Arezzo ( , ; ) is a city and ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' in Italy and the capital of the province of the same name located in

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

. Arezzo is about southeast of

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

at an elevation of

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

. As of 2022, the population was about 97,000. Known as the city of gold and of the high fashion, Arezzo was home to artists and poets such as

Giorgio Vasari Giorgio Vasari (30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance painter, architect, art historian, and biographer who is best known for his work ''Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'', considered the ideol ...

Guido of Arezzo Guido of Arezzo (; – after 1033) was an Italian music theorist and pedagogue of High medieval music. A Benedictine monk, he is regarded as the inventor—or by some, developer—of the modern Staff (music), staff notation that had a massive ...

and

Guittone d'Arezzo Guittone d'Arezzo (Arezzo, 123521 August 1294) was a Tuscan poet and the founder of the Tuscan School. He was an acclaimed secular love poet before his conversion in the 1260s, when he became a religious poet joining the Order of the Blessed Vi ...

and in its

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

to Renaissance artist

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...

. In the artistic field, the city is famous for the frescoes by

Piero della Francesca Piero della Francesca ( , ; ; ; – 12 October 1492) was an Italian Renaissance painter, Italian painter, mathematician and List of geometers, geometer of the Early Renaissance, nowadays chiefly appreciated for his art. His painting is charact ...

inside the Basilica of San Francesco, and the crucifix by

Cimabue Giovanni Cimabue ( , ; – 1302), Translated with an introduction and notes by J.C. and P Bondanella. Oxford: Oxford University Press (Oxford World's Classics), 1991, pp. 7–14. . also known as Cenni di Pepo or Cenni di Pepi, was an Italian p ...

inside the Basilica of San Domenico. The city is also known for the important

Giostra del Saracino The Saracen joust of Arezzo (''Giostra del Saracino'', ''Giostra ad burattum'') is a jousting tournament first held in 1260 CE. History The joust began as a military training exercise. The tournament was regularly held in Arezzo between the 16 ...

, a game of

chivalry Chivalry, or the chivalric language, is an informal and varying code of conduct that developed in Europe between 1170 and 1220. It is associated with the medieval Christianity, Christian institution of knighthood, with knights being members of ...

that dates back to the Middle Ages.

History

Described by

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding i ...

as one of the ''Capita Etruriae'' (Etruscan capitals), Arezzo (''Aritim'' in

Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *Etruscan civilization (1st millennium BC) and related things: **Etruscan language ** Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities **Etruscan coins **Etruscan history **Etruscan myt ...

) is believed to have been one of the twelve most important

cities—the so-called Dodecapolis, part of the

Etruscan League The Etruscan civilization ( ) was an ancient civilization created by the Etruscans, a people who inhabited Etruria in ancient Italy, with a common language and culture, and formed a federation of city-states. After adjacent lands had been conq ...

. Etruscan remains establish that the acropolis of San Cornelio, a small hill next to that of San Donatus, was occupied and fortified in the Etruscan period. There is other significant Etruscan evidence: parts of walls, an Etruscan necropolis on ''Poggio del Sole'' (still named "Hill of the Sun"), and most famously, the two bronzes, the "

Chimera of Arezzo The Chimera of Arezzo is regarded as the best example of ancient Etruscan art. The British art historian David Ekserdjian described the sculpture as "one of the most arresting of all animal sculptures and the supreme masterpiece of Etruscan bro ...

" (5th century BC) and the "Minerva" (4th century BC) which were discovered in the 16th century and taken to

. Increasing trade connections with

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

also brought some elite goods to the Etruscan nobles of Arezzo: the

krater A krater or crater (, ; , ) was a large two-handled type of vase in Pottery of ancient Greece, Ancient Greek pottery and metalwork, mostly used for the mixing of wine with water. Form and function At a Greek symposium, kraters were placed in ...

painted by

Euphronios Euphronios (; c. 535 – after 470 BC) was an ancient Greek vase painter and potter, active in Athens in the late 6th and early 5th centuries BC. As part of the so-called " Pioneer Group," (a modern name given to a group of vase painters who we ...

c. 510 BC depicting a battle against Amazons (in the Museo Civico
Arezzo 1465
is unsurpassed. ArikameduRomanCeramic

Conquered by the Romans in 311 BC, ''Arretium'' became a military station on the

via Cassia The Via Cassia () was an important Roman road striking out of the Via Flaminia near the Milvian Bridge in the immediate vicinity of Rome and, passing not far from Veii, traversed Etruria. The ''Via Cassia'' passed through Baccanae, Sutrium ...

