuscan hill towns, but it’s worth a visit. Its beautiful main square was used to film Roberto Begnini’s film, Life is Beautiful .
The Casentino Valley wine and culinary trails branch out from Arezzo and can be explored by car.
