The Cappella della Madonna di Vitaleta on the road from Pienza to San Quirico d'Orcia

In 2001 I came to live in Italy. I had some fun, wrote a journal and this is the blog of my story...

"Tuscany is a state of grace. The countryside is so lovingly designed that the eye sweeps the mountains and valleys without stumbling over a single stone. The lilt of the rolling green hills, the upsurging cypresses, the terraces sculptured by generations that have handled the rocks with skillful tenderness, the fields geometrically juxtaposed as though drawn by a draughtsman for beauty as well as productivity; the battlements of castles on the hills, their tall towers standing grey-blue and golden tan among the forest of trees, the air of such clarity that every sod of earth stands out in such dazzling detail. The fields ripening with barley and oats, beans and beets. The grape-heavy vines espaliered between the horizontal branches of silver-green olive trees, composing orchards of webbed design, rich in intimation of wine, olive oil and lacy-leaf poetry. Tuscany untied the knots in a man's intestines, wiped out the ills of the world. Italy is the garden of Europe, Tuscany is the garden of Italy, Florence is the flower of Tuscany." Irving Stone from my favourite book " The Agony and the Ecstacy" A fictional biography of Michelangelo



11. Arezzo

                                                          
                                                               Buongiorno Principessa!

 
Today we're heading down the 'Autostrada del Sole,' the Motorway to the sun... towards Arezzo, the town made famous by the Oscar winning Roberto Begnini film, 'La Vita è bella'  Life is beautiful.
We find ourselves parked outside this 1st century Roman Amphitheatre! So Arezzo was famous before 'that' film! The Romans called it Arretium and two famous bronze Etruscan sculptures, the Minerva and Chimera were found here. To get to the old part of the town we have to walk up. Arezzo is nearly 1,000 feet above sea level, so a few steps to climb!

It's very cold, but fortunately we stumble upon the town's oldest and best bar, Carraturo, where we indulge in steaming cappuccini spiked with Baileys! (a new trick I've picked up, where for 30 cents extra you can have a dash of liqueur in your coffee! Just ask for café coretto!) We choose some wicked doughnuts with chocolate and orange mmm  I think I might like this place!

 
 Next it's on to the main square, which we recognize from the film. It's a beautiful sandstone affair with slopy, cobbled paving stones. Arezzo's most famous son is artist and art historian, Giorgio Vasari. He designed the very elegant arcades around the square. Arezzo is also home to one of Italy's most beautiful fresco cycles and for that we have to find the church of San Francesco. Piero della Francesca's 'Legend of the true cross' was painted here and I'm intrigued.  



We couldn't have timed our visit better, as the frescoes have just undergone a 15 year restoration. The colours are magnificent, even if the subject is a bit far fetched!  Piero della Francesca is famous for his rather pale looking Christ in the National gallery  in London and his pregnant Madonnas. His wonderfully elegant and proud figures do not disappoint.


Today in Arezzo there is a 1920's style comedy show through the town to keep us entertained and a Bavarian Christmas market in the main square. The very long German wurst and half a litre of beer are too good to pass up! Arezzo, what a magical  city...

  



                                                          "Maria!!! La chiave!"

(Original journal entry 22/12/01)
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