The steeple of the Cattedrale di Ss. Donato e Pietro (in English: "Cathedral of Saint Donatus and Saint Peter") in the city of Arezzo, seen from the Parco il Prato, Tuscany, Italy
Some background information:
The Cattedrale di Ss. Donato e Pietro is a Gothic three-nave basilica in the city of Arezzo. It is located on the site of a pre-existing Palaeo-Christian church and, perhaps, of the ancient city's acropolis. The first cathedral of Arezzo was built on the nearby Pionta Hill, over the burial place of Donatus of Arezzo, who died a martyr's death in 363. In 1203 Pope Innocent III had the cathedral moved within the city's walls, to the current site.
However, the cathedral lost the relics of Donatus, which were transferred to the church of San Donato in Castiglione Messer Raimondo. In spite of this, the church is still dedicated to Saint Donatus and at the high altar houses a 14th-century arch named after him. The construction of the current structure started in 1277, after Pope Gregor X had died on his way back from the Second Council of Lyon. On his deathbed he donated a considerable sum of money for the new cathedral, in which he was also buried.
The building work went through different phases until it was finished in 1511. The cathedral of Arezzo was the seat of the Bishop of Arezzo from the 3rd century until 1986, and from 1986 onwards has been that of the present Bishop of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro. The absence of a transept and a cupola are attributed to the influence of the then architecture of the mendicant orders. Although the cathedral has a rather unpretentious exterior, it contains many precious art treasures from the Gothic and Renaissance period.
The city of Arezzo is the capital of the province of Arezzo located in Tuscany, Italy. With its almost 100,000 residents it is the fourth biggest city in Tuscany, only outdone by the cities of Florence, Prato and Livorno, but still bigger than other famous Tuscan cities like Siena, Pisa or Lucca. Arezzo is situated about 80 kilometres (50 miles) southeast of Florence and about 60 kilometres (37 miles) northeast of Siena at an elevation of 296 metres (971 feet) above sea level.
Arezzo has a long history. It has already been described by the Roman historian Livy as one of the Etruscan capitals and one of the twelve most important Etruscan cities, which formed the Etruscan League. In Etruscan times the town was named Aritim, but conquered by the Romans in 311 BC, it was renamed Arretium and became a military station on the Via Cassia, the road by which Rome expanded into the basin of the river Po.
Arretium supported Marius and hence, the defeated side in the Roman Civil War. Subsequently the victorious Sulla planted a colony of his veterans in the half-demolished city and named it Arretium Fidens (in English: "Faithful Arretium"). In the Augustan period, the city continued to flourish as Arretium Vetus (in English: "Old Arretium") and became the third largest city in Roman Italy, well known in particular for its widely exported pottery manufactures.
After Christianity had become state religion in the Roman Empire in the 4th century, Arezzo became an episcopal seat. In the course of the Gothic War and the invasion of the Lombards, the Roman city was demolished and partly dismantled. The stones were reused for fortifications by the Aretines, while only the amphitheatre remained.
In 1098, the commune of Arezzo threw off the control of its bishop to become an independent city-state until 1384. Generally Ghibelline in tendency, it opposed Guelph Florence. In 1252, the city founded its university, the Studium. After the rout in the Battle of Campaldino in 1289, the fortunes of Ghibelline Arezzo began to ebb. In 1384, Arezzo finally had to yield to Florentine domination and its individual history was gradually subsumed by that of Florence and the Medicean Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
In the post-Renaissance centuries the city suffered an economical and cultural decay, but this decay also ensured that its medieval centre was preserved. In the 18th century the neighbouring marshes of the Val di Chiana, south of Arezzo, were drained and the region became less malarial. At the end of the 18th century French troops led by Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Arezzo, but the city soon turned into a resistance base against the invaders with the "Viva Maria" movement, winning the city the role of provincial capital. In 1860, Arezzo became part of the Kingdom of Italy.
City buildings suffered heavy damage during World War II, when the Germans made a stand in front of Arezzo in early July 1944. There was fierce fighting, before the town was taken and liberated on 16th July by the British 6th Armoured Division assisted by the 2nd New Zealand Division. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Arezzo War Cemetery, where 1,266 men killed in action are buried, is located to the northwest of the city.
Today, Arezzo is still rather off the beaten tourist track. It is a bit overshadowed by the cities of Florence, Siena, Pisa and Lucca, however with its numerous merchant palaces, patrician houses and medieval sacred buildings it is regarded as a gem of medieval architecture and culture. But Arezzo is also known for its jewellery industry and its many antique shops. A tour through the city is highly recommended.
