Cortona
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By Dion Protani
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Latest update: 26 September 2023
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The hill town of Cortona is an official comune within the Province of Arezzo in Tuscany. It marks the northern boundary of the vast agricultural area known as the Valdichiana which sprawls out to the south west of Cortona towards the hill town of Montepulciano.
Cortona is situated very close to the regional border with Umbria, across which is Lake Trasimeno, Italy's fourth largest lake. |
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Cortona's Etruscan heritage
The history of Cortona extends at least 2,700 years; it was originally settled by the Umbri people (from which the Umbria region takes its name) before being conquered by the Etruscans in the 7th century BC. There are countless traces of the Etruscan civilisation in and around Cortona but nowhere more so than at the town's Etruscan Museum: the Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca e della città di Cortona or MAEC for short.
Piazza Signorelli
The Museum is one of the main buildings on the attractive Piazza Signorelli, named after the town's most famous son: the Renaissance painter Luca Signorelli (1441 - 1523). The same artist's name is further aggrandised as it's writ large across the front of the Teatro Signorelli with its beautiful loggia providing welcome shade in the summer. The same square that's home to the Theatre and the Etruscan Museum becomes a hive of activity on Saturdays when the weekly market takes place here.
Piazza della Repubblica
At the southern end of Piazza Signorelli is a corner with a few bars with outdoor tables on one side, and the rear of the Palazzo Comunale on the other with a small set of steps leading to a side entrance. However, it's only when you take the narrow passageway between the Palazzo Comunale and the bars that the real beauty of Cortona hits you. It's Piazza della Repubblica that provides the most iconic images of the town; without being particularly large or spacious, it's one of the most memorable squares in Italy with the landmark staircase leading up to the Palazzo Comunale stealing most of the attention.
Palazzo Comunale
The beautiful Renaissance building faces out on to the square with its clock face just below the bell tower, the top of which is marked by the distinctive dovetail battlements which signal Cortona's allegiance to the Ghibelline (Holy Roman Emperor) faction in the famous wars against the Guelphs (in support of the Pope) of the 12th and the 14th centuries.
From the top of the steps of the Palazzo Comunale you can admire the views across to the other areas of Piazza della Repubblica with its medieval buildings of differing heights embellished with balconies, loggias and alcoves creating a sense of theatre focused on the centre of the square.
From the top of the steps of the Palazzo Comunale you can admire the views across to the other areas of Piazza della Repubblica with its medieval buildings of differing heights embellished with balconies, loggias and alcoves creating a sense of theatre focused on the centre of the square.
Piazza del Duomo
Cortona Cathedral is one of a number of beautiful churches in the town; it's situated just off Piazza Signorelli, at the end of Via Casali which eventually becomes Piazza del Duomo. Although not as grandiose as the other main squares in the town, this charming Piazza provides a slightly different atmosphere with its balcony overlooking the Tuscan countryside and the loggia at the side of the Cathedral providing entrance to the town's Diocesan Museum: the Museo Diocesano del Capitolo with its collection of Renaissance paintings among the exhibits on display.
Under the Tuscan Sun
A visit to Cortona during the summer puts you in one of the tourist hot-spots of Tuscany and that's not down solely to the town's singular charm. Much of its popularity can be laid at the feet of Frances Mayes whose 1996 book Under the Tuscan Sun sees Cortona feature frequently and of course the subsequent film starring Diane Lane in 2003 only served to heighten that allure.
Cortona's side streets
Aside from the beautiful piazzas, the bars, restaurants and museums, Cortona's narrow streets provide not only a break from the sun but no end of historic charm and intrigue. These side streets slope down to the edge of the centro storico where the defensive walls are interrupted occasionally by town gates such as the Porta Sant'Agostino at its southernmost point.
This outer area of the centro storico is the more functional part of town with various car parks and taxi ranks but if you take a walk away from Piazza della Repubblica, east along Via Nazionale you eventually reach Piazza Garibaldi with its belvedere, the panoramic viewpoint which looks down on to the Valdichiana and Lake Trasimeno. A more significant walk away from the town centre, between 15 and 20 minutes will eventually bring you to the Fortezza del Grifalco, a fortress also known as the Fortezza Medicea in reference to the period when Cortona was owned by the Medici.
This outer area of the centro storico is the more functional part of town with various car parks and taxi ranks but if you take a walk away from Piazza della Repubblica, east along Via Nazionale you eventually reach Piazza Garibaldi with its belvedere, the panoramic viewpoint which looks down on to the Valdichiana and Lake Trasimeno. A more significant walk away from the town centre, between 15 and 20 minutes will eventually bring you to the Fortezza del Grifalco, a fortress also known as the Fortezza Medicea in reference to the period when Cortona was owned by the Medici.
Cortona by train
Although Cortona doesn't have its own train station within the main sightseeing area, it does have the Camucia - Cortona train station just over two kilometres away at the bottom of the hill. It's un uncomfortable walk of around 40 minutes but there are taxis and buses (L56 or SU4) with a journey time of ten minutes.
The trains run north-west to Florence with a journey time of an hour and ten minutes, stopping along the way in Castiglion Fiorentino (7 minutes) and Arezzo (18 mins). The trains also run in the opposite direction, south east to reach Perugia in 50 minutes, stopping along the way at Passignano sul Trasimeno (15 minutes), the nicest town on the lake.
The trains run north-west to Florence with a journey time of an hour and ten minutes, stopping along the way in Castiglion Fiorentino (7 minutes) and Arezzo (18 mins). The trains also run in the opposite direction, south east to reach Perugia in 50 minutes, stopping along the way at Passignano sul Trasimeno (15 minutes), the nicest town on the lake.
Comune di Cortona
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Province: Arezzo
Region: Tuscany Valley region: Valdichiana Population: 21,324 (source: ISTAT 1 January 2023) Total size: 343 km² Elevation: 494 metres Highlights: Piazza della Repubblica, Palazzo Comunale, Cathedral Close by: Castiglion Fiorentino, Lucignano, Arezzo, Montepulciano Recommended stay: Hotel Villa Marsili, BW Signature Collection |
