Arezzo

Arezzo is a 98,969 inhabitants city on a steep hill rising from the floodplain of the River Arno, in the eastern part of Tuscany, in Italy. It's also the capital city of the province of Arezzo and its most inhabited city. It is the seat of the oldest university in Tuscany and one of the oldest in whole Europe, the University of Arezzo.

How do I arrive to Arezzo?

  Arezzo is the capital of a province and an important city in Tuscany so there are different ways to arrive here. 

• Train: there are frequent trains to Cortona (aprox. 20 minutes) and Florence (aprox. 1 hour 15 minutes). It's also connected with Rome (aprox. 2 hour 30 minutes) in Lazio.
• Bus: there are some buses from Arezzo that reach destinetios such as Sansepolcro (aprox. 1 hour), Cortona (aprox. 1 hour) or Siena (aprox. 1.5 hours).
• Car: if you rented a car from Arezzo it can be reached Castiglion Fiorentino (aprox. 25 minutes), Cortona (aprox. 35 minutes), Sansepolcro (aprox. 40 minutes), Poppi and Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona, Campigna National Park (aprox. 45 minutes), Montepulciano (aprox. 45 minutes), Florence (aprox. 1 hour) and Siena (aprox. 1 hour 10 minutes). It can also be reached from Città di Castello (aprox. 40 minutes) and Perugia (aprox. 1 hour 10 minutes) in Umbria.

History

Arezzo (Aritim in Etruscan) is believed to have been one of the twelve most important Etruscan cities, Dodecapolis (many remains witness that presence), with important trade connections with Greece. It was conquered by the Romans in 311 BC and Arretium became a military station on the via Cassia and the town sided with Marius in the Roman Civil War so when Sulla won, he planned a colony of his veterans in the half-demolished city (Arretium Fidens). It was the third-largest city in Italy in the Augustan period (well known for its pottery manufactures). In the 3rd to 4th century Arezzo became an episcopal seat and the Roman city was demolished and dismantled, partly in the course of the Gothic War and the invasion of the Lombards (only the amphitheater remained). It was under control of the bishop of Arezzo until 1098, when it started to function as an independent city-state until 1384 (with a generally Ghibelline tendency). Arezzo founded its university in 1252, the Studium. After the rout of the Battle of Campaldino (1289), when Bishop Guglielmino Ubertini died, the fortunes of Ghibelline Arezzo started to decline. Tarlati family, chief among them Guido Tarlati, sought support in an alliance with Forlì and its overlords, the Ordelaffi, but failed. Arezzo yielded to Florentine domination in 1384 and since then its individual history became subsumed in that of Florence and of the Medicean Grand Duchy of Tuscany. During this period Piero della Francesca worked in the church of St. Francesco di Arezzo. Afterwards the city began an economical and cultural decay, which ensured the preservation of its medieval center. In the 18th century the neighbouring marshes of the Val di Chiana were drained and the region became less malarial. French troops led by Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Arezzo but the city soon turned into a resistance base against the invaders. Arezzo became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1860. City buildings suffered heavy damage during WW2. Pope Benedict XVI visited Arezzo and two other Italian municipalities in 2012.
 

What can I visit in Arezzo?

The city is considered an under the radar destination (specially compared with neighbouring Pisa, Lucca or Florence) but it's still a very interesting place with beautiful churches, palaces, streets and squares like Piazza Grande, one of the most beautiful in Arezzo and in whole Tuscany. Here takes place the Fiera Antiquaria di Arezzo (first Sun and last Sat of every month), the most famous antiquities festival in Tuscany.

