Piazza Grande, also known as Piazza Vasari - the main square of the Tuscan town of Arezzo. For centuries it was the center of social life in the Middle Ages the area was known as the Piazza del Comune, because it housed the Town Hall, and in the 16th century, it became known as Piazza Vasari because of the impressive loggia, built on the north side of the square of designed by the famous artist and architect Giorgio Vasari that time.

Archaeological finds show that in the 3rd century BC . e .  I passed through this place Etruscan road that connects the "city living" with the "city of the dead", located on a small hill Poggio del Sole .  Later here it was built ancient Roman road .  In the Middle Ages, the Piazza Grande is a huge market in the northern part of which is the bird market, which is why the area is sometimes called Piazza dei Maya (Pork area) .  From the 11th century Piazza Grande becomes the center of political, commercial, military and religious life of Arezzo .  In those days, the area looked much the same as today, except for its northern part, where today you can see the town hall, with its red-brick tower on the right and left of the Palazzo del Capitano .  In the 17-18 th centuries, the area has undergone significant changes: all the medieval buildings were plastered, towers and gothic decorative elements have disappeared, have been built fountain and the Palace Court .  Gradually it has been streamlined trade market in the square, and today on the Piazza Grande will not see the market in general .  Yes, and the area itself has ceased to be the center of city life, except for the days of knights tournament Dzhostra del Sarachino when there're going motley crowd . 

In the western part of the Piazza Grande you can see the apse of the church of Santa Maria della Pieve, as well as the facade decorated with a number of loggias .  Unfortunately, the apse was poorly restored in 1864-78-m, respectively, and significantly different from its original Romanesque appearance .  Another notable structure is a square building Fraternita dei Laichi, now part of the Palace Court .  It was erected in the late 14th century for religious Brotherhood of St Mary, founded in 1262, the year .  Brotherhood begins with the fact that its members twice a week bypassed Arezzo asking for alms, and in the Renaissance it became a wealthy and powerful city institution - the Brotherhood were their schools, and it has even sponsored training some students at the University of Pisa and abroad .  The funds were also built of brotherhood Vasari Loggia, the city churchyard, city water system and a shelter .  Construction of buildings Fraternita dei Laichi began in 1375, the year and finished only two centuries later .  Such a long period is reflected in the fact that in the external appearance of the building to mix different styles - Gothic, Renaissance and late Renaissance .  In 1552, the year Felice da Fossato built on top of the clock Fraternita, which today is one of the oldest working clock in Italy .  According to the legend, yes Fossato blinded after he built a clock that he could no longer create anything similar .  In the 18th century, between the apse of Santa Maria della Pieve, and building Fraternita dei Laichi Court Palace was built - probably the only baroque building of Arezzo . 

A little to the side stands the Palazzo Lappoli - the medieval building of the 14th century, with beautiful wooden balconies and a tower. It is believed that the tower was built a century later, and all belonged to another building facing to the left. In the 18th century Palazzo and tower were plastered, and the palace was built iron balcony.

Another noteworthy building in Piazza Grande - elegant Palazzo Bridzolari, built in the 15th century for a wealthy merchant family Kofanov. Nearby is the Torre dei Kofanov. But, of course, the "pearl" of the square is the Loggia Vasari - one of the most beautiful buildings in Arezzo. It was designed by Giorgio Vasari and is considered his masterpiece. Work began on the construction of the Loggia in 1573, the year and ended after the death of the architect in the 17th century. The name "Loggia" of the building was a large open gallery, which once housed the city's best shops.

In the northern part of the square in front of the Loggia, is Petrone - a stone column with a ball and a cross on top. This is a copy of the original tower of the 13th century, which served to denounce the criminals and debtors. And in the bottom of the Piazza Grande you can see the fountain, designed by Vasari in 1602, the year.