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 Inhabitants
in 1991 : 91,926
 The
Municipal territory of Arezzo extends for 384,53 square kilometres, occupying
an area prevalently flat with areas of hills and mountains.
The city, principle development area in the Firenze-Roma direction,
rises from a gently sloping hillside in the centre of a vast valley
which constitutes the natural convergence point for the basins of Valdarno
di Sopra, of Casentino, of Val di Chiana and of the high Valle del Tevere.
Originally probably founded by the Umbri and then an Etruscan centre,
it has not made changes to its corporation since the Unification of
Italy.
Traces of an extremely ancient wall situated on the hill of Castelsecco
hypothesise a primitive Arezzo founded by the Umbro population ;
it is certain that it was, in ancient times, on of the most powerful
Etruscan Lucomo. Allied with Roma since the end of the IV century
B.C., it came under direct Roman dominion in the II century B.C.
and thereby became involved in the civil war, suffering damage and destruction
at the time of the conflict between Mario and Silla, having chosen,
like many other Tuscan municipals, to take sides with the former. Repopulated
by a colony of Silla followers, and in the year 60 B.C. by a new colonisation
of Romans decorated by the “Triumviri”, Arezzo assumed the
aspect of an economically florid Roman city in an Imperial era ;
having overcome the persecutions of the IV century, its process
of Christianisation must be considered to have been completed during
the V century. It was after a grave decadence during the first
part of the Mediaeval period and in particular a very long dispute
between its diocese and that of Siena for the possession of a number
of rural churches (documented for the first time in 714), that the
city of Arezzo reappears with a certain vivacity on the historic scene.
As this conflict, in which, underneath the religious and patrimonial
motives, there were certainly also political motives, lasted until
the XII century with interventions by Popes and Emperors, from the
IX century the Bishops of Arezzo had to also take on the role of maximum
civil authority. Half way through the XI century appeared, for
the first time in documents surviving from that time, the title of Count
Bishop and a few decades later it was the townsfolk themselves
who proposed the first form of communal organisation, partly taking
advantage of the bishop’s protection and partly assuming a growing
antagonistic behaviour, managing among other things to compel the Bishop
to leave his fortified residence on the Pionta Hill (indefinitely in 1203)
and to take refuge in the parish church of Santa Maria inside
the urban area.
In the meantime, Arezzo increased its district, so that by the
end of the first half of the XIII century it dominated a
territory which comprised the Val Tiberina as far as the confines of the
Citta di Castello, the lower part of Casentino, the Valdarno as far as
Laterina, the Val di Chiana as far as Lucignano, the Cortonese area as
far as Trasimeno ; and had, as the other great communities of
Tuscany, lively and conflicting internal political affairs with the
conflict for the predominance of the municipality between the Ghibellini
(headed by the noble group of Ubertini and Tarlati) and the Guelfi
(headed by the Bostoli). If, during the first eighty years of the
thirteenth century the political changes were more or less synchronised
and homogenous with those of Firenze, in 1287 the Guelfi
and Ghibellini magnates joined forces and, with the fundamental support
of Bishop Guglielmino degli Ubertini, overthrew the Guelfi peoples
regime. It was an auspicious occasion for Siena and Firenze, who in
1288 declared war on their rival, trying to conquer it. Having
defeated the Sienese at the nearby Parish of Toppo, the Arezzo
forces had to surrender to the predominance of the Fiorentini at
the battle of Campaldino in 1289. Firenze however was
not able to profit from the victory and the city was besieged in
vain. After Bishop Guglielmino’s death at Campaldino,
and after Ildebrandino was declared Bishop by the Guidi Counts;
Guido Tarlati was elected at the Episcopal Cathedral in 1312, subsequently
named Master of the City for life. Several times excommunicated
and declared heretic, as Ghibellino, by Pope Giovanni XXII, Bishop Tarlati
remained in power until his death (1328), and nominated his brothers
Pier Saccone and Tarlato as his successors in the government.
