Nestled in the Valtiberina Valley of Tuscany Italy you will find the charming town of Anghiari. During our 8 years living in neighboring Caprese
Michelangelo about 20 minutes away, we came to love this town of less than 6,000 beautiful Italians. Architecturally the town is absolutely stunning and it’s charming pathways throughout the town lead to wonderful mini piazzi and shops.
While Anghiari was such a joy to visit on Wednesday market days or just for lunch in Garibaldi piazza, in July of each year the town comes alive with the sound of music. Every July, Southbank Sinfonia – comprising some of the world’s most outstanding young musicians – makes its home at the Anghiari Festival. For a week, orchestral, choral and chamber music abounds from every piazza, church and cloister of this beautiful hill-town overlooking the Tiber valley.
The festival is renowned for its friendly informality, spectacular setting away from the tourist trail and the chance to enjoy a great range of classical music up close every day. With something to suit every musical taste, and taking in the historic setting of both Anghiari and its surrounding towns and villages, the Anghiari Festival is truly one of the highlights of the year. For more information please go to: http://southbanksinfonia.co.uk/events/anghiari-festival/
Including Anghiari, and neighboring Sansepolcro and Caprese Michelangelo, as destinations for your Italian vacation is highly recommended if you wish to experience “true” Italy. The people in this region of Tuscany are so warm and welcoming and perhaps a little more genuine than you might experience in the traditional Tuscany tourist stops of Florence, Assisi, or Siena.
If you decide to visit Anghiari, we highly recommend taking advantage of the amazing restaurants in neighboring Caprese Michelangelo 
including Il Rifugio (http://www.ilrifugioristorante.eu/) and Ristorante IL Cerro (http://www.ristoranteilcerro.com/). For hotel accommodations, we can not recommend more highly Buca di Michelangelo (http://www.bucadimichelangelo.it/) also with an excellent restaurant and lovely rooms always less than $100/night. Less than a 10 minute walk from Buca is the home where the famous artist Michelangelo was born.
And finally, if you have taken the time to drive the 20 minutes to Caprese Michelangelo, please take another 20 minutes to drive another 20 minutes to the famous Santuario Francescano in La Verna where Saint Francis of Assisi received the Stigmata – http://www.laverna.it/.