, the road by which Rome expanded into the basin of the Po. Arretium sided with Marius (157 – 86 BC) in the

Roman Civil War This list of Roman civil wars and revolts includes civil wars and organized civil disorder, revolts, and rebellions in ancient Rome (Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic, and Roman Empire) until the fall of the Western Roman Empire (753 BC – AD 476). ...

, and the victorious

Sulla Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (, ; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman of the late Roman Republic. A great commander and ruthless politician, Sulla used violence to advance his career and his co ...

( 138 – 78 BC) planted a colony of his veterans in the half-demolished city, as ''Arretium Fidens'' ("Faithful Arretium"). The old Etruscan aristocracy was not extinguished:

Gaius Cilnius Maecenas Gaius Cilnius Maecenas ( 13 April 68 BC – 8 BC) was a friend and political advisor to Octavian (who later reigned as emperor Augustus). He was also an important patron for the new generation of Augustan poets, including both Horace and Virgil. ...

, whose name has become

eponym An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...

ous with "patron of the arts", came of the noble Aretine Etruscan stock. The city continued to flourish as ''Arretium Vetus'' ("Old Arretium"), the third-largest city in Italy in the

Augustan period Augustan is an adjective which means pertaining to Augustus or Augusta. It can refer to: * Augustan Age (disambiguation) * Augustan literature (ancient Rome) * Augustan prose * Augustan poetry * Augustan Reprint Society * Augustan literature * A ...

, well known in particular for its widely exported pottery manufactures, the characteristic moulded and glazed Arretine ware, ''bucchero''-ware of dark clay and red-painted vases (the so-called "coral" vases). Around 261 AD the town council of Arezzo dedicated an inscription to its patron L. Petronius Taurus Volusianus. See that article for discussion of the possible political/military significance of Volusianus's association with the city. In the 3rd to 4th century Arezzo became an episcopal seat: it is one of the few cities whose succession of

bishops A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

are known by name without interruption to the present day, in part because the bishops operated as the feudal lords of the city in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. The Roman city was demolished, partly in the course of the Gothic War and of the late-6th-century invasion of the

Lombards The Lombards () or Longobards () were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who conquered most of the Italian Peninsula between 568 and 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written betwee ...

, partly dismantled, as elsewhere throughout

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. The Aretines re-used the stones for fortifications. Only the

amphitheater An amphitheatre ( U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meaning "place for vie ...

remained. The commune of Arezzo threw off the control of its bishop in 1098 and functioned as an independent

city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world throughout history, including cities such as Rome, ...

until 1384. Generally Ghibelline in tendency, it opposed

Guelph Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as The Royal City, it is roughly east of Kitchener, Ontario, Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Ontario Highway 6, ...

Florence. In 1252 the city founded its university, the ''Studium''. After the rout of the

Battle of Campaldino The Battle of Campaldino was fought between the Guelphs and Ghibellines on 11 June 1289. Mixed bands of pro-papal Guelph forces of Florence and allies, Pistoia, Lucca, Siena, and Prato, all loosely commanded by the paid ''condottiero'' Amerigo di ...

(1289), which saw the death of Bishop , the fortunes of Ghibelline Arezzo started to ebb, apart from a brief period under the Tarlati family, chief among them Guido Tarlati, who became bishop in 1312 and maintained good relations with the Ghibelline party. The Tarlati sought support in an alliance with

Forlì Forlì ( ; ; ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and city in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, and is, together with Cesena, the capital of the Province of Forlì-Cesena.The city is situated along the Via Emilia, to the east of the Montone river, ...

and its overlords, the Ordelaffi, but failed: Arezzo yielded to Florentine domination in 1384; its individual history became subsumed in that of Florence and of the Medicean

Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (; ) was an Italian monarchy located in Central Italy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1860, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In the 19th century the population ...

