Many of the scenes from Roberto Benigni's Oscar-winning film La Vita e Bella were filmed in charming Arezzo.The churches and their works of art are what keep this Tuscan hill town on the map: the Basilica San Francesco with Piero della Francesca's magnificent fresco cycle, The Legend of the True Cross, painted in the 1400s; the Church of San Domenico and Cimabue's 13th-century Crucifixion; and the Romanesque Santa Maria della Pieve with its bell tower—an emblem for the city—that has 40 windows. Arezzo also has several fine museums, among them the Museo Archeologico (located in an old monastery), the home of architect and artist Vasari and the Medieval and Modern Art Museum. Tired of refined culture? Attend the fun antiques fair in Piazza Grande, held the first Sunday of the month. For a less commercialized version of Siena's Palio horse race, attend the Giostra di Saraceno, a medieval-style tournament fought by lancers on horseback (the first Sunday in September). The giant Medici fortress overlooking town—Fortezza Medicea—is open for tours. 52 mi/85 km southeast of Florence.
