Tuscany - Province of Arezzo

I have passed several times through this province but only on a few occasions have I stopped here for tourism. On one occasion I set off in the evening with my partner and stopped to sleep in the small mountain village of Consuma. The following morning we woke at the first light of dawn, discovering we were in a place surrounded by a densely wooded area. Consuma lies on the pass of the same name, divided in two between the Provinces of Florence and Arezzo. From here we wanted to reach Vallombrosa in the Province of Florence but the road was closed a few kilometres on, so we turned back and continued to Poppi. Along the road that crosses a typically Tuscan hilly area we turned off for the small parish church of Romena, which preserves a fine apse. Back on the main route we stopped at the beautiful Castle of Poppi, which I had already seen many years before.

The castle is a classic medieval construction, once belonging to the Counts Guidi, complete with tower and corbels. Inside the courtyard there are glazed coats of arms and a monumental staircase. But the surrounding village too largely preserves its medieval layout, with narrow tiled streets, porticoes and ancient palaces. Shortly after we come to Bibbiena; this morning we rose really early and we take the chance to have breakfast in a bar in the centre, then visit the Church of Saints Ippolito and Donato. The town develops on top of a hill from which one dominates the gentle Tuscan landscape. At Chiusi della Verna we turn off for our next stop, the beautiful Franciscan Sanctuary of La Verna, immersed in the woods of the Apennines. The monastic complex was founded by St Francis of Assisi after this mountain, the Penna, was given to him by the Count of Chiusi.

In this place Francis spent much time in different periods, receiving the stigmata and the apparition of the Virgin Mary. The group of buildings is perched on a rocky spur; the place is mystical and invites prayer. The most significant places are the little church located at the point of the apparition of the Virgin, the sanctuary proper, the grotto of Francis, the Chapel and the corridor of the stigmata. The place is also a treasure chest rich in works of art; the Corridor of the Stigmata is frescoed with scenes from the life of the Saint and everywhere there are beautiful glazed terracottas by Andrea della Robbia. The surrounding environment too invites contemplation, with a wood of giant trees. A large boulder near the monastic complex seems to defy gravity, being almost suspended in the air. In this sacred place, a destination of numerous pilgrims, sobriety reigns.

The guest house too is very simple, and rightly so in a place where St Francis lived in a narrow grotto and slept on a large stone. Leaving La Verna we stop for lunch at Sansepolcro, the largest centre of the Tuscan Valtiberina. Here we walk through the streets of the medieval-style centre, seeing the cathedral and town hall from outside. In the early afternoon we reach the provincial capital, Arezzo, and first stop at the Basilica of San Francesco to see the choir frescoed by Piero della Francesca and restored not long ago. The central Corso Italia leads to the very ancient parish church of Santa Maria with its splendid façade rich in small columns and arches. Equally beautiful and ancient is the rear apse that faces Piazza Grande, the heart of the city.

The square is incredibly beautiful, with a sloping profile that makes it special; important buildings face onto it and a famous antiques market is held there periodically. In this square it feels like a plunge into the past. A short stroll through the old town takes us to the Basilica of San Domenico to admire the Crucifix by Cimabue. From Arezzo, following the road that flanks the hill of Castiglion Fiorentino, we descend south to Cortona, an ancient town resting on the top of a hill with remarkable medieval palaces. The visit begins at the cathedral and the Church of Jesus, turned into a remarkable Diocesan Museum that preserves, among other works, the famous Annunciation by Beato Angelico. We then walk in the cobbled streets of the old town flanked by ancient palaces and reach the two main squares, Signorelli and Repubblica.

Here we see the Palazzo Pretorio and, from a panoramic terrace, a wide belvedere that ranges from the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie down in the valley to Lake Trasimeno in Umbria. We continue along a road that crosses the countryside and leads to Lucignano, a well-preserved medieval village enclosed within almost intact elliptical walls. Walking in the streets of the small centre among houses, arches and towers is like a leap into the Middle Ages. After a short visit, a few kilometres on we are in another medieval walled village, Monte San Savino. Along the main street face numerous well-preserved buildings such as the Loggia dei Mercanti and the Church of Sant'Agostino. From here we take the motorway to San Giovanni Valdarno, where we arrive in the evening; that does not stop us from admiring the fine Palazzo Pretorio, also known by the name of Palazzo of Arnolfo di Cambio.

The building of medieval origin has a façade, preceded by a portico, on which numerous noble coats of arms are proudly displayed. There is a public event inside and this allows us to enter the entrance hall. We dine in a Chinese restaurant on the square opposite, then take the road home. What I have just described is the most complete itinerary made in the Arezzo area, but in fact I had already been to this zone on other occasions: for work in Arezzo and as a child at the Sanctuary of La Verna on an organised bus trip. On the latter occasion I had also visited the Hermitage of Camaldoli, located in the Apennines in a place truly isolated from the rest of the world, far from urbanised zones and immersed in the woods. I had visited the monastery and some miserable cells of the hermits.