Cortonaweb.net English

The surroundings of Cortona are rich in history, art and magic. Hermitage Le Celle cannot be missed. It was built by Saint Francis for a small community of Franciscan friars and was restored by Brother Elias. The area is characterized by small houses of hermits, from which derives the name celle. In this place of peace and rest, where a few capuchin friars still live, you can visit saint Francis' cell, which has been kept intact after his death in 1226.

Not far from this hermitage we find the Church of Santa Maria Nuova, designed by Vasari and Cristofanello in the sixteenth century. This beautiful church with Greek cross plan has three identical facades and an imposing dome, which was influenced by the Baroque style.

About 10 km far from Cortona you cannot miss to visit the Abbey of Farneta of the Benedictine monks, dating back to the eighth century. The most beautiful part of the abbey is its crypt, which is sustained by magnificent Roman columns and capitals.

Near the border with Umbria we find other historical and artistic jewels, like the Roman Villa of Ossaia dating back to the late Republican and Imperial period. In the villa of about 1000 sq. m. archaeologists found beautiful black and white and polychrome geometrical mosaics, as well as marbles and funerary inscriptions.

A few km away from the Roman Villa it is worth visiting the Church of San Michele Arcangelo in Metelliano, built in the seventh century by the Lombards and renovated around the eleventh century in Pre-Romanic and Byzantine style. The nave and the aisles are alternated by big pillars that make the architecture very harmonious, therefore the church has been declared national monument in 1907.

Finally we cannot forget the Fortress of Pierle of the thirteenth century, built by the Casali family and sold to the Florentine Republic together with the town of Cortona in the fifteenth century. Today only two of the four towers are still visible, the building is fairly ruined but its fascination has not ceased as centuries have gone by.

During the summer Cortona offers a lot of events not to be missed since they meet the tastes and needs of tourists and citizens. In June the five quarters of the town defy each other in the Archidado Joust, a crossbow tournament that awards a golden arrow to the winner. This historical commemoration of the wedding between the Lord of Cortona, Francesco Casali, and a noblewoman from Siena, Antonia Salimbeni, was officially instituted in 1397. The joust is anticipated by religious ceremonies, old costumed parades, performances of flag flyers and medieval evenings to relive the old medieval splendors.

Between July and August, since 2003, Cortona hosts the famous Tuscan Sun Festival, a classical music and art festival that is very renowned all over the world. International artists perform on the stage of Teatro Signorelli and in the enchanting Piazza Signorelli. Concerts are combined with conferences, exhibitions, cooking classes, movie projections, fitness courses and much more.

The Steak Festival is a must to celebrate the Mid-August bank holiday since it is the most important gastronomical event, which takes place in the public gardens of Cortona. On a 14-squared-meter grill succulent T-bone steaks of Chianina race are cooked underdone. In respect with tradition they must go with the excellent local wine. The following week you cannot miss the Porcini mushrooms festival, where you can taste delicious recipes with the mushrooms collected in the mountains around Cortona.

Summer ends in September with Cortonantiquaria, the National Antiques exhibition and market, an event for antiques and restoration lovers and for those who want to discover this world. Dozens of exhibitors coming from the whole Italy show accurately selected and certified antiques. Since 2001 important people who have promoted the development of Cortona are awarded the Cortonantiquaria prize, which gives the town even more prestige at the national level.

The top of the hill of Cortona is dominated by the Fortress of Girifalco, built in 1556 by grand-duke of Tuscany Cosimo de' Medici on the ruins of ancient Etruscan and Roman fortifications. The fortress is trapezoidal in shape with four large bastions. Today it periodically houses art exhibitions.

Right below the fortress you can admire the magnificent Basilica of Santa Margherita. The church was built in the thirteenth century on the ruins of a little church dedicated to San Basilio. The saint spent here the last years of her life. The interior is Baroque and preserves works of the Sienese School as well as relics donated by some knights of Malta from Cortona. The embalmed body of Santa Margherita is displayed behind the main altar. The patron saint of Cortona is celebrated twice a year, in February and in May.

The basilica is connected with the city center through the Way of the Cross (also called viale Santa Margherita). The fourteen stations made of stone with mosaics representing "The passion of Christ" have been created by painter Gino Severini in 1947. The citizens of Cortona have decided to pay such an important work to thank God for surviving to air raids during world war II.

The Cathedral of Cortona, the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, has been built on the ruins of the oldest Church of the town. It has been designed by two important architects of the fifteenth century, Francesco Laparelli and Cristofanello. In the church some works of Pietro Berrettini known as Il Cortona are preserved, as well as the tombs of brothers Venuti, who founded the Etruscan Academy.

In front of the cathedral you will find the Diocesan museum of the capitolo della cattedrale, which is divided into nine exhibition rooms. The museum collects some works coming from the churches of Cortona, such as the Annunciation by Fra Angelico, the Lamentation over the dead Christ by Luca Signorelli and the Shaped Cross by Pietro Lorenzetti, as well as the majestic Passerini Tapistry made for Pope Leo X.

