Church of Sant’Agostino in Anghiari

The Church dedicated to Saint Augustine, whose façade stands in the Borghetto of Anghiari, owes its notoriety to the splendid position of its 15th-century apse, which majestically dominates the ancient walls, creating a picture-postcard view of the town.

With Medieval origins, the church commemorates the passage of Saint Thomas Beckett, the Archbishop of Canterbury who was Chancellor to Henry II of England in the 12th century. Indeed, he arrived in Valtiberina around 1162 with a retinue of Hospitallers of St. Anthony Abbot who founded a chapel here, which was transformed into a church in the following century. The present single-nave building with side chapels and a tower-like apse dates back to the 15th century and was richly decorated over the next three centuries.

Today the religious building presents a harmonious blend of styles and shapes that make it particularly striking. Noteworthy inside is a relief in polychrome terracotta by Santi Buglioni depicting the Adoration of the Shepherds and a painting on wood by Matteo di Giovanni with gentle and delicate lines, portraying a Madonna and Child.

The Church of Sant’Agostino is a hidden and simple gem on the outside, but it will surprise those who will be pleased at the idea of entering and gradually discovering all its stratifications and peculiarities.