Corso Italia

Having settled down in the new house, our first trip was to Arezzo, which is about 40 minutes away.  Arezzo was one of the 12 major cities of the Etruscan era, a civilisation that predated Rome. Etruscan presence exists today including parts of walls that are in use today and a necropolis that date back to the 5^th and 4^th centuries BC. There is also evidence of trade with Ancient Greece. In 311 BC, Arezzo was finally captured by Rome.

In medieval times, the Roman city was slowly demolished and a medieval city arose, much of which we see today. Spending time in France and now Italy, it is fascinating how complex the histories of these countries were. While Britain has been ruled by a succession of Kings and then Parliament essentially from the time of Alfred the Great, European regions that we now identify as countries were split into states with flexible borders, the rule of which ebbed and flowed through the years depending, in this area, on the strength of the papal state and the Lords of illustrious and rich families such as the House of Lombardy and the Medecian Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Arezzo was no different and became part of what is Italy in 1860.

During the second world war, Arezzo was the last major city before the so-called the Gothic Line, with nature and extensive made-made and where the German forces made great efforts to stand their ground against the British 8^th Army, which was pushing north through Italy. Arezzo was heavily bombarded and parts of the city destroyed until the city was finally liberated by the 6^th Armoured Division and elements of 2^nd New Zealand Division. 1266 soldiers are buried at Commonwealth War Graves Commission graveyard near Arezzo.

In the film, ‘Life is Beautiful’, Arezzo is the town where Roberto Benigni and his family lived before being moved to the concentration camp.

The picturesque part of Arezzo is the old walled city on the hill, while the rest of the city sprawls out below. We parked just outside the old city walls and walked steadily up the Corso Italia, which is the main shopping strip until we reached the main square or Piazza Grande. Being a first visit, we familiarised ourselves with the town, hoping to visit again to spend time in the historic buildings. However, just walking around the old town is a treat in itself as the architecture is special.