AREZZO
toscana
Sites: Piazza Vasari (Piazza Grande), The Apse of the Pieve, The Logge Vasari, The Law Court, Fraternita dei Laici, Palazzo Lappoli, Palazzo-Torre dei Cofani, The Cathedral, The Church of St. Francesco, The Church of St. Domenico (The Crucifix by Cimabue), The Joust of the Saracen, The Antiques Fair.
PIAZZA VASARI (PIAZZA GRANDE)
Much of the history of Arezzo can be associated with "Piazza Vasari", which everybody calls "Piazza Grande". This name already tells us much about it, it is big in that it has been the heart of the town for centuries. In the Middle Ages it was called "Town Hall Square", as the building of the town hall was situated on the edge of it, at the top of Via Pellicceria. Then, in the XVI century it was given the name of Piazza Vasari, as the impressive building of the Logge were built on the north side, following the design of a famous painter and architect of the time, Giorgio Vasari. From archeological excavations we have found out that in the III century BC it was crossed by an Etruscan road, that connected the city of life with the city of death, which was located on a small hill, Poggio del Sole, near the present railway station. Later it was also crossed by a Roman road. During the Medieval period "Piazza Grande" was a large space for the market, and in particular for the animal market on the north part of this square, which for this reason was called "Piazza dei Maiali" ("The Pigs Square"). In the XI century development of the economy made "Piazza Grande" more important. Later the square became the centre of political, commercial, military and religious life of the city. It was not much different from what it looks like nowadays apart from the northern side, where you could find the building of the Town Hall with its red-bricked tower on the right and the building of the Captain of the people on the left. This square was used for all the principal events of the city: markets, tournaments and jousts. This period was the golden age of the square. Until the XIV century almost all the markets, which sold chickens, rabbits, fruit and vegetables, were held in Piazza Grande.
During the XVII and XVIII centuries the square underwent radical changes in its medieval structure: all the buildings were plastered, towers and gothic features disappeared and the Fountain and the Palace of the Court of Justice were built. The "Logge" became the exclusive meeting point for noblemen. At the end of the XVIII century it was forbidden to hold a market under the big arcade made by Giorgio Vasari. So, the market only took place in the square. The beginning and the end of the market was announced by the ringing of the bell of the Fraternity. Nowadays there is no market in Piazza Grande and it isn't longer the centre of city life, except on the days of the "Giostra del Saracino" (The Joust of the Saracen) and the Antiques Fair.
THE APSE OF THE PIEVE
The Apse of the Pieve is one of the buildings on the west side of the square. As in the facade, there are some "logge" here too. But unfortunately this part of the church was badly restored in the years 1864-1878 and what we see today is far from the original pure romanesque style.
THE LOGGE VASARI
It is one of the most beautiful and important buildings in Arezzo. It was designed by Giorgio Vasari, the same architect who designed the building of the Uffizi in Florence. The building with the Logge is his masterpiece. In 1570, the General Council of Arezzo decided to have a great building in an area called "Beccherie Vecchie" using some money left in a will to the "Fratenita dei Laici". Vasari also made a wooden model which is now in Vasari's House. Works started in 1573 but the building was only finished at the beginning of the 1600's, after Vasari's death. It has a big open gallery and for this reason it was called "Le Logge". The simple architectural style and the harmonious perspective of the gallery make the building grandiose.
Centuries ago, this long arcade, which contained all the best shops in the town, was an exclusive place for the privileged aristocracy of Arezzo to walk.
THE LAW COURT
The building of the Law Court was built in the XVIII century after a design by Francesco Cerrotti. It lies between the Apse of the Pieve and the building of the Fraternita of the Laici. It is probably the only Baroque building in town: quite remarkable are the staircase, which was built in 1780 and some finely wrought iron bars at the windows.
