Arezzo what to see in 1 day, and you are spoiled for choice given that in this city Tuscany there are really a lot of things to discover. In fact I’ll tell you more Arezzo it is also nicknamed “the hidden pearl of Tuscany”! Why this statement? Because it is, perhaps, a destination not taken into much consideration by tourists, however it is a city very rich in things to do and see without forgetting that it has given birth to various personalities of both literature, culture and Italian sciences such as , for example, Francesco Petrarca, Francesco Redi, Giorgio Vasari.
Big Square
I cannot help but start my visit to Arezzo from the beating heart of the city, namely the main square which is called here Piazza Grande or Piazza Vasari which is the main square of the city. This square has a particularity that characterizes it and makes it unique. It has a trapezoid shape with an inclination that allows water to drain. The difference in height from the lowest to the highest point is about ten metres.
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On the square we can find buildings from different eras: on the southern and eastern side they date back to the Middle Ages, on the northern side they are Renaissance from the sixteenth century and, finally, those on the western side are from the fifteenth century. However, the effect you get when looking at these buildings, despite the fact that they date back to different eras, is one of great harmony and they don’t clash at all with each other, that’s for sure.
Among the most beautiful buildings in the Square we find the Palazzo delle Logge, the Pieve di Santa Maria and the Palazzo della Fraternità dei Laici. Palazzo della Loggia also known as Loggiato Vasariano it is the large building located on the south side of the Square and is recognizable due to the portico in which today both bars and restaurants with tables are located. The Loggia was built in the second half of the sixteenth century and is one of Vasari’s most important works, so much so that it took his name and not that of the client.
Il Palace of the Brotherhood of the Laity which consists of three different styles. The lower part is in Gothic style and dates back to the fourteenth century, then a part that dates back to the Renaissance and, finally, the bell tower with Astronomic watch which is from the sixteenth century.
The watch is still working today, in fact it is easily the last manual winding watch still working in the world. And legend has it that its creator was blinded if not killed by the clients once the work was completed to prevent another one from being made like it.
It is possible to enter the Palace because after having been the seat of the Court since 2010 it is a museum and, therefore, to admire the clock gears up close.
Church of Santa Maria della Pieve
The church of Santa Maria della Pieve It will definitely catch your attention! It is a Romanesque style church with a three-portal façade. The renovation work began in 1140 and was completed at the beginning of the fourteenth century.
A peculiarity of the side of the parish church that overlooks Piazza Grande is the rear part (and it is not the facade). Inside the church there are, among other things, the relics of San Donato who is the patron saint of the city of Arezzo.
It’s already lunch time so I stop and take a short break to eat something.
Basilica of San Francesco
My first destination of the afternoon is there BBasilica of San Francesco famous for the internal walls of the Cappella Maggiore which are decorated with a cycle of fifteenth century frescoes namely “The Legend of the True Cross” by Piero della Francesca. “The Legend of the True Cross” it was very widespread in the Middle Ages and was based on wood with the cross of Jesus apparently having been made.
The Cathedral of Arezzo
The Duomo or Cathedral of Saints Peter and Donato which is located in the square of the same name and which was built on the site where an early Christian church previously stood.
However, its current appearance dates back to the twentieth century as the church remained unfinished for some time. The masterpiece of this cathedral are the seven stained glass windows of the Marcillat cycle which date back to the sixteenth century and were painted in two phases, namely between 1516 and 1524.
Palazzo dei Priori and the Casa Vasari Museum
Priory palace which is located in Piazza della Libertà, is a stupendous fourteenth-century building with a quadrangular tower next to it and is now the seat of the city municipality
Vasari House Museum his house today is a museum dedicated to him. It is a building that was purchased by the artist in 1541 and which was used as a family home. The house is spread over three floors with a beautiful garden which can also be visited.
The House of Petrarch
The House of Petrarch it is located in a seventeenth-century palace with remains of a residence from three centuries earlier. It seems, there is no certain information, that this is the place where the famous writer and poet Francesco Petrarca was born.
The palace houses both a museum and the Petrarca Academy of Letters, Arts and Sciences which is a center where various cultural activities and events linked to Petrarch himself are promised.
The Medici Fortress
The Medici Fortress it is made of stone and located in the north-eastern part of the city, i.e. on top of the San Donato hill.
It is a defensive fortress, indeed the most imposing of the sixteenth century, which was commissioned by the Medici family and it was they who gave it the shape (which it still has today) of a five-pointed star with bastions of different sizes to better follow the different terrain heights.
Inside the fortress there is one of the most beautiful city parks in the city.
And now I can’t do anything but retrace my steps because the day is over or rather flown by and now I can’t do anything but go back.
Film tours of the city
You didn’t know that the Has the historic center of Arezzo been the film set for several films? Like, for example, “La vita è bella” by Roberto Benigni or the comedy “A Fantastic Via Via” by Leonardo Pieraccioni and the local tourism board has also created maps to retrace these places.
3 curiosities about Arezzo that perhaps you don’t know
Il Buriano Bridge over the Arno a few kilometers from Arezzo, medieval, has been recognized in the landscape behind the “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci.
Arezzo was home to the oldest university in Tuscany but it was also among the first at a European level.
The Saracen Joust And a medieval re-enactment that takes place in June and September in Piazza Grande. The four districts of the city participate and the people of Arezzo in medieval costumes revive an ancient and festive atmosphere as they re-propose ancient jousts and tournaments that date back at least to the time of Dante Alighieri, if not before, given that he spoke about them in the XXII of Hell.
Useful information
How to get to Arezzo
Arezzo is in an excellent position and this means that it is easily reachable from every part of Italy.
Airplane
The plane, in my opinion, is the most convenient way to reach Arezzo. The closest airport is Florence (FLR) which is less than 100 kilometers away. And once there to reach Arezzo you can opt for buses or taxis. Alternatively you can opt for
Auto
By car you must take the A1 Milan-Naples motorway and exit at the Arezzo toll booth and follow the signs for about ten kilometers to the centre.
Train
Arezzo station is located on the Rome-Bologna route and this means that it is served by Intercity and high-speed trains therefore it means that it is easily reachable from any Italian city
Bus
Arezzo is well connected by extra-urban buses to the other cities of Tuscany (at least those in the south-eastern area), but also with long-distance buses from all over Italy.
How to get around Arezzo
I would like to point out that both the train and bus stations are located in the lower part of the city and to reach the upper part you have to go up a short distance.
If you have a minimum amount of training in movement and, therefore, walking is not a problem for you then I think it is the best thing to do.
A nice walk never hurts otherwise you can take a bus and the same goes for those who have to go with their own transport as they will have to park a little outside the centre.
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