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Why I Loved Arezzo, Italy (Where Life Really is Beautiful!)

Before arriving in Arezzo, Italy, I’d only seen this little town on-screen.

But from the moment I stepped inside Antonio’s small second-floor apartment, I knew I was going to like Arezzo in real life.

Antonio, a jovial Italian B&B owner who I was renting a room from, seemed resolved to ensure that I saw every important site, landmark and tourist spot in his home town, even with just eighteen hours at my disposal. After Antonio had shown me my bedroom (complete with a view of cypress trees from the window) he pulled out a paper map of Arezzo city centre and set to work on a walking route for me.

With a coloured pen, he circled the landmark of ‘tre semaforos’ – three traffic lights which would guide me back towards his home – along with various museos, chiesas and piazzas, all of which he thought were unmissable.

And then he essentially shuttled me out of his front door so I could get on with my day of Arezzo sightseeing.

A medieval street in Arezzo Italy

Where is Arezzo, Italy – and why had I decided to visit?

Arezzo is a city in eastern Tuscany in central Italy. It’s about 80km southeast of Florence, set on a steep hill, and has a long history of being invaded, re-claimed, and invaded again – which explains the defence walls which have encircled the town since medieval times.

Despite being the setting for Roberto Benigni’s ‘Life is Beautiful’, the little medieval town of Arezzo still isn’t too well known amongst the tourist circuit. However, I’d already spent the weekend in Tuscany and a new Italian friend suggested I spend a day exploring Arezzo.

“Why not?” I thought. And thanks to Italy’s country-wide train network, all I had to do was catch a train from Siena – and I’d arrived in Arezzo.

In seemingly no time at all, I was walking through the streets of a quintessential Italian town where everything looked exactly like you’d imagine it: beautiful. 

A motorbike parked against a yellow wall and rounded wooden door

Crooked yellow buildings with green shutters in Arezzo Italy


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How to see Arezzo, Italy, in just one day

For some reason I never have much time when I visit Italy, and this trip to Arezzo was no different. On the plus side, having a single day to see the town meant I was free to be totally indulgent.

And when in Tuscany, ‘indulgence’ essentially means ‘eat all the food’.

Shopfront with food displayed outside. Awning reads 'Antica Bottega Toscana'

Enjoy a lunch of fresh pasta and red wine (decadent, sure – but when in Italy…)

First up was lunch at a nearby restaurant which Antonio had been insistent I should visit.  “You have the pasta… with the hands,” he’d said, miming the action of kneading and rolling in mid-air.

The waiter who guided me to a table spoke even less English than Antonio, so instead I was graced by the pasta-kneading chef himself to explain their day’s specials.
 I opted for a plateful of twisting papardelle, topped with a rich ragu sauce and laden with sprinklings of parmesan. Firm, chewy and al dente – just the way I like it – and the pasta tasted even better alongside the glass of the Chianti which the chef was equally insistent about me ordering.

The main street of Arezzo Italy

Walk through Arezzo’s sun-soaked streets

Back outside in the spring sunshine, I made my way past stone archways and ornate signs towards Arezzo’s main piazza, popping my head inside the ridiculously photogenic shopfronts along the way.

Arches and doorways of a yellow building in Arezzo Italy

Decorative sign reads 'Farmacia del Cervo: L&O Ceccerelli e Figli' in Italian (translation: pharmacy)

Reminisce about Arezzo’s medieval history – which is still visible

The further I went, the more elements of Italian history sprung out at me – like a store in the crypt of a pockmarked stone church with handmade chocolate, pasta and cases of red wine spilling out of the doors.

Just as I walked past, the bells began to chime from the tower above (no joke!), and it was easy to imagine the thousands of services which had taken place there over the years.

A shop doorway with products outside, built into the basement of Arezzo's church

Old buildings segued to old objects: shop windows were stuffed full with antique collectibles, while bigger items were propped up outside and left to blend in with the crumbling walls.

Shop window displays cannon ball, old keys and metal bullets
Metal chairs and bedframes leant against a wall in the street

Antique Cuban cigar box outside a shop doorway in Arezzo Italy

Pay a visit to Arezzo’s Cattedrale dei Santi Pietro e Donato

Eventually I wound my way up to the highest point in Arezzo, where the Cathedral of San Donato sits above a stunning viewpoint of the city and countryside beyond.

Once I’d found myself a free wooden bench, it was time to sit back amongst the trees and soak up the sun.

A view of houses and mountains from a high point in Arezzo Italy

Tall pine trees and people sitting on benches in a park in Arrezo Italy

Shadows from pine trees at a high viewpoint in Arrezo Italy

Shadows had begun to stretch behind the trees when I headed off again. At a house beside the Duomo I could hear a piano playing, and a few reedy, wavering voices floated through the open window.

Somehow it was evening, and on route to a pizza place for dinner (because, you know, Italy) I passed a few rose sellers walking slowly down Arezzo’s sloping streets. A pensioner hailed one guy down, balancing a long-stemmed rose on the roof of his car before helping an equally elderly woman exit the passenger seat.

It’s true: life is beautiful in Arezzo Italy! 

There’s an undeniable ‘something special’ about Italy as a country – and in Arezzo, it’s no different.

Maybe it was the fresh spring air in Arezzo; the lack of tourists; the wonderful walkability of the narrow streets; or maybe I just really needed a day of wandering around. Regardless, there aren’t many places where I catch myself saying, ‘Oh, how beautiful!’ out loud. But, truly – life is beautiful in Arezzo! 

