{"id":29747,"date":"2026-02-25T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/areademo.beculture.it\/?p=29747"},"modified":"2025-12-19T10:19:59","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T09:19:59","slug":"things-to-see-in-arezzo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/areademo.beculture.it\/en\/things-to-see-in-arezzo\/","title":{"rendered":"Things to see in Arezzo: must-see places, museums and artworks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There are few places in the world capable of transporting us back in time. Tuscany, with its art cities and ancient villages, is undoubtedly one of them. Together with Florence<\/a> and Siena<\/a>, Arezzo is steeped in a past that is still alive today, visible in its places and artworks <\/strong>\u2013 works that preserve their precious historical dimension. Let\u2019s retrace them together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Piazza Grande<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We begin in the heart of the city, Piazza Grande, distinguished by its unusual trapezoidal shape and steeply sloping pavement. Here stand buildings from different periods and styles: ancient towers and medieval or medieval-revival houses<\/strong> (some of which were rebuilt in the twentieth century during a wave of cultural and architectural revival), the Romanesque<\/strong> apse of the Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta<\/strong>, and iconic Renaissance structures such as the Palazzo delle Logge<\/strong>. Designed by Giorgio Vasari1<\/sup> in 1573 for the Fraternita dei Laici (a city institution founded in 1262), its elegant arcades offer visitors a delightful stroll. But this was not always the case: a curious plaque, once set into one of the pillars (now replaced by a copy), reminds us that in the sixteenth century this area was reserved for the city\u2019s rulers and nobility, and that the \u201ccommon people\u201d were forbidden from walking through it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"palazzo<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Museo Nazionale d\u2019Arte Medievale e Moderna<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To admire the original plaque, you need to head to theMuseo Nazionale d\u2019Arte Medievale e Moderna<\/a> which, inside the unique setting of the fifteenth-century Palazzo Bruni Ciocchi, preserves an exceptionally rich heritage of historical artefacts and artworks<\/strong>. The visit unfolds across twenty rooms arranged chronologically, from the Early Middle Ages to the Macchiaioli.<\/a>
Among the finest sculptures are San Michele Arcangelo<\/em> and statues of the Madonna col Bambino that once stood above the city gates. The museum also boasts important figures from the Renaissance and Baroque, including Luca Signorelli, Giorgio Vasari, Salvator Rosa and Carlo Dolci, to name just a few. Lovers of the applied arts will particularly appreciate the collection of Renaissance maiolica, one of the most complete and striking in Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"museo<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Museo di Casa Vasari<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A short distance from the Museo Nazionale d\u2019Arte Medievale e Moderna, along Via XX Settembre, stands the Museo di Casa Vasari<\/a>. \u201cA house begun in Arezzo, with space for beautiful gardens in the Borgo San Vito, in the best air of the city\u201d: this is how Vasari himself \u2013 architect, artist and writer \u2013 described his residence which, despite being able to spend only little time there, he loved dearly and personally decorated. The pictorial decoration of the piano nobile<\/strong>, with its painted coffered ceilings, frescoed vaults and wall paintings, continues to enchant visitors today. Allegorical, mythological and biblical scenes intertwine with masterful chromatic and compositional harmony, following a precise programme intended to celebrate the figure of the artist. Since 1950, these have been joined by a small picture gallery<\/strong> featuring works by Vasari and the so-called \u201cpainters of the studiolo\u201d, who decorated the study of Francesco I de\u2019 Medici in Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Outside lies the Italian-style hanging garden<\/a> (once even larger), where the charm of nature immediately reveals the reason for Vasari\u2019s affection towards this elegant yet welcoming home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"museo<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cimabue\u2019s Crocifisso in the Church of San Domenico<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In his Vite<\/em>, Vasari hails Cimabue as the first great innovator of Western painting. One of his masterpieces is the imposing Crocifisso<\/em> dominating the main chapel of the Basilica di San Domenico. Created between 1265 and 1271, it is considered Cimabue\u2019s youthful masterpiece. <\/strong>The model is that of the suffering Christ: the wounded body leaning to one side, the head bowed, the eyes closed in an expression of pain. The same sorrow appears on the faces and in the postures of the Madonna and St John the Evangelist, placed respectively to the left and right of the Redeemer. Above is a half-length Christ standing over the inscription \u201cHic est Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudeorum<\/em>\u201d (\u201cThis is Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews\u201d, commonly abbreviated as I.N.R.I.). <\/strong>Cimabue likely drew inspiration from the Bolognese Crocifisso by Giunta Pisano<\/strong>, who first renewed the iconography of Christ on the Cross. Yet Cimabue introduced innovative elements, moving away from the Byzantine tradition: a more pronounced chiaroscuro on the abdomen to give the volumes greater three-dimensionality; the face, enhanced by carefully placed highlights, conveys the pathos of the scene with greater realism. The result is more vivid, more human, more engaging, even though still tied to schematic conventions. It was a lesson that Cimabue\u2019s pupils, Giotto<\/a> above all, would develop to even more astonishing heights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"crocifisso
Crocifisso, Cimabue<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Museo I Colori della Giostra<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Drumrolls and trumpets, waving flags and a parade of more than four hundred people in medieval costume: the re-enactment of the Giostra del Saracino<\/strong> takes Arezzo and its inhabitants back through the centuries. This event, which excites both locals and visitors alike, is held twice a year in Piazza Grande. Here, the city\u2019s four districts \u2013 Porta del Foro, Porta Santo Spirito, Porta Sant\u2019Andrea and Porta Crucifera, each with its own colours \u2013 compete for the Golden Lance<\/strong>, crafted each year by a different artist.
For those unable to attend, <\/strong>the exhibition<\/strong><\/a> on the ground floor of the Palazzo Comunale is a must. Through historical garments, artefacts, objects and immersive technologies<\/strong>, visitors can explore the origins and traditions of the Giostra and relive its emotions \u2013 a highly recommended stop for children too!<\/p>\n\n\n