Explorations of a lesser known, but still gorgeous, Tuscan city.
Arezzo is a Tuscan city about 80 km (50 mi) south of Florence. Settled back in the Etruscan period, Arezzo has a mix of ancient ruins and medieval buildings typical of Tuscany. Today, Arezzo is a bustling city, but its historic past is wonderfully preserved.
Wandering Jana My first stop was on the other side of the historic center from where I was staying. I didn’t mind the walk.
Wandering Jana Casa Vasari, the home of the painter, art historian and architect Giorgio Vasari, active during the Renaissance. He painted most of the ceilings in his home.
Wandering Jana The Room of Virtue’s Triumph. While the rooms were elaborately decorated, they were rather small and hard to photograph.
Wandering Jana Close up to one of the “panels” next to the statue.
Wandering Jana The Gothic Basilica of San Domenico.
Wandering Jana Very, very Tuscan Gothic.
Wandering Jana Looks like the walls were once covered with frescoes.
Wandering Jana The 13th century Torre Ricoveri-Gamurrini. It wouldn’t be a medieval Tuscan city without a tower or two.
Wandering Jana Interestingly shaped building.
Wandering Jana Badia delle Sante Flora e Lucilla. This church has definitely gone through some alterations over the years.
Wandering Jana It’s a simple but beautiful church.
Wandering Jana I love fake domes. You have to stand in a specific area for the painting to appear like a dome.
Wandering Jana Very, very Tuscan.
Wandering Jana Another tower house. Florence used to have dozens of these.
Wandering Jana One of Arezzo’s grand churches, Santa Maria della Pieve. (To see the cool exterior which was under scaffolding when I was there.)
Wandering Jana Interesting capital. The church is a combination of Romanesque and Gothic styles.
Wandering Jana A lot going on with this capital.
Wandering Jana One side of Arezzo’s main square, Piazza Grande.
Wandering Jana The other side of Piazza Grande. Starting from the left is the rear apse of Santa Maria della Pieve, followed by the Palazzo della Fraternita dei Laici, and finally, the Vasari Loggia, designed by Vasari himself.
Wandering Jana Another tower, Torre dell’Orologio, and the Palazzo dei Priori on Piazza della Libertá.
Wandering Jana Next door is the impressive Cattedrale dei Santi Pietro e Donato. It was built through several phases from 1277-1511. The facade dates to the 19th century. It replaced an unfinished facade.
Wandering Jana Love this door.
Wandering Jana The most stunning feature of this cathedral is its painted ceiling.
Wandering Jana The windows are perfectly placed to illuminate the frescoes.
Wandering Jana Lovely altar area of a chapel.
Wandering Jana The super elaborate main altar dedicated to San Donato.
Wandering Jana I love random frescoes like this.
Wandering Jana Santa Maria delle Grazie. I walked a mile of the way, in one direction to spend 20 minutes at this church.
Wandering Jana Gorgeous Renaissance portico.
Wandering Jana It’s a little Gothic church.
Wandering Jana Arezzo also has an Ancient Roman amphitheater from the 2nd century CE.
Wandering Jana Part of it was incorporated into a Benedictine monastery, which is now the archaeological museum.
Wandering Jana A remaining bit of the vomitorium (I love that word.), or passages used for rapid exit from the amphitheater.
If you are looking for a bit of Tuscany that is less crowded, Arezzo is the place to go. It has several museums, good restaurants, and easily walkable. I only shared here a few of the places I went, so there’s even more than this.
Check out my next update where I head to Prato, another Tuscan city just outside of Florence!
or
Start at the beginning of this adventure.
Share this:
Discover more from Wandering Jana
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
