The Sant’Agostino Church in Anghiari was built in the 15th century on an earlier church from the 13th century. The biggest attractions in this newly restored church are some marble baptismal fonts and the ornamental plasterwork from the 18th century.
Sant’Agostino Church Anghiari
Useful information
Address: Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, 47 – 52031 Anghiari. Opening hours: Not known. Entrance fee: Free of charge.
History and description
The origin of the church seems to be related to a visit to Anghiari by Thomas Becket. Becket (1115-1170) was chancellor of Henry II of England and archbishop of Canterbury. In 1164, the abbot of San Bartolomeo Church gave him the castle’s out-of-town charcoal pits.
The Spedalieri di Sant’Antonio Abate then built monastic cells and an oratory dedicated to Sant’Antonio here.
In the 13th century this complex came into the hands of the Order of the Agstinians. They had a church dedicated to Sant’Agostino built on top of the oratory.
In 1464, after the bell tower had collapsed and the entire neighborhood had fallen into the hands of the Florentines, a major renovation took place. The appearance of the surrounding neighborhood is also still due to work carried out by the Florentines at the time.
The oculus was added in 1472.
Works of art
Santi Buglioni was responsible for the polychrome terracotta “Adoration of the Shepherds”. Buglioni (1494-1576), who worked under the name Santi di Michele, was known as Della Robbia’s archenemy. He is buried in the Santa Maria Maggiore Church in Florence.
The frescoes adorning the walls are by anonymous local artists.
The ornamental plasterwork dates from the second half of the 18th century.