. During this period

( 1415–1492) worked in the church of San Francesco di Arezzo producing the splendid frescoes, recently restored, which are Arezzo's most famous works. Afterwards the city began an economical and cultural decay, which ensured the preservation of its medieval centre. In the 18th century the neighbouring marshes of the

Val di Chiana The Val di Chiana, Valdichiana, or Chiana Valley, formerly Clanis Valley, is a tectonic valley of central Italy, whose valley floor consists of important alluvial residues filled up since the 11th century, lying on the territories of the provinc ...

, south of Arezzo, were drained and the region became less

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...

l. At the end of the-century French troops led by

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

conquered Arezzo, but the city soon turned (1799–1800) into a resistance base against the invaders with the "Viva Maria" movement, winning the city the role of provincial capital. In 1860 Arezzo became part of the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

. City buildings suffered heavy damage during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

; the Germans made a stand in front of Arezzo early in July 1944 and fierce fighting ensued before the British 6th Armoured Division, assisted by New Zealand troops of the

2nd New Zealand Division The 2nd New Zealand Division, initially the New Zealand Division, was an infantry division of the New Zealand Military Forces (New Zealand's army) during the Second World War. The division was commanded for most of its existence by Lieutenant-G ...

, liberated the town 16 July 1944. The

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mil ...

's Arezzo War Cemetery, where 1,266 men are buried, is located to the north-west of the city.

Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...

visited Arezzo and two other Italian municipalities on May 13, 2012.

Geography

Arezzo is set on a steep hill, rising from the

floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river. Floodplains stretch from the banks of a river channel to the base of the enclosing valley, and experience flooding during periods of high Discharge (hydrolog ...

of the River Arno. In the upper part of the town are the cathedral, the town hall and the Medici Fortress (''Fortezza Medicea''), from which the main streets branch off towards the lower part as far as the gates. The upper part of the town maintains its medieval appearance despite the addition of later structures. Arezzo's city proper is near the high risk areas for earthquakes, but located in a transitional area where the risk for severe earthquakes is much lower than in nearby

Umbria Umbria ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region of central Italy. It includes Lake Trasimeno and Cascata delle Marmore, Marmore Falls, and is crossed by the Tiber. It is the only landlocked region on the Italian Peninsula, Apennine Peninsula. The re ...

and

Abruzzo Abruzzo (, ; ; , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; ), historically also known as Abruzzi, is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy with an area of 10,763 square km (4,156 sq mi) and a population of 1.3 million. It is divided into four ...

, albeit it is slightly more vulnerable than

. Notable earthquakes are still a very rare phenomenon in the

, with a 4.6 quake to its north-east that claimed no lives on 26 November 2001 the exception.

Climate

Arezzo has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Cfa'') with hot and dry summers combined with mild and rainy winters. The annual average temperature is , the hottest month in August is , and the coldest month is in January. The annual precipitation is , of which November is the wettest with , while July is the driest with only .

Government

Hamlets

* Agazzi * Antria * Badia San Veriano * Bagnoro * Battifolle * Bicciano * Campoluci * Campriano * Capolona * Ceciliano * Chiani * Chiassa Superiore * Cincelli * Frassineto * Gaville * Giovi * Gragnone * Il Matto * Indicatore * La Pace * Le Poggiola * Meliciano * Misciano * Molinelli * Molin Nuovo * Monte Sopra Rondine * Montione * Mugliano * Olmo * Ottavo * Palazzo del Pero * Patrignone * Pieve a Ranco * Poggio Ciliegio * Policiano * Pomaio * Ponte a Chiani * Ponte alla Chiassa * Pieve a Quarto * Ponte Buriano * Poti * Pratantico * Puglia * Policiano * Quarata * Rigutino * Ripa di Olmo * Rondine * Ruscello * San Firenze * San Giuliano * San Leo * San Marco Vill'Alba * San Polo * Santa Firmina * Santa Maria alla Rassinata * Sant'Andrea a Pigli * San Zeno * Sargiano * Sereni * Staggiano * Stoppe d'Arca * Subbiano * Talla * Torrino * Tregozzano * Venere * Vitiano

Population

Culture

Festivals

Arezzo is home to an annual medieval festival called the Saracen Joust (''Giostra del Saracino''). In this, "knights" on horseback representing different areas of the town charge at a wooden target attached to a carving of a Saracen king and score points according to accuracy. Virtually all the town's people dress up in medieval costume and enthusiastically cheer on the competitors. Arezzo hosts an annual popular music and culture festival each July, called Arezzo Wave. Publicly funded, it attracts bands of high repute and attendees from all over Europe and North America and features some literary and film expositions. Arezzo also hosts an annual international competition of choral singing Concorso Polifónico

Guido d'Arezzo Guido of Arezzo (; – after 1033) was an Italian music theorist and pedagogue of High medieval music. A Benedictine monk, he is regarded as the inventor—or by some, developer—of the modern staff notation that had a massive influence on ...

