Arrezzo

So our weekend trip with Professor Ingersol included 2 cities: Arezzo and Perugia.  Perugia, which you have already seen, we did later that day.  We definitely stayed a bit longer in Arezzo, and is my favorite between these two cities.  Although you can take this course (100 cities) for architectural credit, we also have some art history students, and I feel like he focuses our tours (and lectures) with a more historical lens than just strictly architecture.  Which is nice - I feel like I'm watching the discovery channel or something and he is telling us all these stories.

Here is a map of Arezzo that was just outside the train station.  It's your typical walled city.  One of the reasons we came here was to see the churches and frescoes of San Francesca, and works by the architect Vasari.  

A view of Arezzo outside the city walls, which consist of agriculture and the suburbs. 

Top images are of the main square (Piazza Grande).  It was a pretty grand space, and on an interesting slope, which ended with stairs down to a fountain (left). The loggia above the fountain were supposedly designed by Vasari.  

These are images of one of the San Francesco churches.  A lot of the churches here were of a very simple design, and dark inside, to focus more on prayer and reflection.

There's Professor Ingersol, in the purple scarf, as he leads our group into one of the churches. 

A model done my Vasari, perhaps one of the oldest in history.