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Arezzo, Tuscany

Arezzo, closed to Cortona, may have been one of the twelve most important Etruscan cities, the so-called Dodecapolis. It was described by Livy as one of the Capitae Etruriae (chief Etruscan cities). Etruscan remains establish that the acropolis of San Cornelio, a small hill next to that of San Donatus, was occupied and fortified in the Etruscan period. There is other significant Etruscan evidence, parts of walls, an Etruscan necropolis on Poggio del Sole (still named "Hill of the Sun"), and most famously, the two bronzes, the "Chimera of Arezzo" (5th century BC) and the "Minerva" (4th century BC) which were discovered in the 16th century and taken to Florence. Increasing trade connections with Greece also brought some elite goods to the Etruscan nobles of Arezzo: the krater painted by Euphronios ca 510 BC with a battle against Amazons (in the Museo Civico, Arezzo 1465) is unsurpassed.

The Arezzo antiques market, Fiera Antiquaria, takes place over the weekend that includes the first Sunday of each month and is one of the best in Tuscany. Booths are set up throughout the upper area of the city from the Basilica of San Francesco past the duomo and sell antiques, paintings, jewelry, sculpture, crèche figures, prints and silver ex-votos.

Arezzo is home to an annual mediaeval festival called the Joust of the Saracen (Giostra del Saracino). In this, "knights" on horseback representing different areas of the town charge at a wooden target attached to a carving of a Saracen king and score points according to accuracy. Virtually all the town's people dress-up in mediaeval costume and enthusiastically cheer on the competitors.

Another very important thing to see is the exhibition of Piero della Francesca, which is one of the most complete.

Fonte: Wikipedia