3 Stages in Arezzo
1. The historical center and the Cathedral of Arezzo
Visiting Arezzo in one day means discovering its historic center on foot. Start your visit from the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Donato, where you can admire the stained glass windows by Guillaume de Marcillat and the Magdalene by Piero della Francesca. Continuing towards the heart of Arezzo, the streets of the city will welcome you in the typical atmosphere of medieval villages, between alleys and mornings. Pass by Vicolo dell'Orto, where you will find the birthplace of Francesco Petrarca, a building dating back to the thirteenth century, which now houses the Accademia Petrarca di Lettere Arti e Scienze.
2. The monuments of Piazza Grande
In Piazza Grande we find the Middle Ages, with the Tower of Lappoli and the Romanesque apse of Santa Maria della Pieve, the fifteenth century, with the Palazzo della Fraternità dei Laici characterized by the Gothic facade and the Renaissance lunette by Bernardo Rossellino, and, overlooking the square, the sixteenth century, with the famous Loggias designed by the architect Giorgio Vasari from Arezzo. Vasari's ashes are kept in the parish church, which overlooks Corso Italia with its bell tower, also known as the "tower of a hundred holes", for the five orders of mullioned windows on each side.
3. The attractions of Piazza Grande
Piazza Grande is the scene of one of the major attractions of Arezzo, the Giostra del Saracino. This historical commemoration is very felt by the people of Arezzo is also a reason to attract tourism and transforms the entire city into a festival with a medieval flavor. The main square of Arezzo hosts another of the most important events in Arezzo: every first Sunday of the month there is the antiquarian fair, founded in the last century by the art expert Ivan Bruschi, which attracts art experts and antique dealers from all over Italy.