These are Arezzo's main attractions:

• Basilica of St. Francesco (9-18 Mon-Fri, 9-17:30 Sat, 13-17:30 Sun): basilica whose construction began in the 13th century and, as it can be seen, has an unfinished façade (it has no decoration). The highlight of the basilica is Bacci Chapel (8€/ 5€  adults/ reduced), whose abse has one of the masterpieces in Italian art, The History of the True Cross by Piero della Francesca. These 15th century frecoes show the history of the wooden of the cross where Christ was crucified. It's quite recommended to book the entrance because only 25 people can enter every 30 minutes. There's a combined ticket for Bacci Chapel, Casa Vasari Museum and National Archaeological Museum Gaio Cilnio Mecenate (15€/ 12€  adults/ reduced).
• St. Maria della Pieve Church (8-12:30 and 15-18:30; free): 12th century church (oldest in Arezzo).
• Ivan Bruschi House-Museum (10-19 Tue-Sun from May to Sep; 10-13 and 15-18 Tue-Sun from Oct to Apr; 8€/ 6€  adults/ reduced): museum placed at the 13th century Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, restored in the 1960s by Ivan Burschi (a rich antiques dealer), that shows his personal collection. It has a large variety of objects such as furniture, coins, jewels, works of art, clothes and ceramis that were produced between Pre-History and the Renaissance.
• Fraternità of Laici Palace (10-18 Thu-Mon and 11:30-17:30 Tue-Wed; 3€/ free  adults/ reduced): palazzo located at Piazza Grande, with the outlook of a Gothic church, built in the 14th century, now home of the offices of the Public Prosecutor and the Court of Arezzo.
• Arezzo Cathedral (7-12:30 and 15:30-18:30; free): Romanesque-Gothic duomo whose construction began in the 13th century (although it wasn't finished until the 15th century). Its façade has a 14th century portal fanked by two sections of porphyry columns (from a pre-existing building). Inside the cathedral, close to the entrance to the sacristy, it can be found Maria Magdalena, an excellent frescoe by Piero della Francesca. Other of the highlights are 5 grazen terracottas by Andrea della Robbia and his studio at Madonna del Conforto Chapel.
  
• Arezzo Diocesan Museum (10-18:30 from May to Sep; 10-17 from Oct to Apr; 5€/ 3€  adults/ students and kids): i, 10-12:30 and 14-19:30 Sat-Sun): museum, placed on a nice 13th century palazzo where Guglielmino Ubertini and the rest of bishops of Arezzo lived from 1256, that has works from the 12th to 16th century that belonged to destroyed churches and the collection of works of art that belonged to the bishops who lived here.
  
• Basilica of St. Domenico (8:30-18): 14th century Tuscan Gothic church, popular for housing a painted crucifix by Cimabue. It has nice 16th century stained glass windows too
  
• Casa Vasari Museum (8:30-19:30 Mon and Wed-Sat, 8:30-13:30 Sun; 4€/ 2€  adults/ reduced): house designed and built by the 16th century artist Giogio Vasari.He lived here and it can be found the original The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, a book from 1550 that is still in use to study art history. On its Renaissance roof there is a small garden too.
  
• National Museum of Medieval and Modern Art (9:30-18:30 from Mar to Oct; 9:30-16:30 from Nov to Feb; 5€/ 4€  adults/ reduced): museum at Palazzo Bruni Ciocchi (one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in the city) that has an important collection of works of art. The visitor can find masterpieces by Margarito and frescoes by Spinello Aretino, a vast space is devoted to the Renaissance (focused on the influence that Piero della Francesca had among local artists), terracottas by the Della Robbia family and some works by Giorgio Vasari (like The feast for the wedding of Esther and Ahasuerus).
  
• National Archaeological Museum Gaio Cilnio Mecenate (8:30-19:30; 6€/ 3€  adults/ reduced): awesome museum located in a 14th century convent in front of the ruins of an ancient Roman amphitheatre (that reach a capacity of 10,000 people). It displays an excellent collection of Etruscan and Roman pieces; among the highlights of the exhibitions are Euphronios Krater (Etruscan terra cotta calyx-krater from the 6th century BC, decorated with battles of Heracles),
  Casalta amphora from the school of the painter Meidias, quinipodium (a large coin, one of only two remaining in the world) and the Roman statue of Livia.

