Feeling
stressed? A little depressed? Tired of your nest? Bored with how you’re dressed? I have the perfect solution: window shopping in Arezzo!
Arezzo is
the capital of the eponymous province and one of the most under-rated towns in
Tuscany. It’s about a 40 minute drive
from our house, but you can make it in 25 if you don’t run into a tractor,
a truck, or a three-wheel Ape like this one somewhere along the way.
Arezzo was
one of the 12 most important Etruscan cities and claims Petrarch, Giorgio
Vasari, Piero della Francesca, Michaelangelo (born nearby), Guido d’Arezzo
(inventor of modern musical notation), Pietro Aretino (inventor of modern
literate pornography), and Roberto Benigni among its famous residents. There is a lot to see in Arezzo in the way of
exceptional ecclesiastical art and architecture, a Roman amphitheater, a Medici
fortress, and 14th – 16th c. palazzi. You can read about all that here in Wiki and Discover
Tuscany. But I have something less
historical-intellectual in mind today, and nothing says mindless like window
shopping.
We start at the southern end of
Corso Italia, the main drag, where we
observe the art of observing; that is to say, of seeing and being seen, known
as the passeggiata. This distinctly Italian parade happens in
every Italian town I’ve ever visited. It
kicks off when the shops reopen at around 4 o’clock in the afternoon and
continues until they close at around 7.
During those three hours, people run into their neighbors and friends.
They chat
and they gossip.
They often have an
espresso and a pastry,
or maybe a
gelato.
Some prefer
a glass of wine
They might
pick up something for dinner or dessert,
or buy a birthday
present,
or a
housewarming gift,
or some fine linens,
or contemplate an antique mirror,
an oil painting, a pair of statues,
or a chandelier.
They
want to see what’s new in the way of men' s evening wear with matching Covid-19 masks,
and what
the well-turned-out woman will be wearing this Fall.
In short,
they eyeball each other and their city. It’s a traditional, national diversion.
The diversion Arezzo-style begins in Corso Italia, which inclines northward toward the main square, Piazza Grande, bounded on the northern
side by the Loggia di Vasari,
on the western side by the Church of Santa Maria della Pieve
and a civic building that was hosting a reception about which no one could tell us anything.
The remaining
eastern and southern sides are flanked by antique dealers or their recent ubiquitous replacements—more
wine bars and eateries.
Still, the
piazza retains its charm. It’s large
enough for the Giostra del Saracino,
a re-enactment of a medieval joust against an imaginary Saracen enemy, complete
with horses and riders in period costume dashing at top speed with lances
outstretched, trying to strike a lethal blow to an armored dummy. We attended one year and it’s pretty
breathtaking.
No giostra this year, of course, but there
was the inauguration of this gorgeous marble fountain that had been under wraps
for years.
To offset
the downturn in restaurant-bar revenue caused by Covid-19, when Arezzo reopened
in May after its lockdown, the city council granted permission to these
enterprises on the perimeter of the piazza to spill over into the bricked open
space itself—rent-free. It’s a great
idea and as a passeggiata destination,
it seems to have caught on!
Keep it
real! And like this kitty, wear your damn mask!
Marilyn
Delightful. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteMon plaisir, bebe!
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