(''International Guido d'Arezzo Polyphonic Contest'').

In popular culture

Arezzo has a starring role in

Roberto Benigni Roberto Remigio Benigni ( , ; born 27 October 1952) is an Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film director. He gained international recognition for writing, directing, and starring in the Holocaust comedy drama film ''Life Is Beautifu ...

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

Life Is Beautiful ''Life Is Beautiful'' (, ) is a 1997 Italian period comedy-drama film directed by and starring Roberto Benigni, who co-wrote the film with Vincenzo Cerami. Benigni plays Guido Orefice, a Jewish Italian bookshop owner, who employs his imagin ...

'' (''La vita è bella'', 1997), which won three Academy Awards (Best Foreign Film, Best Actor, Best Original Score). It is the place in which the main characters live before they are shipped off to a

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

concentration camp A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...

Arretium was used in the PC game'' Rome: Total War'' as the Capital of the Roman Faction of

Julii The gens Julia was one of the most prominent patrician families of ancient Rome. From the early decades of the Republic, members of this gens served in the highest offices of the Roman state, beginning with Gaius Julius Iulus, consul in 489 ...

Main sights

Arezzo Campanile - Santa Maria della Pieve

Arezzo-Chiesa di san Domenico-Crocifisso di Cimabue-closeup

Tarlati-polyptych-Pietro Lorenzetti Pieve di santa Maria Arezzo

Piazza Grande

The Piazza Grande is the most noteworthy medieval square in the city, opening behind the 13th century Romanesque apse of Santa Maria della Pieve. Once the main marketplace of the city, it is currently the site of the ''Giostra del Saracino'' ("Joust of the Saracen"). It has a sloping pavement in red brick with limestone geometrical lines. Aside from the apse of the church, other landmarks of the square include: *The Palace of the Lay Fraternity (''Fraternita dei Laici''): 14th–15th century palazzo, with a Gothic ground floor and a

Quattrocento The cultural and artistic events of Italy during the period 1400 to 1499 are collectively referred to as the Quattrocento (, , ) from the Italian word for the number 400, in turn from , which is Italian for the year 1400. The Quattrocento encom ...

second floor by

Bernardo Rossellino Bernardo di Matteo del Borra Gamberelli (1409–1464), better known as Bernardo Rossellino, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor and architect, the elder brother of the sculptor Antonio Rossellino. As a member of the second generation of Renaiss ...

*The Vasari Loggia along the north side, a flat

Mannerist Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...

façade A façade or facade (; ) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loanword from the French language, French (), which means "frontage" or "face". In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important asp ...

*Episcopal Palace, seat of the bishops, rebuilt in the mid-13th century. The interior has frescoes by Salvi Castellucci, Teofilo Torri and

Pietro Benvenuti Pietro Benvenuti (8 January 1769 – 3 February 1844) was an Italian Neoclassicism, Neoclassical painter. Biography Early life and education Born in Arezzo in Tuscany, he was influenced by the style of Jacques-Louis David. He was a student of ...

. In front of the Palace is the Monument to Grand Duke Ferdinando I de' Medici (1595), by Pietro Francavilla, following a design of

Giambologna Giambologna (1529 – 13 August 1608), also known as Jean de Boulogne (French), Jehan Boulongne (Flemish) and Giovanni da Bologna (Italian), was the last significant Italian Renaissance sculptor, with a large workshop producing large and small ...

. *Palazzo Cofani-Brizzolari, with the Torre Faggiolana *Remains of the Communal Palace and the Palazzo del Popolo can also be seen.

