CORTONA: BRUSH WITH THE PAST
About 80 km from Florence, Cortona is a town and commune in the province of Arezzo, in Tuscany, Italy. Founded by the Etruscans, who called it Curtun in their language, Cortona was also an important town during the Roman era. But Cortona is most famous for the numerous legends that surround its origins.
The 17th-century Guide of Giacomo Lauro, which draws on the writings of many ancient writers, states that 108 years after the Great Flood, Noah arrived at the Val di Chiana and, because it was so fertile, stopped and dwelt here for 30 years. One of his sons named Crano came to the hilltop and, liking the high position, the picturesque countryside and the climate, built Cortona on it in the year 273 after the Flood. Noah, approving of Crano’s work, named him Corito, i.e. King, and heir to the kingdom.
Crano, taking this title, built a palace atop the hill, and you can still see its remains at Torremozza. Crano’s kingdom was called Turrenia, which was the original name of Tuscany, and its inhabitants were called Turreni. But as descendants of Noah, who was saved from the waters (ab imbribus), some were also called Imbri or Umbri.
Quite a legend, huh? Appropriately, most of Cortona’s architecture is medieval with steep narrow streets situated on a hillside, with a magnificent view of the Val di Chiana. From the Piazza Garibaldi you can look out to Lake Trasimene, scene of Hannibal’s ambush of the Roman army in 217 BC. And you can also see parts of the Etruscan city wall.
Inside the Palazzo Casali is the Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca that displays ancient Etruscan, Roman, and Egyptian artefacts, as well as those from the Medieval and Renaissance eras. Nearby are Etruscan chamber tombs, including the Tanella di Pitagora, believed to house Pythagoras’s tomb. Not to be missed are two panels by Fra Angelico in the Diocesan Museum, an Annunciation and a Madonna and Child with Saints. A third surviving work by Angelico is the fresco above the entrance to the church of San Domenico, painted during his stay at Cortona in 1436. Also magnificent is the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
Accommodation in Cortona Hotels range from hotels to farmhouses and luxury resorts, and includes Bed & Breakfasts, luxury villas, and country villas and cottages. As our list (www.yourwaytotuscany.com/Cortona.htm) will tell you, you can sleep in some of the most charming historical residences of the area, as well as experience the authentic rural life of Cortona in our list of exclusive accommodations. So what are you waiting for?
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