Sansepolcro

Originally called Borgo San Sepolcro (City of the Holy Sepulchre), this sprawling, largely agricultural town takes its name from relics brought here from the Holy Land by two pilgrims in the 10th century. Today, inside a circle of 15th-century walls, the gridlike street plan hints at the town's even more ancient Roman origins. Known, foremost, as the birthplace of Piero della Francesca—several of his paintings are displayed in the town's Civic Museum—the old center of Sansepolcro retains a distinctly medieval air, with narrow streets lined with medieval churches and 15th-century palaces.