Cortona & Surrounding

The city Virgil wanted founded by mythical Dardanus, was probably a fortified Umbrian city, passed to the Etruscans between the 8th. and 7th. centuries BC.. Of these it became an important Lucumony. During the social war it was granted Roman citizenship, after which ascertainable information is lacking. Cortona flourished during the Comuni period and under the domain of the Ranieri-Casali. Sold to the Florentines by the king of Naples in 141 1, it followed the destinies of the Grand-duchy of Tuscany.
Built on a spur of the Monte Sant'Egidio, Cortona is surrounded by powerful walls, smoothed down by centuries and winds, along which the ancient gates open in correspondence to the roads coming up from the valley. The visitor looking around from the top walls can admire one of the widest and harmonious views in Italy: the rich and immense Val di Chiana, limited on the horizon by the Siena mountains, fore most the Amiata and the Cetona; and closer up the wide expanse of the Trasimeno lake. Cortona's Etruscan power is witnessed by the still standing imposing segments of the city wails. Several Etruscan tombs were found in the valley. We will mention the Tanella di Pitagora, the Melone in Camucia and the Meloni at Sodo. Very rich archaeological findings are exhibited in the Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca in Palazzo Casali, foremost the renowned Etruscan lamp of the 5th century BC. On the top of the hill dominates the Medici Fortress. Immediately below the fortress is the reconstructed Sanctuary of Santa Margherita from which descend the city steep streets, paved with large stone slabs. Of high praise is the civilian architecture with Medieval and Renaissance buildings. Splendid the many churches, from the Romanesque Gothie of Sant'Agostino and San Francesco, to the Renaissance jewels of Santa Maria delle Grazie al Calcinaio and Santa Maria Nuova, to the quiet church of San Niccolò. Cortona gave birth to the painters Luca Signorelli and Pietro Berrettini, known as Pietro da Cortona. Gino Severini was also born here. Exceptional is the pictorial patrimony of this art city preserved in the Museo Diocesano an the famous «Annunciazione» by Beato Angelico. Many other paintings are in the Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca in Palazzo Casali and in the several churches. Well know to scholars all over the world is also the Biblioteca Comunale e dell'Accademia Etrusca, rich in parchments, manuscripts, incunabula and printed volumes.