Arezzo area, Tuscany

Arezzo It is one of the oldest cities in Tuscany and stands where the four valleys of the province meet: the Val di Chiana, Valdarno, Valtiberina and Casentino. Thanks to its geographical position it has been a point of encounter for different civilizations and cultures. The city is of Etruscan origin and was then a small Roman fortress, commerce flourished here in Medieval times and artistic production in the Renaissance period. The town conserves important examples from all these periods in its churches and monuments and in the objects housed in its museums. Amongst the most important works are the Romanesque Pieve with its tower with a hundred holes, the cathedral with its stained glass windows by Guglielmo di Marcillat, the basilica of San Francesco with its precious works by Piero della Francesca, the Gothic church of San Domenico with its crucifix by Cimabue. The splendid setting of Piazza Grande dominated by Vasari’s loggia hosts the “Saracen Joust” twice a year and the Antique Fair on the first weekend of every month which spreads through the nearby streets and where one can buy antique furniture and accessories. (top)

Poppi Its history is linked to the family of the Guidi Counts and their Castle built in the 13th century by Arnolfo di Cambio. The staircase, the collection of coats of arms, the chapel with a fresco cycle by Taddeo Gaddi, one of Giotto’s disciples, the collection in the library donated by the Rilli-Orsini Counts to the Commune of Poppi are all of great interest. The hermitage of Camaldoli is immersed in a forest of secular fir trees and is one of the most important spiritual centres in Tuscany. It was founded by San Romualdo in 1012 and with its 20 cells is a place of contemplation and solitude. The church dedicated to San Salvatore is rich in Baroque decorations and in the chapel of Sant’Antonio Abate one can admire a glazed terracotta altar piece by Andrea della Robbia. The Monastery, Guest quarters and Church of Santi Donato and Ilariano are a few kilometres further down the valley. In the Campaldino plain below the famous battle between Florentine Guelfs and Aretine Ghibellines was fought in 1289. A young Dante Alighieri fought among the Florentine troops. (top)

Bibbiena It is now the most important centre of the Casentino. Originally it was an important Etruscan centre and then a Medieval fortress. One can still see the Tower of Tarlati and the Porta dei Fabbri (blacksmith’s gate) which were part of the castle. The town centre is a mosaic of noble palaces: Palazzo Mazzoleni; Palazzo Niccolini; Palazzo Dovizi commissioned by Cardinal Bernardo Dovizi who was born in Bibbiena and was the secretary of Cardinal Giovanni de’ Medici (the future Pope Leone X). One can admire beautiful examples of religious architecture in the Church of San Lorenzo which houses glazed terracotta works from the Della Robbia school, in the Rococo Oratory of San Francesco, in the Pieve of Sant’Ippolito once the Tarlati castle chapel and in the Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Sasso, one of the most important sacred Renaissance buildings in the Casentino. The Re-evocation of the Mea (last Sunday of carnival and Shrove Tuesday) is of interest. (top)

Chiusi della Verna The area of Chiusi della Verna is between the Arno and Tevere valleys in a strategic position between the Casentino and the Valtiberina. The Sanctuary of La Verna stands on a big and fascinating rocky promontory and is one of the most famous places of Franciscan devotion. A visit to the sanctuary is particularly fascinating and rendered even more so by the silvery beach woods in which it is enclosed and hidden. The small church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, the first building that was built on the Sacred Mount, houses terracotta works by the Della Robbia school. In the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta one can see masterpieces by Andrea della Robbia: the Annunciation and the Incarnation, works in which art becomes a means of expression for the spirit. Other important Franciscan places are: the Sasso Spicco, where the Saint used to pray; the Corridor of the Chapel of the Stigmata built in the place where in 1224 San Francesco received this last sign from God. On summer evenings it is impossible not to be carried away by the sweet music of the International Festival of Organ Music that takes place in the Basilica of the Sanctuary. (top)

Pratovecchio The centre and surrounding area bear witness to the faith of its people in the two monasteries of Camaldolese and Domenican nuns and in the Pieve of San Pietro a Romena, one of the most important examples of Romanesque architecture in the Casentino, not far from the town. The Castle of Romena, a symbol of administrative power, was a fortress belonging to the Guidi Counts and is mentioned in Dante’s Hell canto XXX. Paolo di Dono, known as Paolo Uccello, a master of prospective was born here. Every two years the event known as “Forme di legno”(wooden shapes), takes place here, an event that combines the art, craft and culture linked to wood. In some of its shops one can find the famous “panno del casentino” woollen material that weavers have been producing for over five centuries using the typical green and orange colours. (top)

Sansepolcro The town of Sansepolcro which developed aroung the large Benedictine Abbey has conserved its Medieval lay out almost intact and over the centuries has been enriched by important Renaissance and Baroque buildings making it the most important centre of the Valtiberina. Piero della Francesca was born here and several of his masterpieces can be seen in the Museo Civico. Works like the Resurrection , a complex and symbolic work, the polyptych of the Misericordia, San Giuliano and San Ludovico all bear witness to the genius of this early Renaissance artist. The “Volto Santo”, a wooden crucifix of the Carolingian period in the Cathedral is noteworthy. The Mannerist Palazzo Laudi next to the Cathedral is now the Town Hall. One shouldn’t miss the Church of San Lorenzo with its painting of the Deposition by Rosso Fiorentino. Piazza Torre di Berta is at the heart of the city and on the second Sunday in September hosts the traditional Palio della Balestra, with costumes inspired by the paintings of Piero della Francesca. Every two years in September Sansepolcro becomes the city of lace with exhibitors from all over Italy and abroad. (top)

Anghiari Splendid Medieval town on a hill between the river Sovara and the Tiber valley. Its name is linked to a famous battle (Battle of Anghiari) in 1440, fought on the plain of Anghiari and painted by Leonardo in the hall of Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. The Borghetto, above the plain, was first of all a Medieval settlement surrounded by imposing 15th century walls with its medieval tower of the Campano and the Badia, an old stone church founded by the Camaldolese monks around the year 1000. Palazzo Taglieschi, the Museo Statale is in the centre of the town and houses important pieces and paintings (a polychrome wood Madonna by Jacopo della Quercia, terracotta from the Della Robbia school and a 16th century organ “organo positivo” that still works). In Spring the streets of the old town are animated with visitors who come to browse in the little shops and stalls set up for the Art and Craft Fair. (top)

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