Description of the attraction
The Fortress of La Fortezza is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Arezzo. In the 14-15th centuries, this part of the city was called Poggio San Donato, because it was located on the hill of the same name. And the whole area around the fortress was known as the Citadel - there were houses, churches, towers, the City Hall and the Palazzo del Capano. In the following centuries, all of these structures were demolished to build a new Medici fortress, as the rules of military engineering required that the fortress be isolated. That is why so few buildings have survived from ancient Arezzo.
It is not known for certain where the early medieval fortress, Kastrum Markionis, was located. It was probably built in the 9-10th centuries by a certain Tuscan marquis on the hill of San Donato near the modern Medici fortress. It is only known for certain that at the top of the hill was Cassero di San Donato - a tower built by the Bishop of Tarlati in 1312-27. In general, this bishop, before the construction of new city walls, built as many as three small fortresses: one was located near the gates of Porta San Clemente, the other - at the gates of Porta San Lorentino, and the third - on the hill of San Donato. However, Cassero di San Donato suffered severely during the riots against the bishop. Subsequently, the tower was rebuilt, and in 1502, when the Aretines rebelled against Florence again, they once again partially destroyed Cassero as a symbol of Florentine rule. Soon after the suppression of the uprising, Florence commissioned two prominent architects of the time - Giuliano da Sangallo and his brother Antonio il Vecchio - to build a new modern fortress.
The current fortress lies at the eastern end of Il Prato Park, and ancient trees hide the entrance inside. The moat around the fortress and the suspension bridge have not survived to this day, but you can still see the holes in which this bridge was fastened, and the ancient loopholes. Above the entrance is the large Medici family coat of arms, and just beyond the entrance is a large square room, from which a long corridor leads to the top of the fortress. Along the same corridor, there are numerous rooms that are closed to the public. Most of the fortress bastions once had secret underground passages, and tunnels led to loopholes on the outer walls. There were wells, cisterns for storing water and other premises, including powder depots. None of the buildings inside the fortress have survived to this day - today only a large garden can be seen there.
Residents of Arezzo and guests of the city love to stroll around the fortress and enjoy the views. On the territory between the La Spina bastion and the Belvedere, there was once a pagan complex dedicated to Jupiter, Minerva and Juno, and a little to the side, between the Belvedere and the della Chiesa bastion, fragments of the ancient Roman amphitheater are visible.
