Last November I was in Arezzo, a lovely town in Tuscany, central Italy. I took the chance to roam in town and shoot some pics with my camera – which deserves a better photographer than I am – and taste the arts and history of Italian Renaissance. And taste the regional food as well, of course.
Arezzo is the hometown of Giorgio Vasari, one of Italy’s greatest Renaissance artists. But before him, poet Francesco Petrarca came to life in Arezzo from Florentine parents, while the town was enriched by the presence of masters as Cimabue and Pietro Lorenzetti.
Although the whole town is quite big, Arezzo’s historic centre isn’t very large. This confers to the town that kind of small village charm, framed by dark alleys and picturesque squares. Moreover, the town develops on a hill slope: the train station lies on the bottom and the Cathedral stands on top of it. Even a terrible scout as myself will hardly get lost with such geographical features.
Anyway, Arezzo is a remarkable sight. This adds to the pleasant attitude of the welcoming locals, who enjoy the presence of visitors and are rightly proud of their town. And the drivers actually stops in front of pedestrian crossings to allow you through – I love it when it happens since it’s such a rare behaviour in Italy…