FRATERNITA DEI LAICI
Today this building is part of the Law Court but it is still called by the name of Fraternita dei Laici. In fact it was originally built for the Confraternity of St. Maria in the late XIV century. The "Fraternita dei Laici" was a fraternity of religious laymen which was founded in 1262, thanks to some Domenicans monks. Until the XVIII century it was called "Fraternita di Santa Maria della Misericordia" and then simply "Fraternita dei Laici". Its main task was to help the poor and needy and at first the rectors used to go round the town twice a week and beg for bread and money. In the XV century the Fraternita was rich enough to stop begging and was going become richer and richer in the following centuries: many noblemen left it their possessions and money. During the Renaissance the Fraternita was quite important in town and well renown at the Granduke's court too. He was its "protector" and had one of his representatives living in Arezzo with the task of controlling the activities of the fraternity. They were now in fact not only limited to pubblic assistance but they also involved other fields, such as culture - it had its own schools of civil law and logics and gave citizens grants to study at the University of Pisa and even abroad - and public works - the building of the "Logge" in Piazza Vasari, the town churchyard, the water supplying system and an orfanage. The construction of the building started in 1375, but some years later the works stopped because the town had lost its independence. In 1433 Rossellino continued to work, but the building was finished only one century later after Vasari did the drawings for the facade. In the end it was the result of different styles: Gothic, Renaissance and late Renaissance. In 1552 Felice da Fossato built the clock which is at the top of the building. This clock is one of the most ancient still working today in Italy. There is a legend about it: it says Felice da Fossato was blinded when he finished to create it so that he couldn't make any other one like this. The clock-face is organized according to the Tolemaic system: the earth in the middle, that is the light sphere, and around it the moon, a half white and half black sphere; finally the sun, a little golden sphere, which turns around them.
PALAZZO LAPPOLI
It is situated in Piazza Vasari. It is a medieval building with a beautiful wooden balcony and a tower next to it. It was built in the XIV century but the tower is certainly one century older. We don't know if the tower really belonged to Palazzo Lappoli: in fact according to some restoration works in the 1920's the tower was instead part of the building on its left. There where now we can find this Palazzo Lappoli there was a small lane leading to San Niccolò. In the XVIII century both tower and building were plastered and an iron balcony was added. The Lappoli Family were of noble origins and can even boast two quite famous XIV century painters among their descendants. Their coat of arms can easily be seen on the facade: there are three golden stars, a mountain and a black swallow. It isn't difficult to deduce they were coming from a nearby village called "Monte sopra Rondine", that is Mountain over a Swallow.
PALAZZO - TORRE DEI COFANI
It is nowadays called "Palazzo Brizzolari" and is situated in Piazza Grande. The building and the tower don't belong to the same period as we can see from the different style of the windows. The tower was in fact built in the XIII century, when there were some houses of Uguccione della Faggiola and his family here (a Ghibelline captain, rival of the Tarlati Family - they were ruling in Arezzo in that time, who then fled to Pisa and Lucca as he failed to conquer Arezzo). But in the XV century the Cofani Family restructured the existing buildings quite completely. They were not noblemen but traders who had become very rich. Unfortunately this family died out in 1547 and all their possessions were left to the "Fraternita dei Laici". Their coat of arms can still be seen on the facade. Even if the building is a mixture of styles, it is undoubtedly very elegant and impressive on the whole and the courtyard and the hall inside are worth paying a visit.
