Travel Guide Cortona

Today the main town of Valdichiana, in the southern part of the province of Arezzo, Cortona was one of the twelve historic Etruscan cities known as Dodecapole. Bounded by the Tuscan hills dotted with olive trees, majestically perched at 500 meters on a slope of Mount Sant'Egidio, Cortona bears witness to its prestigious Etruscan and Roman past through its solid walls, polished by the centuries, in which ancient gates open onto the roads leading up from the plain. The irregularity of its shapes, the arabesques of its alleyways and its taste for painting all contribute to its long-standing charm. Perhaps more than anywhere else in Tuscany, Cortona has stood the test of time, just like the great painters who were born here: Luca Signorelli, Pietro da Cortona and Gino Severini.Be careful, it's uphill! You'll need good shoes to navigate Cortona's medieval streets, which are cobbled and steep, some of them really steep. The higher you climb, the further you'll get away from the flow of tourists (the town's great popularity following the American film Under the Tuscan Sun), and the more you'll enjoy superb panoramic views over the fertile Valdichiana and Lake Trasimeno in Umbria. Cortona, defined by Virgil in his epic The Aeneid as "Mother of Troy and grandmother of Rome", promises a captivating visit.