Churches

* Santa Maria della Pieve: the most striking feature of this Romanesque church is the massive, square-planned bell tower with double orders of mullioned windows. The church was built in the 12th century over a pre-existing Palaeo-Christian edifice, and was renovated a century later with the addition of the characteristic façade made of

loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior Long gallery, gallery or corridor, often on an upper level, sometimes on the ground level of a building. The corridor is open to the elements because its outer wall is only parti ...

s with small arches surmounted by all different-styled columns. Also from the same century is the

lunette A lunette (French ''lunette'', 'little moon') is a crescent- or half-moon–shaped or semi-circular architectural space or feature, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void. A lunette may also be ...

with the ''Virgin between Two Angels'' and the sculptures of the months (1216) over the main portal. the interior has a nave and two aisles, with a transept also added in the 13th century. In the following century chapels, niches and frescoes were added, including the polyptych of ''Virgin with Child and Saints'' by

Pietro Lorenzetti Pietro Lorenzetti (; – 1348) or Pietro Laurati was an Italian painter, active between and 1345. Together with his younger brother Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Ambrogio, he introduced Realism (arts), naturalism into Sienese School, Sienese art. In the ...

(1320). In the crypt is a relic bust of St. Donatus (1346). From the same epoch is the hexagonal baptismal font, with panels of the ''Histories of St. John the Baptist'', by Giovanni di Agostino. The ''Pieve'' was again renovated by Giorgio Vasari in 1560. *

Cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

of Saint Donatus (13th – early 16th centuries): the façade of this Gothic style church remained unfinished, and was added in the 20th century. The interior has a nave and aisles divided by massive pilasters. The left aisle has a fresco by

portraying the ''Madeleine''. Noteworthy are also the medieval stained glass, the Tarlati Chapel (1334) and the Gothic tomb of

Pope Gregory X Pope Gregory X (; – 10 January 1276), born Teobaldo Visconti, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1 September 1271 to his death and was a member of the Third Order of St. Francis. He was elected at the ...

. * Basilica of San Francesco (13th–14th centuries): built in Tuscan-Gothic style. Of the projected façade cover in sculpted stone only the lower band was completed. The interior has a single nave: the main attraction is '' The History of the True Cross''

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

(1453–1464) cycle by

in the Bacci Chapel. Under the church is another Basilica with a nave and two aisles (''Basilica inferiore''), today used for art exhibitions. * Basilica of San Domenico (founded in 1275 and completed in the early 14th century): the interior has a single nave with a ''Crucifix'' by

, a masterwork of 13th-century Italian art. Other artworks include a ''Sts. Philip and James the Younger and St. Catherine'' by

Spinello Aretino Spinello Aretino (c. 1350 – c. 1410) was an Italian Painting, painter from Arezzo, who was active in Tuscany at the end of the 14th and the first decade of the 15th century.San Michele: this church has a modern façade. Traces of the original Romanesque edifice and the Gothic restoration can be seen in the interior. * Santa Maria in Gradi: this medieval church was initially built in the 11th or the 12th century, but reconstructed in the late 16th century by

Bartolomeo Ammannati Bartolomeo Ammannati (18 June 1511 – 13 April 1592) was an Italian architect and sculptor, born at Settignano, near Florence, Italy. He studied under Baccio Bandinelli and Jacopo Sansovino (assisting on the design of the Library of St. Mark ...

. The interior has a single nave with stone altars (17th century) and a ''Madonna of Misericordia'', terracotta by Andrea della Robbia. *Church of St. Augustine: founded in 1257, modified in the late 15th and the late 18h centuries. The façade and the interior decoration are largely from Baroque times. The square plan bell tower is from the 15th century. * Badia delle Sante Flora e Lucilla (12th century): The abbey was built by Benedictine monks in the 12th century, it was totally restored in the 16th century under the direction of Giorgio Vasari. The octagonal bell tower is from 1650. The interior, in Mannerist style, has an illusionistic canvas depicting a false dome by Andrea Pozzo (1702). There are also a ''St. Lawrence'' fresco by Bartolomeo della Gatta (1476) and a ''Crucifix'' by Segna di Buonaventura (1319). * San Lorenzo: one of the most ancient of the city, having been built before the year 1000, most likely in Palaeo-Christian times. Rebuilt in the 13th century and restored in 1538, it was totally rebuilt in 1705. The apse exterior is in Romanesque style. * Santa Maria delle Grazie: a late Gothic sanctuary with a Renaissance portal by Benedetto da Maiano (1490). It has also a marble high altar by Andrea della Robbia including a pre-existing fresco by Parri di Spinello (1428–1431). The sanctuary was built over a font dedicated to

