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Hello Bloggers,

today I would like to tell you about Arezzo; it is a small town located in Tuscany, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) in the south of Florence. It is set on a steep hill rising from the the River Arno.

In the upper part of the town there are the cathedral, the town hall and the Medici Fortress (Fortezza Medicea).

The upper part of the town maintains its medieval appearance despite the addition of later structures.

It is believed to have been one of the 12 most important Etruscan cities.

Conquered by the Romans in 311 BC, “Arretium” became a military station on the "Via Cassia", the road to expansion by republican Rome into the basin of the river Po.

In the 3^rd-4^th century, Arezzo became an Episcopal seat and the Roman city was demolished, partly through the Gothic War and the invasion of the Lombards, partly dismantled, as elsewhere throughout Europe, and the stones reused for fortifications into castles and only the Roman Amphitheater remained.

Arezzo was an independent city-statevuntil the end of 1300 when the Florentine domination started with the power of Florence itself and the Medicean Grand Duchy of Tuscany. During this period the famous painter Piero della Francesca worked in the Church of “San Francesco di Arezzo” producing the splendid frescoes, recently restored, which are Arezzo's most famous works.

At the end of the 18th century Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Arezzo, but the city soon turned into a resistance base against the invaders winning the city the role of provincial capital and in 1860 Arezzo became part of the Kingdom of Italy.
All the buildings suffered heavy damages during the World War II and the British liberated the city from the domain of the Germans.

The main sight in Arezzo is “Piazza Grande” which is the most noteworthy medieval square in the city. Once the main marketplace of the city, it is currently the site of the “Giostra del Saracino”, the “Joust of the Saracen”, an annual medieval festival in which people dressed like knights on horseback and representing different areas of the town, charge at a wooden target attached to a carving of a Saracen king and score points. All the town's people dress up in medieval costume and enthusiastically cheer on the competitors.

Aside from the apse of the church, other landmarks of the square include The Palace of the Lay Fraternity, The Vasari Loggia, a façade designed by Giorgio Vasari, the Episcopal Palace, seat of the bishops, “Palazzo Cofani-Brizzolari”, with the “Torre Faggiolana”, the rests of the Communal Palace and the “Palazzo del Popolo”.

The place has a sloping pavement in red brick with geometrical lines.

Then there are a lot of Churces typical of all the Italian cities.

Because Tuscany is famous for the production of good wine I suggest you go to visit one of the many wineries that are located in the city.

And of course you have to try the tasty Tuscan food including the famous Fiorentina.

Arezzo has also a starring role in Roberto Benigni's film Life Is Beautiful (La vita è bella, 1997) It is the place in which the main characters live before they are shipped off to a Nazi concentration camp.

Tourists information in here: http://www.visitarezzo.com

You can get there:
By Car: Arezzo can be reached by car from Florence or Rome by the Autostrada del Sole (A1 Milano-Napoli) coming off at the Arezzo exit; the center of the city is about 10 km far from here.

By Train: the Arezzo train station is located along the railway line Bologna-Roma. The station is served by Intercity trains daily with connections to Florence, Rome and the rest of Italy.

By Bus: Arezzo is connected with the Valdichiana, Valtiberina, Pratomagno, Casentino and Valdarno, by a communications network made possible by ATAM, LFI and SITA buses.

From the Firenze-Pertola Amerigo Vespucci Airport: drive along the SS 69, Arezzo Valdarno, or take the highway A1 coming off at the Arezzo exit.

Thank you for reading!

Guenda