If you take the street behind the Diocesan museum, via Iannelli, you will see the oldest houses of the town, dating back to the fourteenth century and perfectly preserved. Their facades overhanging above the street and supported by wooden beams are very impressive.

This street leads directly to the city walls, which surround Cortona for about 3 km. We can see the different phases of construction and restoration from the various materials used in the Etruscan, Roman and Medieval times. The western side of the walls is perfectly preserved and is characterized by the only example of gateway with two arches called Porta Bifora.

The Archaeological park of Cortona is mainly made up of the Etruscan tumulus tombs discovered in Sodo, at the bottom of the old art town. For their rounded shape they have been called melons, Melone I and Melone II. Archeologists have dated these tombs between the seventh and the fourth century B.C. The people who were buried there belonged to rich local families of landowners and metal producers.

Melone I was explored for the first time in 1909 and brought to light some chambers, which had been unfortunately robbed over the centuries. On the contrary, melone II was explored in 1927. It is more imposing and monumental than the other and contained priceless funerary equipments, jewels and other beautiful objects. The symbol of this archeological site is a terraced altar used for sacrifices, the one of its kind, embellished with sculptures representing fighting scenes between humans and mythological monsters.

The Tanella di Pitagora is also very interesting. It is a Hellenistic tomb dating back to the third-second century B.C. This cylindrical tomb measures about 7 meters in diameter. Scholars maintain this was probably the tomb of Pythagoras or of Archimedes. Unfortunately the monument has been damaged all over the centuries, but today Cortona is carrying out a plan to guarantee its preservation.

The beautiful Piazza Signorelli of Cortona, with its typical irregular and uneven shape, is dominated by the magnificent Palazzo Casali, built in the sixteenth century. It has always been considered to be the palace of culture and today it houses the MAEC museum, the Museum of the Etruscan Academy and the City of Cortona, as well as the Etruscan Academy and its library.

The museum was founded in 1727 when a few members of the Etruscan Academy donated some pieces of their private collections. Today the museum collects priceless Etruscan and Roman treasures, among which you can see the famous Etruscan Chandelier, as well as an Egyptian section with wonderful sarcophagi and funerary equipments.

A medieval section preserves important works of painter Luca Signorelli, while a modern section displays some masterpieces by Gino Severini.

Next to Palazzo Casali we can observe the Teatro Signorelli, which belongs to the Accademia degli Arditi. Built in the nineteenth century in neoclassical style, this theater is characterized by a lovely loggia with seven arches. The theater is also used as a meeting hall and houses every year the Tuscan Sun Festival.

If you take the street between these two palaces down to the cathedral you will find on your right Palazzo Vagnotti, conceived in the eighteenth century as a theological study center and property of the bishops curate. Its majestic halls of the eighteenth century house every year the famous Antiques Exhibition Market, a must for all antiques and restoration lovers.

Piazza della Repubblica is the heart of the historical center of Cortona. In Roman times the forum was located here, at the crossroads between the main axial streets of the town, the cardo (running north-south) and the decumano (running East-West).

The beautiful Town Hall, dating back to the twelfth century and conceived for council meetings since the Middle Ages, overlooks the square. The impressive bell tower and the imposing entrance stairway were built in the sixteenth century. On the right-hand side of the palace a column represents the Florentine lion, which is the symbol of Cortona.

In front of the Town Hall you can see the Palace of the Capitano del Popolo, built in the thirteenth century, residence of famous cardinal Silvio Passerini. In the past it was crenellated and had a tower on top, but it underwent such big transformations over the centuries that it has lost its original form.

If you take via Guelfa you can then admire the magnificent Palazzo Cristofanello-Laparelli, built in the sixteenth century, with a facade made of worked stone that is characterized by large arched windows and a loggia on the upper floor. Today the palace is the seat of a bank, the Banca Popolare di Cortona.

The top of the hill of Cortona is called Poggio by the citizens and probably it is the most evocative and picturesque part of the town. If you start walking up the hill, you will find the church of San Francesco of the thirteenth century. It was built by Brother Elias, who took the place of Saint Francis at the head of the Franciscan order. The church has beautiful Baroque altars and preserves a relic from the Holy Cross and some personal belongings of Saint Francis.

If you continue going uphill, you will find the little church of San Cristoforo, built in the thirteenth century and restored until the 1700s. The outer part is fairly rustic and has a nice open bell tower in Romanic style.

Behind the church we can admire Porta Montanina (once called Porta San Cristoforo) with its breathtaking views onto the valley and Cortona, where some remains of the old Etruscan walls and of the Roman aqueduct are still visible.

Taking via San Niccolò we will see on the left the beautiful Church of San Niccolò, built in the fifteenth century with an elegant porch adorning the façade and the left-hand side. The church, seat of the compagnia di San Niccolò in the fifteenth century, is enriched by some frescoes by Luca Signorelli.