| Overview | Things to do | Suitability | Country Info (Italy) |
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Cortona situated in Tuscany, perches above the lofty hills of olive groves and vineyards overlooking Lake Trasimeno and the plain of Valdichiana. Cortona is one of the oldest cities in Tuscany and its Etruscan roots have been indelibly imprinted onto its foundations. It also stakes a claim as a 'City of Art', having spawned the great artists, Luca Signorelli and Pietra da Cortona.
Most of the Etruscan city is hidden in basements but part of the original 4th-century BC walls can be seen at the base of Porta Colonia's outer side. Climbing the city's cut-stone staircases and meandering along its cobbled streets guides one back through the past from the Renaissance to the Middle Ages and beyond. The medieval houses along via Janelli are the oldest in Italy; massive timber beams support their overhanging upper stories. Places of special interest include the Palazzo Comunale, Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca (containing a number of major Etruscan artefacts) and the church of San Francesco, the first Franciscan church outside Assisi. A huge valley is laid out in front of you, dotted with farms and small towns. Across it slashes the straight line of the railway. In the distance is a vast lake (Lago Trasimeno) and a series of volcano-shaped mountains shrouded in mist. It's heart-stoppingly beautiful. |