Spending a sunny Thursday afternoon a few days before Easter wandering through nearly empty streets gave me such a buzz of happiness that it’s no wonder Roberto Benigni decided to film ‘Life is Beautiful’ in Arezzo. Who could resist frolicking around on camera in a place like this?

Inside the empty Piazza Grande (main square) of Arezzo Italy

Normally I don’t write articles based solely on a place being ‘nice’ — but it really, truly was. Add the fact that Arezzo isn’t that well-known and it becomes all the lovelier.

So if you ever find yourself at Antonio’s flat in Arezzo, please tell him the English girl sent you. And definitely pay attention to his map.

Have you ever visited Arezzo in Tuscany, Italy? What other unknown parts of Italy would you suggest? 

A female statue on a plinth in the street in Arezzo Italy

How to get to Arezzo, Italy:

NB: As there are so many regional and Intercity trains passing through Arezzo each day, none of these journeys should need to be booked in advance. However, there are plenty of websites (like Trenitalia) to check train times and reserve tickets online if you want to. Also don’t forget to validate your ticket before boarding!

Train from Florence to Arezzo: The Intercity train takes 40 minutes, leaves from Firenze Rifredi train station and costs about 12 Euros. The regional train takes about 1 hour 30 minutes and leave from either Florence’s main station (SMN) or Campo di Marte station. These trains cost less than 10 Euros. In total there are at least 36 trains a day, with the journey taking between 30 mins to an hour.

Train from Rome to Arezzo: There are Intercity, Frecciarossa, Trenitalia and Frecciargento trains running to Arezzo from Rome. Most start from Roma Termini but some of the Intercity only call at Tiburtina. There’s at least 16 trains a day which cost less than 10 Euros and the journey is between 2-3 hours.

Train from Siena to Arezzo: There’s no direct train from Siena to Arezzo, but you can change at Sinalunga, Florence or Chiusi. Journey time is 3 hours and there are about 26 trains a day.

Train from Venice to Arezzo: There are direct Intercity trains from Venice to Arezzo which take 3-4 hours and cost 30 Euros. The regional trains are cheaper but include a change in Florence.

Where is Arezzo train station? There are three train stations in Arezzo – they all have ‘Arezzo’ in their names, but the town’s main station is simply called ‘Arezzo’ and this is the best one to aim for if you’re mainly planning to explore the historical part of the town. The other two stations are Arezzo-Casello and Arezzo-Pescaiola.

How to find Arezzo’s Historic Centre: Come out of the station doors, cross the street, walk up Via Guido Monaco for about one kilometre and you’ll soon find yourself in the ‘Centro Historico’ (Historic Centre). If you don’t fancy the walk (it’s uphill, but more of an incline than a serious hill!) you can take the ‘LFSC32’ bus from Piazza Guido Monaco – it circumnavigates the city but eventually drops you at Arezzo Cathedral.

Nearest airport to Arezzo: Florence airport is probably the closest to Arezzo, although Umbria International Airport and Pisa Airport are within 150km distance of Arezzo too.

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A row of sunny buildings in an Italian plaza. Text overlay reads: "How to see Arezzo, Italy in one day'

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8 Comments

  • Reply
    Candice Walsh
    January 6, 2017 at 2:16 am

    Oh I LOVED that movie! This place is adorable. I didn’t get to hit up any small Italian towns on my trip — saving it for the next one, I suppose

  • Reply
    Tonkin Travel Vietnam
    January 12, 2017 at 8:47 am

    Wow, some pretty nice shots! Such beautiful architectures. The fifth photo reminds me the wonderful taste of Toscana wines. Love Italy *_*

  • Reply
    Gustavo Woltmann
    January 29, 2017 at 6:13 am

    You guys have some amazing content! I would love to get more information on how I can submit a guest post to your blog? How would that work out? Can I get a chance or can I contact someone to get more information about it?
    Thanks!

  • Reply
    kevin Ngoc
    March 30, 2017 at 9:19 am

    This place’s so beautiful, :))) Nice photo.

    • Reply
      Flora
      April 2, 2017 at 10:38 am

      It’s such a stunning little place! Glad you enjoyed the photos, Kevin 🙂

  • Reply
    Heya
    May 8, 2017 at 5:17 pm

    Great post – and love the photo commentary! And perfect timing since I’m planning to be there in july

  • Reply
    karenincalabria
    July 17, 2017 at 8:09 am

    I visited Arezzo many years ago before Life is Beautiful, but just for an afternoon and the cathedral was closed for reconstruction, so I definitely would like to return in the future. However, I remember being amazed at being in the place I had heard about in undergraduate music history classes. Guido of Arezzo was a medieval music theorist who invented a way of reading music by indicating points on his hand. The Guidonian Hand! It’s funny when you finally put a name with a place, perhaps particularly for Americans as we have such a brief history of our own.
    As for unknown parts of Italy, I’d suggest Calabria down in the toe of the boot. I lived there for 4 years and then wrote a book and blog about it. Arezzo is very, very well known in comparison to the town in Calabria.

  • Reply
    sweety
    July 15, 2020 at 8:57 am

    great your artical post very beutyful all your photo gallry i like this thank you for sharing information https://www.srsroofing.ca/

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