Medieval Arezzo Itinerary

Arezzo maintained its prestige during the Middle Ages. It was one of the first towns to be occupied by the Lombards who built castles and parish churches. After the Franks defeated the Lombards the city became part of the Holy Roman Carolingian Empire. The founding of the free Municipality of Arezzo dates back to the early thirteenth century.

The Medieval Arezzo itinerary begins at the National Medieval and Modern Art Museum located inside the prestigious Palazzo Bruni-Ciocchi. The route continues along Via Cavour to Piazza San Francesco where the homonymous Basilica is located. Built by the Franks at the end of the thirteenth century, it houses the famous Legend of the True Cross cycle of frescoes by Piero della Francesca. Via dei Palagi then becomes Via di Pellicceria, a medieval quarter of tanner and furrier workshops. Strolling down these streets, one can see traces of the Middle Ages in every building façade with their pointed arch gates and the ancient thirteenth and fourteenth century buildings with their original windows.

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