Tag: piazza in Arezzo

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    Piazza Grande

    Piazza Grande is the main square of Arezzo, located in the center of the medieval city. With an inclined trapezoidal shape, the square is one of the most beautiful in Tuscany and in the whole of Italy. In Piazza Grande, twice a year, in June and September, takes place the Joust of the Saracen (Giostra del Saracino), a traditional festival with a medieval fragrance.   SHORT HISTORY In the early Middle Ages, the area of the current square was used for the livestock market, and was called Platea Porcorum. In the 13th century, the space definitively became a square, and during the 14th century, with the construction of the buildings around it, Piazza Grande took on its current appearance on three of its sides. In 1560, Cosimo I de’ Medici, as a demonstration of the strength of the new Florentine lordship, demolished Palazzo del Popolo, Palazzo del Comune and other buildings to the north of the square. At the behest of the same Cosimo I de’ Medici, the new layout of Piazza Grande was designed by Giorgio Vasari. He closed the square to the north with Palazzo delle Logge, built between 1573 and 1595. As a new political and economical Read more [...]