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Visit Cortona

Cortona is situated to the south-east of Tuscany, Italy and also to the south-east of the town of Arezzo. The city has it's foundations in Etruscan times, hence pre-dating the Ancient Romans (see also history of Cortona).

A visit to to Cortona can start by taking the Porta San Domenico which then leads along the Ruga Piana to reach the Piazza della Repubblica - it is here on this square that the Palazzo Comunale (1241) and the 12th century Palazzo del Capitano del Popoloare found.

The Town Hall is found near the Piazza Signorelli, which includes the famous 13th century Praetorian Palace, the façade of which was renovated in 1608 by Filippo Berrettini. Note particularly the typical medieval characters that are visible along the Via Casali on either side of the building, which houses the Museum of the Etruscan Academy.

Etruscan Museum: among the most important works in the museum are a gold fibula (in the form of a panther crouching, and decorated with the 'Tree of Life'); a Snout ('Grifo') of bronze, with a hooked beak from which ther emerges a sharp tongue and an Etruscan bronze chandelier dating from the second half of the fourth century BC, with a gorgon's head in the middle and decorated with other animals. see also the Polyhymnia Muse (an encaustic painting in the Roman Pompeian style); the 'Tabula Cortonensis' (which contains an inscription written in Etruscan, which according to some scholars is probably a legal document. Among the paintings in the museum, note the altarpiece by Pietro Berrettini da Cortona [1596-1669]  called 'Madonna enthroned with four Saints'.

Following the Via Casali we reach the Piazza del Duomo. Cortona cathedral (duomo) is in the Florentine Renaissance style and attributed to Giuliano da Sangallo (1445-1516) It was built on the ruins of the ancient parish Church of  Santa Maria. To the right there is a portal by Giovanni Battista di Cristofano Infregliati (aka 'Cristofanello' from the 16th century (remodelled in the 19th century).

Opposite the cathedral stands the Church of Jesus which is home to the Diocesan Museum. This museum contains various important art works: Pietro Lorenzetti [1280 ca.-1348 ca.] ('Madonna and some Angels'); Luca Signorelli ('The Communion of the Apostles');  Bartolomeo della Gatta [1448-1502] ('The Assumption') and Giovanni da Fiesole, called “Beato Angelico” [1395 ca.-1445 ca.] ('The Madonna and Child with Angels') and also the famous 'Annunciation'

From the Piazza della Repubblica to Porta Colonia there are a whole series of medieval buildings dating from the 14th century. Next to the the Porta Colonia note the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Nuova, a work mostly by Giorgio Vasari who continued the work initiated by the local architect Battista Cristofanello, who built the apse: Vasari then inserted two other chapels. The construction was then continued by Giovanni Tristano and Mariotto di Bino in the 16th century.

Another church worthy of mention is the Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Gazie in Calcinaio, by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, who began the work in 1485 and completed it in 1513. In Renaissance-style, the church follows a central plan, with a single nave, two side chapels and a large dome. Francesco di Giorgio Martini was able to apply the principles of Renaissance architecture (the proportion and perspective) perfectly, reflecting lessons from Brunelleschi (1377-1446) and Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472). The church is a reference model for many shrines built in non-urban areas in Italy

The region around Cortona is also very impressive and strongly rooted in the rural tradition of the ancient Etruscan town.

Cortona cuisine and traditions

Outside the town walls you can still see the old houses and furnishings typical of the rural area; while stopping in a tavern you can taste some traditional Tuscan cuisine and recipes of Cortona

This local Tuscan cuisine includes the typical popular dishes of 'bean soup' and 'bread soup', while among the main courses the local boar is popular. The wine production here also dates back to Etruscan times - they planted the vineyards using the technique of the 'live support', which involved the union of the vines with other plants (there are numerous scenes of banquets with figures portrayed in the act of drinking wine, depicted in Etruscan vases and amphorae, and Pliny the Younger (61 ca.-112 AD) in particular praised a wine typical of the area of Cortona, called Estesiaca.)