The Arezzo Antiques Market

 

The ancient Tuscan city of Arezzo, with its Roman ruins, medieval walls, Renaissance architecture and incomparable Piero della Francesca murals, has always been a magnet for art lovers. But on the first Sunday of every month, and the Saturday before, when its Piazza Grande is filled with a motley collection of old furniture, musty paintings and stained silverware, tarnished candlesticks and kitchen cabinets, chipped china and violins, Roman coins and a harmonium, old-fashioned telephones and grandfather clocks, it is a paradise for connoisseurs and bargain hunters.

 

The monthly Antiques Market with its 500 exhibitors and about 100 little shops open all year round, is, since 1968, an added incentive to visit this art-laden city.

The fair takes advantage of the extraordinary scenery of Piazza San Francesco, Piazza Grande and the Logge del Vasari, but the stalls spread over the side alleys and squares across the historic centre, transforming the character of the city for the two days of the Antique Market.
 

Exhibitors come from all over Italy and offer their items with a very broad overview of cultural traditions and regional costumes.

 

Besides the outdoor stalls there are antique shops which are an old tradition in Arezzo. The variety of items found in some shops reflects the huge diversity that is found in the stalls: antique furniture, rinkets, books, scientific instruments, art deco objects, jewellery, watches, silverware, 19th and 20th Century paintings, and more.

 

Getting to the market by car:  Once you arrive in town follow signs for 'Petri' car park. The escalator leads in front of the duomo in the highest part of the town centre, where the market is located.