HISTORY OF AREZZO:
Arezzo was founded by the Etruscans in the 7th century BC on a hill overlooking the River Arno. In the following centuries, the metal-working technique turned the settlement into an important member of the Etruscan League of the Twelve Cities. Read More [...]
In 311 BC, the city was conquered by the Romans, and it became an important Roman garrison on Via Cassia. The city continued to flourish at the beginning of the first millennium of our era, becoming the third-largest city in Italy during the reign of the emperor Augustus.
Due to mass migration, Arezzo declined up close to the point of no longer appearing on map. Only in the 12th century, the city started to recover and, despite falling to Florence in 1289, Arezzo remained an important cultural center, famous to this day for its gold work.
GEOGRAPHY OF AREZZO:
Today, Arezzo is a city of about 100,000 inhabitants in the Italian region of Tuscany, and the capital of the province of the same name. The town is set on a hill rising from the plain of the Arno River. Read More [...]
The city is located 60 kilometers east of Siena, 74 kilometers northwest of Perugia, 75 kilometres southeast of Florence, 170 kilometers south of Bologna, 223 kilometers north of Rome, 280 kilometers south of Venice, 310 kilometers southeast of Genoa, 390 kilometers southeast of Milan, and 435 kilometers northwest of Naples.
TRANSPORT TO AREZZO:
The closest airport is the Amerigo Vespucci International Airport, located about 82 kilometers away, near Florence, but you can also arrive at the San Francesco d'Assisi Airport, near Perugia, located about 85 kilometers away, or at the Galileo Galilei Airport, in Pisa, located about 150 kilometers away. Read More [...]
You can get to Arezzo by train, coming from Florence, in about one hour, from Perugia in about the same time, and from Rome in just over 2 hours. The cheapest train ticket from Florence costs 8.90€, from Perugia is 7.55€, and from Rome 15.40€. In Arezzo, you can get around by bus, but the historical center of the city is small, and you can explore it on foot in just a few hours.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN AREZZO:
The city has many tourist attractions, of which we can mention Piazza Grande, the main square of Arezzo, the Arezzo Cathedral, dedicated to Saints Donatus and Peter, the Church of Santa Maria della Pieve, the Basilica of San Domenico, the Church of Sant'Agostino, Palazzo del Comune, Palazzo delle Logge, and the beautiful Palazzo della Fraternita dei Laici.
EVENTS IN AREZZO:
The most important event in Arezzo is the Saracen Joust (Giostra del Saracino), a historical reenactment festival held twice a year - Giostra di San Donato, dedicated to Saint Donatus, in the penultimate Saturday of June, and Giostra della Madonna del Conforto, dedicated to Our Lady of Comfort, in the first Sunday of September.