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 Arezzo
Arezzo lies on a hill close to the Appennino Tosco-Romagnolo.
As its architecture proves, Arezzo boasts its ancient origin first as one of the greatest Etruscan towns and then a strategic Roman city.
The upper part keeps a remarkable medieval aspect with the Cathedral and the Medici Fortress.
The rather Gothic Cathedral contains fine works of art among which “La Maddalena” by Piero della Francesca and the stained-glass windows by Guillame de Marcillat.
The central Piazza Grande shows different styles of architecture: next to the medieval towers are the imposing Renaissance Loggiato Vasariano, the Palazzo delle Fraternita dei Laici, a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance architecture, and the apse of the Pieve di Santa Maria.
The Piazza Grande hosts annually the “Giostra del Saracino”, a tournament held on the third Sunday of June and the first Sunday of September, and the Antique Fair on the first weekend of every month.
The Bacci Chapel in the Basilica di San Francesco houses the stunning Renaissance cycle of frescoes of “The legend of the True Cross” by Piero della Francesca. The single-nave church of San Domenico houses the newly restored “Crucifix” by Cimabue.
Many other churches and palaces prove how important and original in the centuries Arezzo was. Notable are the Badia delle Sante Flora e Lucilla, the church of La Santissima Annunziata, Palazzo Pretorio and Palazzo dei Priori, and at a few minutes outside the walls, the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, the Romanesque Pieve di Sant’Eugenia al Bagnoro. The museums offer a large variety of remarkable works of art: the Museo Archeologico Gaio Cilnio Mecenate, the Museo Statale d’Arte Medievale e Moderna, the Museo and Casa Vasari, the Casa Museo “Ivan Bruschi” and the Museo Diocesano.
Website: www.comune.arezzo.it
Height: m. 296
Post-code: 52100
Km from: Firenze 77, Siena 70, Perugia 80, Urbino 107, Roma 205
Population: 91626
Telephone code: 0575
Useful Information
Public transport: Train FS, station Arezzo
How to get there: Autostrada A1 exit Arezzo; from Siena SS 73; from Cesena E45 as far as Sansepolcro then SS 73.
Information: Tourist Information Office. Phone O575/377678 Fax 0575/20839
E-mail: info@arezzo.turismo.toscana.it
Points of interest
The film “La vita è bella” by Roberto Benigni was shot in Arezzo.
Weekly market
Weekly market: Saturday morning
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