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

, which was destroyed by San Bernardino of Siena in 1428, building an oratory in its place. The church was erected in 1435–1444 and has a chapel entitled to St. Bernardino. *Santa Maria a Gradi (1591): a monastery existing already in 1043. It has a Baroque interior, but with an altar by a collaborator of Andrea della Robbia. * Santissima Trinità: this church was built in 1348, it was totally renovated in 1723–1748 in Baroque style. It houses a 14th-century Crucifix, a banner painted by Giorgio Vasari in 1572, a painting of ''Noli me tangere'' by

Alessandro Allori Alessandro di Cristofano di Lorenzo del Bronzino Allori (Florence, 31 May 153522 September 1607) was an Italian painter of the late Mannerist Florentine school. Biography After the death of his father in 1541, Allori was brought up and trained ...

(1584) and other artworks. * Santa Maria Maddalena: built in 1561 over a pre-14th century structure. It houses a ''Madonna with Child'' (Madonna of the Rose) by Spinello Aretino, visible in the high altar (c. 1525) designed by Guillaume de Marcillat. It is now private property. *Pieve di San Paolo: erected as Palaeo-Christian baptismal church, rebuilt in the 8th-9th centuries and then rebuilt in Romanesque style in the 13th century. The bell tower is from the 14th-15th centuries. The entire church was again renovated after the 1796 earthquake. It has kept 15th-century frescoes by Lorentino d'Andrea and a cyborium. The transept entrance has granite columns with marble capitals from the 5th century AD. * Pieve di Sant'Eugenia al Bagnoro: documented from 1012, it was one of the most important ''pievi'' of the diocese during the Middle Ages. The presbytery area is from the 12th century, while the rest is from the 11th century. The bell tower, partially ruined, stands on one of the three apses. *Pieve di San Donnino a Maiano, at Palazzo del Pero (6th–9th centuries): documented from 1064, it replaced a Palaeo-Christian baptismal church. The frontal part was rebuilt in the 14th century. The apse has 15th century frescoes and a wooden ''Madonna with Child'' from the same age.

Others

*Roman

amphitheatre An amphitheatre (American English, U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meani ...

and museum *Palazzo dei Priori: erected in 1333, has been the seat of the city's magistratures until today. The edifice was numerous times restored and renovated; the interior has a court from the 16th century, a stone statue portraying a ''Madonna with Child'' (1339), frescoes, busts of illustrious Aretines, two paintings by Giorgio Vasari. The square tower is from 1337. *Medici Fortress ('' Fortezza Medicea''): designed by

Antonio da Sangallo the Younger Antonio da Sangallo the Younger (12 April 14843 August 1546), also known as Antonio Cordiani, was an Italian architect active during the Renaissance, mainly in Rome and the Papal States. One of his most popular projects that he worked on des ...

and completed in 1538–1560. It was partly dismantled by the French in the early 19th century. *Palazzo Camaiani-Albergotti (14th century, renovated in the 16th century), with the Torre della Bigazza *Palazzo Bruni-Ciocchi: Renaissance edifice attributed to

. It is seat of the State Museum of Medieval and Modern Art. *Palazzo Pretorio: which was seat of the People's Captain until 1290. The façade has coat of armas of the captains, ''

podestà (), also potestate or podesta in English, was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of central and northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a c ...

'' and commissaries of the city from 14th to 18th century. Only one of the two original towers remains. *House of

Petrarch Francis Petrarch (; 20 July 1304 – 19 July 1374; ; modern ), born Francesco di Petracco, was a scholar from Arezzo and poet of the early Italian Renaissance, as well as one of the earliest Renaissance humanism, humanists. Petrarch's redis ...

