Arezzo (ancient Arretium), city, central Italy, capital of Arezzo Province, in Tuscany (Toscana) Region. Arezzo is an agricultural market; manufactures include silk and other textiles, musical instruments, and machinery. It was originally an Etruscan town and was famous for terra-cotta pottery. A free commune in the 11th century, Arezzo came under the rule of Florence in 1384. It is the birthplace of the poet Petrarch, the satirist Pietro Aretino, and the artist and writer Giorgio Vasari. Population (1997 estimate) 90,819.