Arezzo

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Are you planning to travel around Tuscany, and cannot choose? Florence and Pisa must of course be visited, but there are other places, that also represent the real Tuscany and amongst them there is also Arezzo. What to do in Arezzo is often outside the traditional tourist routes. However, toscanainside.com will give you tips and information to discover a fantastic place and discover why Arezzo in Italy should not to be missed!

Arezzo is a city on the border with Umbria and surrounded by four beautiful valleys (Val di Chiana, Valtiberina, Valdarno, Casentino). You can visit Arezzo in a day or take more time to discover Arezzo and its surroundings. What to see in Arezzo, Italy and what is there to do? There are countless farmhouses to relax, enjoy local produce, enjoy nature and the beauty of the small villages nearby: for example a walk in the Casentino Forests, a visit to the castle of Poppi, or a tour of the wineries of Montepulciano or Anghiari. In summer in the countryside you can do horse riding, trekking, or watch the stars at the end of a medieval festival. Are you look for somewhere peaceful? We recommend a visit to the Camaldoli Hermitage sanctuary and the Monastery of La Verna, and you will be deeply impressed by the pristine nature of the landscape. Would you like pure relaxation? You are very close to Chianciano Terme .. put a bathing costume in a your suitcase!

What to see in Arezzo? Why not take part in a tour to visit Arezzo and its surroundings with our advice? Let us explain and we will not need to try and convince you! Arezzo, of Etruscan origins and an economic power during the Middle Ages, is rich in treasures and traditions which are still alive among its inhabitants. Here, some of the most famous and important people of our country were born. For example, music! A monk called Guido d'Arezzo invented the notes system and the outline of the pentagram which is still used today. This is why every year, during the last week of August, the city organizes the International Polyphonic Competition hosting choirs from around the world. If you love poetry and literature interests you, you must visit  the house where Francesco Petrarca was born and the Tofano well, the protagonist of a story of Boccaccio's Decameron. A visit to Arezzo means seeing first-hand places of great poets! Do you miss Dante Alighieri? Dante had fought in the battle of Campaldino (in Casentino) and in the Divine Comedy defines the inhabitants of Arezzo "snarling curs" The poet had a good word for everyone! And Pietro Aretino? Born in Arezzo at the end of the 15th century, he was the poet who encountered lots of scandal with his writing. Read some of his erotic poetry and you will be amazed! Passing near the Vasari house you should take a look at the ancient cloister of the Municipal Library, where you can read undisturbed or even study. From this point you will be close to Prato, which boasts the Medici Fortress: This is an ideal place to survive during the hottest hours of summer, and to see the city from above. Another place loved by young people and children is the Roman amphitheatre, where the State Archaeological Museum is located and which takes its name from another character from Arezzo: Gaius Pliny Maecenas. The museum was set up in a monastery and the garden below is often a wonderful setting for concerts and dance performances.

What to see in Arezzo, Italy is an important choice to which we also add some advice on what to eat and taste: we at toscanainside.com are happy to give a few tips!

After walking up and down the hills of the city, you will have a great appetite. No problem! Arezzo offers a selection of unforgettable dishes. While discovering Arezzo you will come across along the streets small grocery shops with friendly owners who are happy to make you a sandwich with pork, and offer wine tasting of Chianti Colli Arezzo or Brunello di Montalcino DOC and taverns where you enjoy a 'slow' meal with simple recipes. The appetizers include the black crostini, ribollita, panzanella with Tuscan bread (simple bread without salt) and Chianina steak, ribs and to conclude vin santo con cantucci. To avoid feeling like a nap in the afternoon (go easy on the wine at lunch!) and finishing the day without visiting Arezzo’s most characteristic places, you should get up from the table and walk again without haste. If you are wondering, while walking between stores and shops, in Arezzo what to visit and what not, which lane to follow and which not, follow our advice. Having arrived almost at the end of Corso Italia, turn into Italy Piazza St. Francesco, turn off your smartphone and give yourself the incredible vision of the frescoes of Piero della Francesca (another illustrious Arezzo inhabitant) representing the Aurea Legend, which tells the origins of the cross of Jesus Christ. The colours of the paintings and the light they capture are pure magic. Leaving here we suggest you ask for directions to the church of St Domenico, once there you will find another wonder: the Crucifix of Cimabue.

If you have to visit Arezzo in one day, consider there are other charming places to visit near Arezzo. For fans of collectibles and antiques, every first Saturday and Sunday of the month there is the Antiques Fair, one of the largest in Italy for the number of exhibitors: stalls filled with postcards, antique clocks, paintings, old trunks, and art deco china cups, vintage clothes and bags, comics and long playing records of the Beatles and Patty Pravo? Maybe you will not find that issue of Dylan Dog you have been looking for for a long time, but you will notice an old brooch that blends in well with your new coat! What about that hat of the Soviet era? Did you want to give it to your cousin as a present? Perhaps it is better to opt for a used copy of Crime and Punishment ...

Another place to visit in Arezzo, Italy at the end of a long day up and down the medieval streets is Piazza Vasari. Piazza Grande was the work of the famous architect Giorgio Vasari from Arezzo and is a place to visit in Arezzo. In this magical place, with an oblique shape and framed by beautiful lodges and medieval towers, the famous Giostra del Saracino takes place. It is a medieval re-enactment that will make you take a dip in the past and dive into the customs of Arezzo. All the inhabitants take part in organizing this highly anticipated race and decorating the city with the corresponding colours. What about taking part in summer dinners with neighbourhoods outdoors? Tables are set up on the streets, live music, theme parties, endless cycles of toasts during dinner. And then on race day: twice a year the four districts of the city compete to win the golden spear specially created by famous goldsmiths Arezzo. The city is filled from the morning with medieval musicians playing trumpets and drums marching along with knights on horseback, on foot and squires (all strictly in period costume despite the heat!). Young people (and not only) are divided into a temporary struggle between neighbourhoods, choirs, chanting and waving flags or wearing them directly on the shoulders like a scarf. During the race the riders have to hit, riding at speed and with their spear, a board supported by the buratto. This represents the Saracen, or the one who threatened the Christian faith and therefore sworn enemy of the Crusaders. Each time the score is announced by a herald. At the end of the race the team who reaches the highest number of points wins the spear that is delivered in the Cathedral followed by a party late into the night in the victorious neighbourhood. Here, in short, another reason Arezzo should be seen and in Arezzo what to visit. However, looking at this square without the knights and its large crowd, its design should remind you of something. A reckless and carefree downhill bike ride? Music and a special story? Yes. This site and others in the city were the scenes of one of the best films of Italian cinema: La vita è bella (Life is beautiful). Roberto Benigni chose this city as the setting for some memorable scenes of his film. Arezzo was involved during the filming of the movie starting from the schools in which scenes were shot, with some pupils chosen and dressed in period costumes. "Maria! The key "is the phrase of the film which best represents the daily life of Arezzo. A great city, city of gold, and at the same time a city-country, medieval village where everyone knows everyone, where the butcher might worry about you during your vegan period and the teacher remembers certainly when you cried on a school trip.

Arezzo in Tuscany offers simplicity and especially the love for one's roots. Arezzo sights are full of poetry and a great place to take pictures of old houses among the hidden alleys and to enjoy a good glass of wine with friends. We suggested you what to visit in Arezzo and its attractions. From here, also, you will have the opportunity to visit many nearby villages that will leave you spellbound, this city offers picturesque areas in every season and delicacies that are easily found in the food and wine shops in the centre.

Be surprised by the artistic beauties and the hospitality of its inhabitants who are known to say "Don’t go walking about if your mouth doesn’t taste of wine".