Seasons, events & weather — your month-by-month guide to eastern Tuscany
Arezzo rewards visitors year-round, but some months deliver a distinctly richer experience than others. The city sits at 296 metres above sea level in the hills of eastern Tuscany, which gives it a slightly more continental climate than Florence or Siena — cooler winters, crisper autumns, and hot but not oppressive summers, especially once the evening breeze arrives.
This guide breaks down each season so you can plan a trip that aligns with the weather, the events, and your appetite for crowds — and book a sustainable eco hotel in Arezzo that removes 1 tonne of CO₂ from the atmosphere with every stay.
Spring is widely considered the best time to visit Arezzo. Daytime temperatures range from 18°C in April to 28°C in June. Rain falls occasionally, but it is rarely prolonged. The hills surrounding the city are vivid green, wildflowers carpet the Val di Chiana, and the light has the golden warmth that painters have chased to Tuscany for centuries.
April is pleasantly quiet — an ideal month for visiting the Basilica di San Francesco and Piero della Francesca's Legend of the True Cross frescoes without competing for timed tickets. The monthly Fiera Antiquaria (first Sunday) is busy year-round, but the spring editions feel festive rather than overwhelming.
May brings warmer days and the start of outdoor dining season. Restaurants move tables into courtyards and piazzas, and the walk up to the Fortezza Medicea is at its best with blooming wisteria and jasmine along the stone walls.
June is the month of the Giostra del Saracino, Arezzo's spectacular medieval jousting tournament. Held on the penultimate Saturday in June in Piazza Grande, the event sees horsemen from the city's four quartieri (Porta Crucifera, Porta del Foro, Porta Sant'Andrea, and Porta Santo Spirito) charge at a wooden effigy of a Saracen warrior. The build-up — with processions, drumming, and flag-throwing — is extraordinary. Book your hotel well ahead for Giostra weekend.
Arezzo's summers are hot. July and August average highs of 32–34°C, and rain is rare. The hilltop old town is slightly cooler than the valley floor, and evening breezes make outdoor dining on Piazza Grande pleasant once the sun drops behind the buildings.
The pace slows in August, when many Italians take their own holidays. Some family-run restaurants close for ferie (typically the second and third weeks of August), but the city never shuts down entirely. August is a good month for visiting the quieter museums — the Museo Archeologico next to the Roman amphitheatre, or the Casa del Petrarca — without queuing.
Summer evenings often bring open-air concerts and cinema screenings in the Fortezza Medicea park. Check the Arezzo council's events calendar (comune.arezzo.it) for the latest programme.
One practical tip: the monthly antique fair in July and August can be blisteringly hot. Arrive early (before 9 a.m.) to browse in relative comfort, then retreat to a shaded café on Corso Italia for the midday hours.
Autumn rivals spring as the best season for Arezzo. September opens with the second Giostra del Saracino (first Sunday in September), which many locals consider the more atmospheric of the two jousts — the evening light over Piazza Grande is unforgettable.
Temperatures in September still reach 25–28°C, dropping to a comfortable 15–20°C by October. The Val di Chiana turns gold and amber, vineyards are in harvest, and the olive oil season begins. This is prime time for day trips to the countryside — rent a car and drive the Via dei Setteponti, the ancient Etruscan ridgeway road that links Romanesque parish churches along the Pratomagno foothills.
October and November bring truffle season. The tartufo bianco (white truffle) appears on menus across eastern Tuscany, shaved over fresh egg pasta, risotto, or scrambled eggs. Arezzo is a more affordable base than San Miniato or Alba for truffle hunting, and several agriturismi in the Val di Chiana offer guided truffle walks with their own trained dogs.
November can be grey and damp, but the antique fair continues, indoor cultural offerings are rich, and hotel prices are at their lowest.
Arezzo's winters are cold by Tuscan standards — January lows average around 1–3°C, with occasional frost. Snow is rare in the city itself but dusts the Apennine peaks visible from the Fortezza Medicea.
The Christmas season brings a large market and decorations to the centro storico. Arezzo's Città del Natale (City of Christmas) runs from mid-November through early January, with stalls, lights, and a skating rink. The December antique fair coincides with the Christmas market, creating one of the liveliest weekends of the year.
January through March is genuinely quiet. Museums are uncrowded, restaurants are cooking hearty Tuscan winter dishes — ribollita (twice-boiled bread and vegetable soup), scottiglia (mixed meat stew), pappa al pomodoro — and you can often find excellent hotel rates. It is a wonderful time for a slow, contemplative visit focused on art and food.
The Fiera Antiquaria runs on the first Sunday of every month (plus the preceding Saturday). It has been held continuously since 1968 and is the oldest and largest antique fair in Italy. Over 500 dealers fill Piazza Grande, Corso Italia, Via Cavour, and the surrounding lanes with furniture, prints, ceramics, silver, jewellery, vintage textiles, and curiosities.
If the antique fair is your primary reason for visiting, book accommodation at least 2–3 weeks ahead — hotels and B&Bs in the centro storico fill up fast on these weekends, and prices can be 20–40% higher than midweek rates.
Whatever month you choose, booking your Arezzo hotel through IMPT means 1 tonne of CO₂ is removed from the atmosphere — at the same price you would pay on Booking.com. You also receive EUR 5 free credit on sign-up and earn 5% cashback in IMPT tokens. With 8 million+ hotels on the platform and 25,000+ green-certified partners, you will find the right room for every season.
Arezzo summers are hot and dry. July and August average highs of 32–34°C with very little rain. The hilltop old town catches evening breezes, but afternoons are best spent indoors visiting museums and churches or lingering over a long lunch.
The Giostra del Saracino (Joust of the Saracen) is held twice a year in Piazza Grande: on the penultimate Saturday in June and the first Sunday in September. The city's four quartieri compete in a mounted jousting tournament dating back to the medieval period.
Yes — the Fiera Antiquaria (first Sunday of the month plus the preceding Saturday) is Arezzo's busiest weekend. Hotels fill up and prices rise. Book accommodation at least 2–3 weeks ahead. The atmosphere is electric, though, and well worth the crowds.