Arezzo is a historic Tuscan city, the center of which remains undiscovered by mass tourism. There are valuable buildings from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, including the cathedral and the church of St. Francis.
Arezzo's development was very dynamic, but unfortunately short-lived. The city was from the 11th century a free commune that stood in opposition to the mighty Florence. It developed an important position as a trade and craft center, but this development was hampered in the 15th century by wars. After this weakening, it never returned to its former glory, and a large part of the historic buildings was destroyed during air raids during World War II.
Fortunately, the most valuable part of the city, the Gothic-Renaissance center, was saved. Its heart is the sloping Piazza Grande surrounded by palaces and representative city buildings. There is also the fourteenth-century basilica of St. Francis, inside which you can see a series of frescoes by Piero della Francesca telling the story of the Holy Cross.
Another of the della Francesca frescoes, Maddalena, is placed in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Donatus. The construction of the temple stretched from the 13th to the 20th century and it represents a mixture of different architectural styles.
Among the monuments of Arezzo are also the Romanesque church of Santa Maria della Pieve, the Renaissance palace Fraternita dei Laici, the Venetian Praetorian Palace and the 16th century Fortezza Medicea.
