Holly_uncasdewar

Looking to spend a night or 2 in Arezzo in the spring. Being a small town, I'm not sure I can find enough to see or do there for a full day and a half, but only a half day might not be enough. Any insight into how much time to spend in Arezzo? It won't be over an antique show weekend, if that matters, and not interested in doing a daytrip out of Arezzo.

PalenQ

I stayed in Arezzo and I'd say about a day - not your dreamy old hill town but nice - good base too for Avila.

Leely2

I stayed three nights because I wanted flexibility and time to relax, go running, maybe take a day trip. I enjoyed myself but a day/day and a half would be fine. It depends: do you want to see Vasari’s house, any of the museums, the Roman sites, etc., in addition to the churches? If so, a day and a half.

Holly_uncasdewar

Yes, I do want to see those places in addition to the churches (I counted 14 on a map). If there are enough palazzos/houses/museums to fill a day and a half in addition to the churches, then that will work out great.

Leely2

Yes, I'd say there's enough for a day and a half. I never even made it to the Roman sites, but I admittedly got up late and didn't plan my days around the pausa.

bvlenci

Avila? I can't think of anything in the vicinity with a name like that. The only Ávila I know is in Spain.

If you can get to Arezzo on the weekend in which the first Sunday of the month falls, there's an outdoor antiques market which is interesting, on both Saturday and Sunday. In other words, if the first of the month falls on a Sunday, the market begins on the last day of the previous month.

Arezzo to me is a archetype of a Tuscan town. It's not at all a tiny town; it's a provincial capital and has a population of nearly 100,000.

The Church of San Francesco has a very important and beautiful fresco cycle by the Renaissance painter, Piero della Francesca, called The Legend of the True Cross. This to me is the most interesting thing in Arezzo. Piero della Francesca was from nearby Sansepolcro, and if you're interested in him, or in Renaissance art, there are severa important works of his in the area. Sansepolcro is also worth a visit.

There are sometimes interesting art exhibits in a little gallery under the church of San Francesco.

neckervd

Not more than a day if you really don't want to visit the gems in the neighbourhood.

PalenQ

Avila? I can't think of anything in the vicinity with a name like that. The only Ávila I know is in Spain.>

Assisi? Got Saint Theresas mixed up.

bvlenci

Palenq, you got your saints all mixed up. Assisi is famous for St. Francis, Saint Clare, Saint Damian, and others, but I don't think they lay claim to a Saint Theresa. Apart from Ávila, there was another Saint Theresa in Lisieux, France. Maybe there's one from Italy, too, I don't know.

PalenQ

yeh -if one wants to look at churches galore go to Assisi.

tuscanlifeedit

The Piero della Francesca paintings in Sansepolcro are wonderful as is the Madonna del Parto in Monterchi.

But if you aren't going to visit sites in the area, do plan on the evening passeggiata in Arezzo on the main shopping street. Very active and great people watching with lots of high street type shops and shoppers and strollers.

Holly_uncasdewar

Thanks for all the feedback. I've booked 2 nights there, and plan on exploring all the big and little gems I can find.

bvlenci

There are many reasons to go to Assisi other than to see churches. It's a very nice Umbrian hill town, with beautiful scenery. The food is good. There are lots of shops, some with tourist junk, others with high quality artisanal crafts. And there are some priceless works of art, by Cimabue, Giotto, and other artists. The art is inside the churches, but if you go to the Basilica of San Francesco to see the

EYWandBTV

We enjoyed Arezzo very much, here's my TR from a few years ago:

https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...a-and-rome.cfm

Holly_uncasdewar

Great report!

HappyTrvlr

While staying in Cortona went to Arezzo to visit the Basilica of San Francisco with it’s Piero de la Francesca frescoes. It is a city, not a town, and you drive through a modern, commercial area before reaching the historic quarter.

rbciao47

I spent three nights there in 2007 and did pretty much nothing but kicking back. I was in Italy for five weeks, so I had plenty of time and had no real specific itinerary.

If your time is limited spending a day would be sufficient. I liked the town and had ample time to just follow my vagaries.

Buon viaggio,

massimop

The small church of Santa Maria delle Grazie on the periphery of Arezzo is one of the very loveliest Renaissance structures I have seen, inside and out. I walked there from the Roman ruins, but if I were doing it over, I would take a taxi from the historic centre and walk back to the Roman ruins or the centre. It's not far, but the walk is along a traffic artery, and thus just rather a slog. But the building itself is immensely rewarding. It is so small that it would also be possible to take a taxi and ask the driver to wait for you a few minutes whiles you stepped inside.

All the churches of Arezzo have unusual features and worth taking a look at. In addition, even though you will not be there for a weekend antiques market, there are many many deligthful antiques and vintage shops in the town, if you like window shopping.