Arezzo:A Brief History
The town we are staying in to study abroad has an amazing and extensive history. Arezzo is in the easternmost provence of the region of Tuscany, smack-dab in the middle of Italy.
The city is on a steep hill (believe me, it's steep) and is in a floodplain region of the Arezzo provence.
Arezzo has been an important city for many civilizations including the Etruscans, Romans, Italians, and us!
The Etruscans were an important civilization that laid the foundations for the Romans. Arezzo was called Arretium by the Etruscans and was one of the most important City-States of the civilization. Etruscan civilization originated before 700 B.C. and lasted until it was integrated into the Roman Republic in the late 4th century B.C. In monastery that the University of Oklahoma acquired lays one of the oldest known Etruscan wells that provided water for people for centuries.
Arezzo was also a very important military outpost for the Romans and was one of the largest cities in Italy during this time. It was crucial to the expansion of the Republic because of its position on the Via Cassia road. The Roman Republic grew and expanded to become one of the most dominate and influential civilizations in history because of its art, military power, commerce, and engineering. Arezzo still has some of the structures and influences left by the Romans including the famous Roman Amphitheater.
After the fall of Rome in the 4th century, Arezzo was ruled by Feudal Lords and Bishops when much of the Roman civilization was demolished after invasion by the Lombards, a Germanic tribe that ruled many parts of Italy. In 1098, the people of Arezzo overthrew their bishop and became an independent city-state until it joined with Florence in 1384. The region then was unified with the rest of Italy during the 1800's.
Arezzo continues to be a center of cultural, geographical, and historical significance because of it's cathedrals, piazzas, and festivals. The city continues to appear in cultural through movies, Life is Beautiful (Roberto Benigni, 1997) and Rome: Total War (2004).
Photo credit and Sources:
https://www.discovertuscany.com/arezzo/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arezzo
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