HISTORY: Arezzo was founded by the Etruscans in the 7th century BC on a hill overlooking the river Arno. The metal-working technique turned the town into an important member of the Etruscan League of Twelve Cities.
Due to mass migration, Arezzo declined up close to the point of no longer appearing on the 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: Today, Arezzo is the capital of the province with the same name, 80 kilometres southeast of Florence, about 60 kilometers east of Siena, 140 kilometers east of Lucca and about 150 kilometers east of Pisa. The city has a population of almost 100,000 people and is one of the main tourist destinations in Tuscany.
TRANSPORT: The closest airport is Amerigo Vespucci, near Florence, about 82 kilometers away, but you can also arrive at the San Francesco d'Assisi Airport, near Perugia, about 85 kilometers away, or at the Galileo Galilei Airport, in Pisa, 150 kilometers away.
You can get to Arezzo by train, coming from Florence, in about one hour, from Perugia, in about 55 minutes, or from Rome, in just over 2 hours. A train ticket from Florence costs 8.60€, 7.55€ from Perugia and 14.55€ from Rome. 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.
LANDMARKS: The city hides many tourist attractions, of which we can mention Piazza Grande (the main square of Arezzo), the Arezzo Cathedral dedicated to the Saints Donato and Peter, the Church of Santa Maria della Pieve and the Palazzo della Fraternita dei Laici.
MORE INFO: Touristic Portal | Florence Airport | Perugia Airport | Pisa Airport | Car Hire | Train Timetables & Fares | Bus Timetables & Fares | Hotels in Arezzo