Piazza Grande

To me, one of the more interesting things about the cathedral was actually the huge, tattooed marble hand sculpture placed on the courtyard of the church. Created by Fabio Viale, an Italian sculptor, it certainly makes a statement. The detail in this piece is phenomenal and this modern piece of art in front of such an old building, always makes a statement.

Outside of the Basilica of San Domenico, the next church we visited, is another amazing sculpture by Fabio Viale. Fabio impressive and eye-catching pieces have been exhibited in Italy, Russia, Germany and the United States. There are three pieces on display in front of three of the churches in Arezzo and a huge exhibition being held here too.

Many of his pieces are replications of classic sculptures decorated with numerous tattoos. Fabio creates the tattoos using ink that penetrates into the pores of the stone, similar to tattooing human skin. It is so mind blowing what he has created. The juxtaposition between the classic style sculptures and the dark tattoos makes these pieces ones to admire, marvel at and remember. I love them and their setting against the historic churches just adds to the overall experience of seeing them.

Scattered throughout the streets of Arezzo are small squares of street art. Some I had noticed in Florence when we were there last. By the artist Blurb, they are images of well known historic figures wearing goggles underwater. They seem out of place in the historic streets but aren’t offensive, just interesting.

There are also images by another artist, Lewom, whose work I have not seen before but really enjoy. I do love the random art we come across as we explore the streets, so much nicer than random graffiti. For me they add to the charm and enjoying of exploring the streets and laneways of these historic towns.

In complete opposite to the modern look of street art and "tattooed" sculptures, are five life-sized bronze sheep nestled amongst he ruins of the ancient city walls. Created by Karen Wilberding Diefenbach, they perfectly suit the landscape and feel like they are a part of the history of this place. I love the variety of all these pieces and they add to the appeal of Arezzo.Read more