Il Mezzo di Arezzo

This Sunday, I took a quick train ride to Arezzo in order to browse the hundreds of stands displaying antiques ranging from comic books to tea sets. I honestly wasn't terribly excited about antique shopping, but I figured it would be a neat experience to take a peek at the history of Arezzo. I ended up buying all kinds of fascinating things, including an original oil on canvas piece from an art vendor. This man had painted and collected all kinds of scenes from the Italian countryside. He showed me how to tell the difference in styles between Arezzo natives and artists from Venice (and convinced me that the piece I purchased was an Arezzo original).

Another vendor had dozens of tea sets, including some porcelain and silver pieces (which I sadly could not haggle down to an affordable price). Fortunately, I was able to take a picture of them. Some of the saucers were chipped and worn in places; they really felt like they had been well-loved by an elderly Italian lady before the collector got his hands on them.

Since Arezzo is so much older than any town in Texas, many of the pieces I saw had been passed down for more generations than I could count. I learned that these vendors lived for this antique fair, spending ridiculous amounts of time hunting down relics to sell to tourists. I also gained an appreciation for these people who dedicate their time to preserving and celebrating the past. 

E.O.