THE CATHEDRAL
This is an impressive Gothic construction, which was begun at the end of the XIII century and continued, with several interruptions, until the beginning of the XVI century. Its bulk dominates the top of the hill of Arezzo and rises up above all the views of the town. The unfinished facade was realized according to a design by Dante Viviani at the beginning of the XX century. The XIV century Romanesque-Gothic portal on the right hand is flanked by two porphyry column stumps left over from an earlier (perhaps Roman) building; in the lunette, there is a group in terracotta (Madonna with Child between St. Donato and Gregorio X) from the end of the XIV century. The campanile was erected half way throught the XIX century next to the polygonal apse. The spire is XX century. The majetic interior is divided into a nave and two aisles by tall polystyle pilasters, which, together with the ogival arches, confer on it the impression of a strong upward movement. The stained glass windows, which are mostly by Guillaume de Marcillat (XVI century) are remarkable; the Gothic sepulchre of Gregorio X (XIV century) and the Tarlati chapel in the right-hand aisle (1334) are also noterworthy. Above the main altar there is the ark of St. Donato, by XIV century Aretine, Sienese and Florentine artista and, in the left-hand aisle there are precious fresco of Maria Maddalena (1465?) by Piero della Francesca and the Funerary monument of Guido Tarlati (1330). The large chapel of the Madonna del Conforto, which dates back to the end of the XVIII century, contains terracottas by the Della Robbia. The Diocesan Museum and the Capitular Archivies are attached to the Cathedral.
CHURCH OF ST. FRANCESCO
The church of St. Francis is mostly famous for some frescoes by Piero della Francesca which illustrate the story of the Legend of the True Cross. These frescoes have been restored and now attract thousands of tourists. This church was built during the XIV century as the church of the Franciscan Friars in Arezzo. It was completed in the following centuries, the bell tower was in fact erected between the end of the XVI century and the beginning of the XVII century. Inside it was adorned of chapels, shrines and paintings to the order of the richest families. In 1556 a terrible fire spread during a sacred performance, caused many dead. In the XVII and XVIII century the church underwent a radical transformation and became baroque style. Ten stone altars designed by T. Torri were added, the walls and the ceiling were all painted white covering the frescoes and paintings that were there, the gothic chapels and shrines along the side walls were destroyed and the gothic windows were made rectangular. The crypt was divided into two oratories dedicated to St. Caterina and St. Donato and they were both decorated with frescoes of the time. Then in the first years of the XIX century the crypt was desecrated and sold to private citizens, the monastery next to it suppressed and there was even a project of transforming the church into a theatre to be called "Imperial Theatre" in honour of Napoleon. But in 1814 Napoleon was defeated and the church and Piero's frescoes were safe. The church had been used as a dormitory for troops during the many wars that occurred over the centuries and at the beginning of the XX century it was in rather bad condition. By 1920 both the church and Piero's frescoes had been restored while the crypt still lay in the same miserable condition as before. But we must wait until the 70's to see the church and monastery completely restored and look like as they originally were. Damp, dust, oxidation and previously used fixers were threatening Piero's frescoes, but also the technique adopted this time aroused harsh controversy among the critics. Anyway what didn't belong to Piero's work was definitively eliminated. Recent restoration works could eventually bring them back to their original light and splendour. The outside of the church is quite imposing and severe, the facade was left unfinished. The inside of the church is very simple, in the typical Franciscan-Gothic style: only one big aisle (53 metres long and 17 metres wide) like a big covered square to host people to listen to sermons. The ceiling is in wood.
A big crucifix is hanging over the high altar which is indeed very similar to the cross by Cimabue (Giotto's famous master) that we can see in the church of St. Domenico.
THE CHURCH OF ST. DOMENICO
The church of St. Domenico was built in the XIII and XIV centuries. The Dominican Friars had received some lands and some contributions to build a big church and a monastery, so works started in 1275. Gothic in style, the church looks particularly charming, even though the construction in sandstone is very simple: the facade is decorated with a delighful bell-tower with two bells, which date back to the 1400's. It was never finished, but the porch was reconstructed in the 1930's along with the doorway. The church, in fact, has undergone several works of restoration over the centuries. The inside of the building has one nave ending in three chapels and a ceiling of wooden beams. On each side there are six gothic windows with a black and white frame all around them, which recalls the Dominican Friars' habit. It is decorated with frescos by artists from Arezzo and Siena from XIV and XV centuries. But the real masterpiece in the church is the famous XIII century Crucifix painted by Cimabue.