The rivalry with Buoso degli Ubertini, who was in the meantime
elected as Bishop of Arezzo, the rebellion of the cities dominated
by Arezzo, the war with the Guelfi from Perugia, the lack of friendship
by the other great Arezzo families, all determined, in the span of one
decade, an intolerable situation for the Tarlati, in so much that
Pier Saccone was compelled to recognise the dominance of Firenze over
Arezzo in 1337. Having re-acquired its autonomy after the banishment of
the Duke d’Atene from Firenze (1343) and repressed various attempts
to establish a dominion in the city - like that put into action in 1377
by Bishop Giovanni degli Albergotti, Arezzo was consigned in the end to
King Carlo di Durazzo in 1380, who governed it through his representative
Jacopo Caracciolo until 1384, when it was occupied by the troops
of the French leader Enguerrand de Coucy, who came to Italy to help Luigi
d’Angiò. Shortly after Arezzo fell definitively under
the power of Firenze, who managed to have de Coucy give the city over
to them for the sum of 40,000 gold florins. From that time the
city passed a long period of decadence and the short term anti-Fiorentine
revolts of 1409, 1502 and 1529 are tangible signs of the unrest of the
population who felt ignored and impoverished. They received better attention
under the Lorena and had an indubitable advantage from the reclaimed
land of the nearby Val di Chiana, realised thanks to the project of
a co-citizen Vittorio Fossombroni, so that, in gratitude toward the deposed
dynasty (but also for the prevalence of a particularly conservative landlord)
after the occupation by the French, the city rebelled ousting the
Napoleon garrison (1799), and giving birth to that singular Toscano Sanfedista
movement which was called the “Viva Maria” ; after the
battle of Marengo, in October 1800 Arezzo was anyway reconquered and
plundered. Once again under the grand-ducal government, they took
advantage of the fervour of public works which distinguished the last
phase of the Lorenese government, with the establishment of the railway
and the strengthening and modernisation of the road network ;
finally becoming part of the Italian Realm, after having participated
with an exclusive sect of citizens in the revival struggles. The development
continued during the XIX and XX centuries as is shown by the strong population
growth, by the progressive march of the citizens from the town centre
to the outskirts with the construction of new districts, and of
various industrial and commercial initiatives.
A brusque interruption in this evolution process was caused by the
second world war, when, because of the aerial bombardments nearly
60% of the buildings were destroyed, with heavy damages also to the
artistic patrimony, and since Arezzo had become the logistic base
for the occupying German troops, the population was courageously active
in the partisan warfare in the city and the provinces, paying a
high price in victims of guerrilla action and German reprisals, the worst
of these happening in the hamlet of San Polo on the 14th July
1944 two days before the town was liberated by the Eighth Army. With great
fervour they prepared the reconstruction after the war, and already
during the 1950’s the development was in full stride, which at this
point tended more towards giving new characteristics to the city under
urban and economic aspects and also political aspects, in as much as with
the definitive decline of tradition the ruling agricultural classes made
their choices leaning strongly toward the left.
Over the course of the centuries the city has given birth to a large
number of illustrious men : among these Caio Clinio Mecenate,
one of the most authoritative persons of Emperor Augusta’s Roma
whose generosity towards the artists and the well lettered persons like
him, is proverbial ; the politician and man of government Arrigo
Testa, feduciary to Federico II ; the poets Cenne da la Chitarra
(second half of XIII century) and Guittone (1235-1294) ; the
artist and architect Margaritone (second half XIII century) ;
the cosmographer Ristoro (XIIII century) ; Francesco Petrarca
(1304-1374) ; the artist Spinello Aretino (1346-1410) ;
the historian and political official Leonardo Bruni (1374-1444)
who was secretary of the Florentina republic ; Andrea Cesalpino,
philosopher and doctor (1519-1603) ; the writer Pietro Bacci,
called L’Aretino (1492-1556) ; Giorgio Vasari, treaty
writer, architect and artist (1511-1574) ; Francesco Redi
author of Bacco in Toscana (1626-1698) ; the musician Marcantonio
Cesti (1623-1669) ; Vittorio Fossombroni, man of letters,
statesman and originator of the land draining of Chiana (1754-1844) and
finally, those worthy exponents of sixth to eighteenth century education,
Gian Francesco Gamurrini and Ubaldo Pasqui.
 The
city of Arezzo is situated near the Alpe di Poti, in the centre
of a wide basin where the Valdarno Superiore, the Casentino, and the Val
di Chiana all converge.
It has been transformed in a short period of time from a prevalently
agricultural economy to a mainly industrial one, and has also become a
world centre for gold craftsmanship.
The first reliable evidence of the existence of a settlement here dates
back to the period between the 4th and 5th century BC, when it developed
as one of the largest centres of Etruscan civilisation (Arretium).
In the Roman period, when it became an important military outpost on the
Via Cassia and an ally of Rome, the city expanded southwards and an imposing
amphitheatre was built. Traces of this period can still be seen today.
