The city of Petrarch, a prosperous center of agriculture and craftsmanship, proud owner of a wealth of monuments and art.
Situated on a varied terrain of lowlands, hill and mountainside, Arezzo has ancient origins. It was founded by the Umbrians, became an important Etruscan center, and subsequently a strategic point for the Romans, finally, after many a bloody battle, it fell under the control of Medieval Florence.
The numerous monuments testify to Arezzo's past: the Roman Amphitheatre, the Basilica of St Francis, the House of Petrarch, the Bacci Chapel, the Cathedral of St Donato, the Church of St Maria delle Grazie, the Church of St Annunziata, the Medici Fortress, the Town Walls, the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Medieval and Modern Art, Palazzo Comunale, Palazzo Vescovile, Palazzo Pretorio.
Arezzo was the birth place of many illustrious names such as the poet Petrarch (Francesco Petrarca). For centuries Arezzo has been producing ceramics, fabrics, leather goods, and wood carvings. Arezzo hosts a series of important festivals such as the "Giostra del Saracino", the Polifonico and a famous Antiques fair.