The crucifix by Cimabue
This is one of Cimabue's early works, he painted it around 1265, before his journey to Rome in 1272. Cimabue, whose real name was Cenni di Pepo, was Giotto's master and was mainly famous fo a later masterpiece: the crucifix in Santa Croce in Florence. But after the flood in 1966 in Florence, which partly destroyed the crucifix, this work has become more important. Here he brilliantly breaks away from the Byzantine style, not only in technique, but also in his more "humane" vision of the tragedy of Calvary: instead of a triumphant Christ, he paints a suffering Christ who carries the weight of the sin of man. He is, in fact, laying the basis for Giotto's great innovations and announcing the Italian Renaissance style. For several years the cross has been over one of the entrance doors to the church but in 1917 the crucifix was first restored and then moved to the main chapel. Years of careful monitoring had recently ascertained a bad state of conservation of Cimabue's masterpiece: the wooden boards were deteriorating and the painted surface was also lifting from the boards. Thus a further and thorough restoration was carried out and now the crucifix has been given its original splendour and light.
THE JOUST OF THE SARACEN
It is an ancient chivalrous tournament, that takes its origin from the struggles fought in the Middle Ages against the Saracens who had invaded Italy and the Crusades Pope Gregory had organized against them. The Arabs had in fact invaded Italy and we know they got to Arezzo in 849. Its name comes from the word "Saracino", a common name for Muslims in Medieval Italy. In those times Aretines were very fond of jousts and tournaments and some documents give us information about them. In the XIII century and afterwards the joust was considered a festival. The first written document goes back to 1535. It is traditionally held on the first Sunday in September but quite recently another edition has been organized on the last Sunday in June.
A herald publicly announces the tournament which is a challenge by the Moor, the King of the Saracens to the whole town. So every quarter of the town fights against him to win a golden lance. We know that in the XVI century the prize was one arm of purple satin. The town is divided into four quarters: "Porta Crucifera", with red and green colours, "Porta del Foro", with yellow and crimson colours, "Porta St. Andrea", with white and green colours, and "Porta St. Spirito", with yellow and blue colors. Each quarter has two cavaliers and its court consisting of a Captain, standard bearers, jouster, horsemen, as well as its drummers, trumpeters, infantry men and crossbowmen. The Town Council is represented by pages with the emblem and the golden lance, the Lord Chancellor, Musicians, the Master of the Field on horse-back with footmen, two servants in charge of the effigy of the Saracen, a herald on hourse-back with his footman and a group of Flag Wavers.
They are all dressed in XIII century costumes and parade through the old town before entering Piazza Grande, the square where the tournament takes place. In the morning in the Town Hall Square, the eight competing horses are checked in, while a herald reads out a public notice in the four different quarters, formally announcing the forthcoming event. In the early afternoon horses and participants meet in front of the Cathedral and receive the Bishop's blessing. At 5 o'clock the joust starts in Piazza Grande crowded with thousands of supporters and spectators. It begins with the Flag Wavers who give a choreographic exhibition. Then the magic moment: the entry of the cavaliers at full gallop and the competition starts. One after the other the cavaliers charge against the "Buratto" the effigy of the Saracen. This effigy is a gigantic half-bust supported by a sturdy piece of wood which holds a shield in its left hand a heavy whip with lead-filled leather balls in its right one.
The cavaliers strike the Saracen's shield with their long lances trying to get the best score and at the same time avoiding the counter-blow of the balls which threaten to hit them, when the "Buratto" spins around. The quarter totalling the highest score wins the "Golden Lance". A Jury supervises the competition which is governed by strict regulations. Here are some examples: if a horseman is disarmed by the Buratto, he loses all his points, if he is simply hit by the whip, he loses two points, if he breaks his lance while striking the Saracen's shield gets a double score. In the end the Buratto is never defeated and the cavalier conquers the symbol of supremacy for the quarter he belongs to. Each quarter has got his cavaliers and some of them have become quite famous...
