Arezzo Things to Do

San Domenico was founded in 1275 and the construction finished at the beginning of the 14th century. Later on, chapels and frescoes were added.
The façade has a Romanesque portal and a Gothic campanile, which is rather uncommon.
Inside you can see 13th- and 14th-century frescoes by Arezzan and Senese artists. However, the most important art work to admire in this church is without doubt the big Crucifix on a wooden panel painted by Cimabue in his youth (1260-65) and recently restored.
I do have pictures of the inside, but I'm not sure photos were allowed, so I won't add them until I know it.

1 more image

The dark inside of the church is divided into a nave and two aisles. The most ancient part is the presbytery, located over the crypt. The main artistic attraction is the large polyptych on the high altar. It portrays a Madonna with Child and Saints, the Annunciation, the Assumption and twelve Saints and it was made by Pietro Lorenzetti in 1320-24.

4 more images

Pieve di Santa Maria is one of the main Romanesque churches in Toscana. It was built in 1140 over a church dating of before 1000; it was enriched with Gothic elements in the 14th century and restored in the 19th century.
Its Romanesque façade of the 13th century has five blind arches and three series of loggias.
The bell-tower of 1330 is called campanile delle cento buche ("hundred-hole bell-tower") due to its twin lancet windows. The apsis borders Piazza Grande.

1 more image

The cathedral of Arezzo, Duomo di San Donato, is a majestic Gothic building whose construction started in 1278 but ended only at the beginning of the 16th century. You can remark a wide portal on the lateral side, as well as a beautiful Neo-Gothic bell-tower. There is also a wide square in front of the church.

4 more images

Piazza Grande is the main square of Arezzo, where the traditional Giostra del Saracino takes place. This feast dates of the 13 century, which make it one of the most ancient folkloric celebrations in Europe.
The square is surrounded by palace, some of which have porches where people can walk, have a drink or lunch, etc. Like all main square in Italia, also Piazza Grande is often crowded.

1 more image

This palace, originally erected in the 14th-1th century, was rebuilt in the 16th century and restored in 1933-34. Its façade is covered with stone coat of arms of Florentine podestàs and commissaries.

4 more images

Also known as Palazzo del Comune, since it houses the city hall, this building dates of 1333 but it was remade several times. My parents and I visited an exhibition of paintings by contemporary naive painter Antonio Ligabue (1899-1965). We could just take a picture of the photos of the artists, but not of his paintings.
Back to the palace, it is not so relevant from the artistic point of view, however you can climb its bell-tower and enjoy a great view over the town from above.
The second pic of this tip should represent a kind of clock located at the top of the tower, but I don't know anything about it.

3 more images

There are also many interesting artistic expressions inside the cathedral. The first and second picture show the white-marble arca di San Donato ("Saint Donat's tomb"), by Tuscan artists of the 14th century. The third photo depicts the fresco Maddalena by Piero della Francesca, painted around 1465. Finally, the fourth image portrays the cappella Tarlati of 1334: it's the only remaining of the many chapels that decorated the original church.