(''Casa del Petrarca'') * Casa Vasari (in Via XX Settembre): an older house rebuilt in 1547 by Giorgio Vasari and frescoed by him; now open as a museum, it also contains 16th-century archives. The main rooms were decorated by Vasari in an illusionist manner. The drawing room, where Vasare painted the life journey of an artist, with the artistic virtues protected by the gods of antiquite represented as heavenly bodies, is remarkable. *Ivan Bruschi House and Museum (''Casa-Museo Ivan Bruschi'') *Gaio Cilnio Mecenate Archeological Museum *Civic Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art *

UnoAErre Unoaerre is the most important goldsmith company in Arezzo, a city that is one of the main centers of Italian goldsmithing, along with Valenza and Vicenza. Origin of the name Unoaerre The name UNOAERRE owes its origin to the introduction of a ...

Jewelry Museum

Sports

*Associazione Calcio Arezzo ( A.C. Arezzo) *Vasari Rugby Arezzo *Club sommozzatori Calypso – Federazione Italiana Attività Subacquee – Sez. Terr. Arezzo (

diving Diving most often refers to: * Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water * Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes Diving or Dive may also refer to: Sports * Dive (American football), ...

)

Notable people

* Margaritone d'Arezzo ( – 1290), 13th-century painter * Giovanni Filippo Apolloni (1620–1688), 17th century poet and librettist *

Pietro Aretino Pietro Aretino (, ; 19 or 20 April 1492 – 21 October 1556) was an Italian author, playwright, poet, satire, satirist and blackmailer, who wielded influence on contemporary art and politics. He was one of the most influential writers of his ti ...

(1492–1556), author, playwright, poet and satirist, inventor of modern literary

pornography Pornography (colloquially called porn or porno) is Sexual suggestiveness, sexually suggestive material, such as a picture, video, text, or audio, intended for sexual arousal. Made for consumption by adults, pornographic depictions have evolv ...

(born 1952), actor and director *

Daniele Bennati Daniele Bennati (born 24 September 1980) is an Italian former road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2002 and 2019 for the , , , , , , and squads. Specialising in fast Cycling sprinter, sprint finishes, Bennati turned profession ...

(born 1980), cyclist * Fabio Bidini (born 1968), pianist * Mario Cassi (born 1973), baritone *

Andrea Cesalpino Andrea Cesalpino ( Latinized as Andreas Cæsalpinus) (1524/1525 – 23 February 1603) was a Florentine physician, philosopher and botanist. In his works he classified plants according to their fruits and seeds, rather than alphabetically or ...

(1524–1603), physician, botanist and philosopher *

( – after 1033), music theorist of the Middle Ages, inventor of modern music notation. He lived in Arezzo for many years, and possibly born there. *

(1412–1492), painter. He spent most of his life in the city of Arezzo. * Bartolomeo di ser Gorello (1322/26 – ), author of the first town chronicle of Arezzo * Luc Ferrari (1929–2005), avant garde composer *

Federico Luzzi Federico Luzzi (; 3 January 1980 – 25 October 2008) was an Italian professional tennis player who had been ranked as high as World No. 92. Luzzi had been suspended from professional tennis in 2008 for six months after a determination was made ...

(1980–2008), professional tennis player *

(1475–1564), artist, born near the town *

Negrita Negrita may refer to: * Negrita (band) * Negrita (rum) * Negrita Jayde (1958–2009), Canadian bodybuilder and actress * Virgen de los Ángeles, the patron saint of Costa Rica, commonly referred to as ''la negrita'' {{Disambiguation ...

, rock band *

(1304–1374), poet *

Poggio Bracciolini Gian Francesco Poggio Bracciolini (; 11 February 1380 – 30 October 1459), usually referred to simply as Poggio Bracciolini, was an Italian scholar and an early Renaissance humanism, Renaissance humanist. He is noted for rediscovering and recove ...

(1380–1459), artist, born near the town *

Francesco Redi Francesco Redi (18 February 1626 – 1 March 1697) was an Italians, Italian physician, naturalist, biologist, and poet. He is referred to as the "founder of experimental biology", and as the "father of modern parasitology". He was the first perso ...

(1626–1697), 17th century physician * Dylan and Cole Sprouse (born 1992), American actors *

(1511–1574), painter, architect and biographer

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Arezzo is twinned with:

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

*
Information about Arezzo and province

Giostra del Saracino official web site
an
Photos of Arezzo and the JoustPorta Crucifera's Knights
official site of the Porta Crucifera quartiere; Joust of the Saracen

including George Dennis's chapter on the Etruscan city and further links
Information about Arezzo and Province
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Tuscany Etruscan cities