Euphronios Krater at
National Archaeological Museum Gaio Cilnio Mecenate

Frescoes at Bacci Chapel

Sansepolcro Cathedral

Going east from Arezzo, around 40 km, it can be found the town of Sansepolcro, with 16,012 inhabitants. This interesting town is the birthplace of Piero della Francesca and its full of interesting churches and palaces with Renaissance art. Some of the main highlights are: Sansepolcro Civic Museum (10-13:30 and 14:30-19 from Jun to Sep; 10-13:30 and 14:30-18 from Oct to May; 10€/ 8.50€  adults/ reduced), small local museum with an outstanding collection of works of arts such as some of the masterpieces by Piero della Francesca (Resurrection, Polyptych of the Misericordia and Saint Julian the Hospitaller) and other works such as Natività by Andrea della Robbia or San Quintino by Pontormo; Sansepolcro Cathedral (10-12 and 16-19; free), 14th century duomo built in a Gothic-Romanesque style (and with some Umbrian influence) that has nice works of art such as the altarpiece Ascension of Christ by Perugino, the Volto Santo (a 10th century wooden cross with Christ with open eyes) or Resurrection Polyptych by Niccolò di Segna; Piero della Francesca House (10-12:30 and 14:30-17:30; 5€/ 3€  adults/ reduced), house from the 15th century where Piero della Francesca worked and lived, restored by himself with frescoes (some of the nicest ones were exported to the USA and displayed in Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston); or Aboca Museum (10-13 and 15-19 from Apr to Sep; 10-13 and 14:30-18 Tue-Sun from Oct to Mar; 8€/ 4€  adults/ reduced), museum placed at the Palazzo Bourbon del Monte (18th century) that speaks about medicinal plants, showing the link between them and the humans since Pre-history to our days. There's a combined ticket for Cansepolcro Civic Museum and Piero della Francesca House (11€/ 9€  adults/ reduced). The town has other churches that are worth a visit such as St. Lorenzo Church (where there's the  Deposition by Rosso Fiorentino) and St. Francesco Church, borth in Renaissance style.

Frescoe of Madonna del Parto

Before reaching Sansepolcro from Arezzo, the visitor may stop at Monterchi (1,742 inhabitants). This small town located at Tiber Valley. The most important sightseeing point here is Civic Museum Madonna del Parto (9-13 and 14-19 from Apr to Oct; 9-13 and 14-17 Wed-Mon from Nov to Mar; 6.50€/ 5€  adults/ reduced), museum where Madonna del Parto frescoe by Piero della Francesca (one of his most reknown works of art) is displayed after being taken down from the wall of the Chapel of Santa Maria di Momentana (at the local cemetery). Here it can be visited Scales Museum (9-13 and 14-19 from Apr to Oct; 9-13 and 14-17 Wed-Mon from Nov to Mar; included in the Civic Museum ticket), one of the largest collection of scales and weights in Europe. The town has also some churches that can be a good idea to visit in case of having plenty of time.

Where can I eat in Arezzo?

  Eating in Arezzo is an excellent choice because it has a wide range of good quality restaurants that offer traditional and modern Tuscan food. Some of the cheapest and most recommended restaurants in the city are osteria l'Agania (Via Giuseppe Mazzini 10), snack shop La Bottega di Gnicche (Piazza Grande 4), cafe Vasari () or the ice-cream shop Cremì (Corso Italia 100). There are also excellent choices for medium-prize food such as osteria Mest (Via Giorgio Vasari 11), the restaurant Le Chiavi d'Oro (Piazza San Francesco 7) or trattoria Il Cantuccio (Via Madonna del Prato 76).

In case you go to Sansepolcro and want to eat there, it's a good idea to look for a nice place at Via Lucca Pacioli. The town has nice Tuscan restaurants like osteria Il Giardino di Piero (Via Niccolò Aggiunti 98b), restaurant Da Ventura (Via Niccolò Aggiunti 30) or restaurant Fiorentino (Via Luca Pacioli 60). Here there are also good places to have a drink; for example bar Caffè delgi Appennini (Via XX Settembre 48) or enoteca Guidi (Via Lucca Pacioli 44).

Posted in: Europe,Italy,Tuscany