Despite various changes made over the course of time, Arezzo has managed,
partly due to its position, to preserve the environmental and architectural
character of its most ancient quarter, perched in the highest part of
the city; its shape has remained unaltered, circled by a road perimeter
running round the old 13th century walls. Looking at the overall evolution
of the urban and architectural layout, it's possible to see a fan-shaped
expansion dictated by the particular position of the city; there
are a series of adjoining layers, with the oldest section at the top,
then a second, later area of development which also lies within the 13th
century walls, and finally the contemporary expansion which has seen the
city spread beyond the many gates of the city wall and into the basin
below.
The building of the Autostrada del Sole highway in the 60s, followed
by the quadrupling of the Firenze-Rome railway, has meant that
Arezzo lies in an advantageous position at the centre of the national
transport network.
If you get the opportunity to visit Arezzo between the end
of August and the first few days of September, you'll catch one
of the most well-known cultural manifestations held in the region,
the Giostra del Saracino, the Joust of the Saracen, which takes
place in Piazza Grande. Set against the background of the prevalently
medieval city centre, the Aretini gather together to side with and support
the lancers on horseback.
If you miss this fascinating historical re-evocation, there's the chance
for another leap into the (more recent) past at the antique fair. Held
on the first weekend of each month, hundreds of stall-holders come from
all over Italy and visitors crowd the streets of the ancient city centre.
Much of the city centre is closed to traffic, except for tourist
access to the hotels, but moving around on foot shouldn't just be
regarded as an administrative imposition. It's an opportunity to experience
things that can only be seen from the paved streets, from the doorways
of palaces, and from under the overhanging buildings rising in the narrow,
uneven alleyways.
Aretine food is typical rustic Tuscan cooking with lots of grilled
or spit-roasted meats. Specialities are zuppa di pollo (chicken
soup), anguilla all'aretina (eel), pollo grillettato (deep-fried
chicken), sedano fritto (fried celery), and carciofi ripieni
(stuffed artichokes), which can all be found in the many restaurants
and trattorias of the city.
Places to visit :
Piazza Grande, also called Piazza Vasari. Of unusual composition
with facades of different styles : the Palazzo del Tribunale,
the Palazzo della Fraternità dei Laici and the great Palazzo
delle Logge.
Fortress, even though it has been remodelled more than once
it remains an interesting example of 16th century military
architecture.
Palazzo dei Priori, now the Town Hall, crenellated in 1300
and renewed in 1900. In has conserved the original facade with the
ancient coats of arms of the Podestas and Commissioners.
House of Giorgio Vasari, a building acquired by the artist
in 1540, where he lived for a short period. In 1911 it became State
property housing the Vasariano Museum and Archive.
State Museum of Medieval and Modern Art, considerable collection
of paintings, sculpture, majolica and porcelain donated by Arezzo
collectors and from the stores of works of art; since 1958 arranged
in the ancient Bruni-Ciocchi palace.
National Archeological Museum “Caio Clinio Mecenate”,
is situated in the 14th century building which is an ex-monastery
of S. Bernardo. Modified in the 1700s for military use by Napoleonic
troops it was badly damaged during the second world war. Since 1937
it hosts various archaeological collections relative to the prehistoric
age, Etruscan and Roman. In 1973 it became State property.
Church of S. Francesco basilica founded at the end of 1200
and renewed during 1300 in the Gothic style ;changed and renovated
at the beginning of the 1900s the internal single nave has a trussed
roof, and one can admire numerous paintings by important artist one
of which being Piero della Francesca, whose most important works are
shown here, having been recently restored.
Parish Church of S. Maria a notable example of Romanesque
in Toscana, initiated in the XII century had Gothic additions in the
successive century until the contribution of Vasari in the 1500s.
The architectural element which is most impressive is without doubt
the heavy bell tower (1330) known as the “hundred holes”
for the regular structure of the mullioned pairs.
The Cathedral. (S. Pier Maggiore) imposing Gothic structure
which took two centuries to complete (XIII-XV) presenting a neogothic
facade from the early XIX century which substituted the original which
was never completed. The interior with three largely proportioned
naves is characterised by the soaring lines of the pillars and one
can again see numerous works of art among which a fresco by Piero
della Francesca and various works by G. di Marcellat.
S. Domenico Gothic structure from the end of 1200s changed
more than once in the course of the centuries. In the luminous single
nave there are a number of frescos from the Arezzo and Siena schools.
S.S. Annunziata, or Madonna delle Lacrime Renaissance church,
built on top of an pre- exiting building of the 1300s after a miraculous
event. Near the church is the ancient boarding school of S. Caterina
modified by Vasari. |
Historical info reproduced upon authorization of Regione Toscana - Dipartimento della Presidenza E Affari Legislativi e Giuridici
Translated by Ann Mountford |
