Piazza Grande is the heart of Arezzo and lies in the upper part of the town.

The square slopes westwards with a drop of about ten metres and is surrounded by some of the most important buildings of the town.

On the north side, the apsis of the Romanesque church of Santa Maria, the 18th-century Palazzo del Tribunale and the Palazzo della Fraternita dei Laici (built in the second of half of the 14th-century) are to be admired.

On the east side stretch the Logge Vasariane, a long 16th-century arcade leading from Corso Italia to Piaggia di San Martino where you can find restaurants, cafes and craft workshops.

Last but not least, on the west side there are the tower-house Còfani, a particular covered pit and a fountain, whose water comes from Alpe di Poti, about 12 kilometres east of Arezzo.

On the first Saturday and Sunday of each month, the traditional Fiera Antiquaria is held in this fascinating square and in Via Cavour, part of the Corso, Via Cesalpino, Piazza della Badia and Piazza della Libertà. Moreover, twice a year, in June and in September, Piazza Grande becomes the theatre of the Giostra del Saracino.

Wherever the villa in Arezzo you have rented for your holidays, Piazza Grande is easily reached from any part of the town. Either you walk along Corso Italia, which thanks to its fashion boutiques is one of Arezzo`s most famous shopping streets, or, if you are at the top of San Donato hill, you can take Via dei Palagi.