What comes in my mind if you say Tuscany? I would say that this is the region where the dreams and Italian romanticism were created. Tuscany is a unique place full of charming and history, to be explored for its rolling hills covered with olive trees and vine yards, Renaissance timeless domes and churches, medieval towers and palaces, bright yellow fields of sunflowers and cozy villages with cobblestone streets.
Last month I was invited to my best friend’s wedding in the city of Arezzo. This beautiful city has the typical features of a Middle Age place: historic squares sorrounded by old houses with wooden balconies and crenellated towers. Arezzo has nothing to envy of its neighbours most famous cities such as Florence, Siena and Pisa. Piazza Grande, the main square of the historic city center, is a succession of buildings from various ages that give a striking and dramatic appearance to the city. The square has a trapezoidal shape with a sharply angled surface. During the Middle Ages it was the place of commercial exchanges between the city and the countryside and later became the headquarter of the civil offices.
Walking through the streets of Arezzo, I found myself right in Piazza Grande. Besides admiring its beauty and its main characteristics, which I mentioned earlier, I was lucky enough to find myself in the middle of a car race! Not an ordinary competition but the Gran Premio Nuvolari, thanks to which I could admire prestigious vintage cars up close.
The “Gran Premio Nuvolari” is a prestigious international event for historic cars, which take place every year since 1954. It is dedicated to the greatest driver of motor racing of the 1930s Tazio Nuvolari, a true legend in his own lifetime. Born in Mantova (Italy) in 1892, he was known as Flying Mantuan (Il Mantovano Volante) for the fact that his racing style was incomparable. He had no rivals at that time and no driver would have never been like Nuvolari.
The Gran Premio Nuvolari is a three days competition where one has the chance to admire 300 historic cars, authentic vintage and classic car models built from 1919 to 1969, with a total of 1,000 km of track. A real traveling car museum for enthusiasts and collectors!
After the competition it's already time for dinner. But first let's take an "aperitivo" at the Chiantineria, a small restaurant where you can taste delicious local food (that you can also shop at Antica Bottega Toscana just in case you miss this delicious food when back home!) and drink a good glass of Chianti wine.
And finally, let's take a walk and admire the Arezzo city center also by night ...
What you need to know about Arezzo: www.arezzoturismo.it
What you need to know about the Gran Premio Nuvolari www.gpnuvolari.it
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