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Sunday, March 25, 2018

Arezzo in bad weather

Arezzo is a little visited medium-size town in southern Tuscany at about 600 meters above sea level.  Coming from two weeks in the provincial countryside, Arezzo seems like the metropolis.  It is served by TrenItalia as well as as a regional train network.  The one morning we were at the train/bus station, there are hundreds of students coming and going to school, quite a bustling scene.  The big box office hit and award winning "Life is Beautiful" was filmed here, yet Arezzo remains relatively untouched by tourism.  We would normally have been seduced by Arezzo, except we experienced three days of bad weather, cold, rainy or windy; pick your combination.

The transit from San Quirico to Arezzo was not as smooth as we had planned as we needed 4 legs to travel about 50 kms 'as the crow flies" ie 30 miles, but we did get to ride the train from the little known Montepulciano Station to the even lesser known Sinalunga and then a commuter train to Arezzo. Whew!
On the road to Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

On the road to Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

On the road to Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Once in Arezzo we got settled in our cozy apartment and went out to get food supplies (in the rain) and see the town (in the rain).
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Duomo.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Santa Maria della Pieve has interesting layout with a many columned facade and a raised altar. Here's a painting of the interior from the City Museum and below it my photo of a similar view.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

No 2 columns on the facade are the same.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Rivers running down the streets.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

The advantage of renting an apartment with a kitchen is: have oven, have pizza ala Sun-Ling. And that's her doing the honors with the traditional pizza cutter.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

And even though it's cold and threatening to rain, we take an evening stroll passeggiata through Piazza Grande and down the Corso and then back to the Piazza.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Sun-Ling took this very, very cool panorama.
Piazza Grande - Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

We decided not to pay 6 Euros each to visit the Basilica di San Francesco. Here's the view from the ticket booth. ;-)
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Deposition from the Cross at the Church of SS. Annunziata.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

We found the Renaissance paintings in the city Museum to our liking.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

This is section of a very large painting by Giorgio Vasari, a new favorite Renaissance painter.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Another Vasari.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

The City Museum collection of Tuscan Majorca Pottery is said to be the best.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Impressive City Gate where the Etruscan Chimera was found.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Street scene.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

More beautiful terracotta in Chiesa di Santa Maria in Gradi.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

The sun is almost out and we return to the Duomo.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

This terracotta scene is an art highlight of the Duomo...
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

...along with the ceiling...
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

...and the stained glass windows.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

The Duomo from the rear.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

And even farther away.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

City Hall.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo of course was a Roman City. These are the remnants of the anfiteatro.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

The very beautiful altar of the Santuario di Santa Maria delle Grazie, located in a porticoed church in the south of town.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Some Modernist apartments.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Back to the Parish Church one last time.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Happy Hour snack at our apartment: burrata cheese over tomato and arugula.
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

And more pizza!
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

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