In this paper, we describe an experiment in using history to work on problem-solving and the relationship between arithmetic and algebra. The students involved attended the first year of the Italian upper secondary school (grade 9). The original sources we used are problems from Italian treatises on arithmetic and algebra that appeared in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. At the beginning, we present these treatises, which belong to a widespread mathematical tradition. We then describe the classroom experiment: we administered 14 problems from ancient treatises accompanied by the request to solve them and write impressions and comments. Data were collected through written protocols and interviews. The analysis of the results focused on the strategies implemented in solving the problems, with particular reference to the use of arithmetic and algebra, and on the perception of the cultural aspect introduced by these problems in the students' approach to mathematics. The findings show the difficulties of some students on topics, such as fractions and direct proportionality, which should have been acquired in earlier school years. Combining the use of history with aspects of research in mathematics education allowed us to outline some teaching implications linked to the use of history.