The Flag-Wavers' exibition
It is a group of young athletes who bring to life a centuries old tradition: flag-waving. Every year on occasion of the "Joust of the Saracen" they perform a colourful an highly choreographic show. This group was the first of its kind in Italy and has brought the name of Arezzo to many countries in Europe, the United States, Mexico, Latin America, the Middle and Far East, New Zealand and South Africa too. They have received enthusiastic responses everywhere and spectators seem to especially appreciate their discipline and athletic preparation. In fact, their performance requires exact coordination and timing. The group consists of twenty-five individuals, there are twelve flag-wavers, trumpeters, drummers, standard and coats of arms bearers. The flag-wavers wear XIV-century-style costumes which are decorated with the emblem of the city of Arezzo.
First it is the trumpeters' turn to play the town anthem and the Joust of the Saracen's tune, then the show can start. The flag-wavers line up in two rows and throw their flags on to the other. So they divide into groups of three or four individuals and simultaneously exchange their flags creating an intense and extremely exciting atmosphere. The following reconstruction of a duel is full of dramatic significance: two contestants confront each other. The acrobatic and agile movements of the gymnasts shows the timing, ability and individuality of each protagonist. As in a classical ballet, each movement has a specific meaning and moral content which indicates, in the final analysis, the triumph of good over evil.
The "Gruppo Musici"
The "Gruppo Musici" is a group of 33 musicians: 10 trumpeters and 23 drummers. They wear Medieval clothes and play XIII century music during all the phases of the Joust of the Saracens. They open the parade along the town streets and then play the town anthem during the tournament.
THE ANTIQUES FAIR
On the first weekend of each month there is an Antiques Fair in Piazza Grande and in all the streets nearby. The Antiques Fair in Arezzo is one of the most famous markets for importing and exporting antiques in this country and overseas. This is the only time when Arezzo is able to recreate and to bring the old days to life. It is a market where there are many exhibitors from all over Italy. There are also a lot of antique shops and private galleries. They offer a large variety of items which remind us the habits and tastes of the old times, but there are also modern articles made by potters, using terracotta and original articles with wood, paper, dried flowers, fabrics and also unusual mirrors. A lot of artists are able to create and decorate articles in terracotta, porcelain or precious glass such as lamp bases, clocks, plates and bottles. There are many painters in the fair and in their pictures there are scenes of Tuscan country side and the city of Arezzo. Other stalls have old furniture, old books, stamps, antique bronze, jewellery and fossils. Many people visit the antiques fair but they rarely buy anything. In fact these people are more attracted by the spectacle and the situation in the historical centre of the city.
The Antiques Fair started at the inspiration of Ivan Bruschi. Nowadays there are many antiques sellers who open their shops in the period of the Fair. They are international antiques dealers who have valuable articles, like furniture, gold articles, fossils, and pictures of famous artists of the past. The Antiques Fair evokes memories of typical activities of the town in the past, such as the working of some metals like iron, brass and copper. The blacksmiths produced many articles for cooking like "mezzine" and ewers. A typical article is the "scaldina", made of copper which was filled with ash and then put under the covers to warm the bed. Today in the fair we can find a lot painted articles made of glass or pottery. In the past there were many "bicchierari", people who produced plates, glasses, cups and glasses in terracotta and wood. Embroidery which was done by men and later by women was in the past one of the most developed crafts. Today in the fair there are many sellers of embroidered fabrics. The cutler used to produce knives of every type. Today there is only a cutler in the whole province, so this activity has practically disappeared.
Today as in the past, the goldsmith's craft is very important. Many gold articles were found, but only ones associated with church such as crucifixes, chalices and reliquaries. In the past each gem had a particular meaning: for example, children wore a coral on the next against envy, brides received emeralds, rubies and sapphires for good luck and happiness; girlfriends received a diamond to resist the temptations of infidelity. The production of wool and cotton was very difficult in the past and these items were sold in Piazza Grande. In Piazza Grande there were many money-changers too. The first coins were in iron and today it is very difficult to find them even in the Antiques Fair.
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