Founded 2,600 years ago by the Etruscans on a hill at the intersection of three valleys, Arezzo (100,000 inhabitants) is one of the most interesting cities in central Italy. Rich in history, monuments, and intellectual and artistic tradition, Arezzo is the birthplace of the poets Petrarch and Guittone d'Arezzo, of the humanists Leonardo Bruni and Francesco Redi, of the painter, architect, and biographer Giorgio Vasari, and of the medieval musician Guido d'Arezzo. It holds artistic treasures of the ancient, medieval, and Renaissance periods. Among them, the fresco cycle of the "Legend of the Cross" by Piero della Francesca is considered one of the highest achievements of Italian art.

In addition to its historical and artistic significance, Arezzo has succeeded in preserving its identity without becoming a typical "tourist city." Everything important in Arezzo is within walking distance of the historic center. The city is located forty-five minutes from Florence, and it is easy to take day trips to Pisa, Siena, Perugia, Montepulciano, Rome, and many other important cultural and artistic sites.

Arezzo is famous for its medieval traditions of pageantry, its international musical competitions, and its monthly Antique Fair. It is also a very important industrial center, internationally renowned for artistic and industrial gold work. The city is the home of the Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia of the University of Siena. The University of Rochester and the University of Siena have a formal agreement of mutual collaboration that includes faculty exchanges and special benefits for University of Rochester visiting students studying in Arezzo. An international group of faculty and staff collaborate to make the Rochester Italian Studies in Tuscany program a unique and challenging experience. Donatella Stocchi-Perucchio, associate professor of Italian at the University of Rochester, founded the program in 1993 and energetically continues to support it as executive director.