tuscany holiday apartments with swimming pool - Town House Suite in Cortona, Italy

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?

TOWN HOUSE SUITES IN TUSCANY: STAY IN ONE!

Imagine living in a 14th-century home that looks stuck in time, yet offers every comfort that the modern age has invented. The Palazzo Torriani is a town house suite in Tuscany that is actually a historic home dating back to the end of the 14th century. It has always been owned and lived in by the ancestors of the present-day proprietors. The current owners have recently completed a thorough and careful restoration of the building, returning the mansion to all its former glory.

As a result of the restoration, the town house suite has three apartments furnished with antique furniture but endowed with every modern convenience, meant for guests who are keen on spending their holidays in an old world atmosphere, in the tranquillity of a small, charming village in the Tuscan-Romagnolo Apennines. And for the lovers of motor sports, the Imola racetrack, home of the San Marino Formula 1 Grand Prix, is close at hand. Can you think of a greater contrast?

This is just one example of the Tuscany town houses that await guests who find these beautiful accommodations through our site. Our comprehensive and all-encompassing list of Tuscany town house suites would, we are confident, put all other choices in the shade, so why don’t you check them out? We put you in touch with the owners of all our properties, of which the Palazzo Torriani is only an example.

Our properties boast such amenities as air-conditioning, swimming pools, barbecues, and truly spectacular natural surroundings. The "Azienda Agrituristica" Lucignanello Bandini is an example. Situated on the southernmost tip of Tuscany, in the tiny village of Lucignano d’Asso, it is a half-hour drive from Siena. The hamlet consists of two stony roads, two churches, a castle, a quaint little store and a number of smaller houses that look out across rolling fields and patches of woodland towards the reassuring outline of Mount Amiata, a visual point of reference for many miles around. The muted pinks, beiges and pale ochers of Lucignano’s ancient walls perfectly harmonize with the palette of the Crete Senesi, the Sienese Claylands whose rich, pliant soil forms the body of those warm-hued terracotta pots and urns that are a feature of the area.

As you can see, therefore, wherever you go in Tuscany, you will come across one of our town house suites. So without delay, see them for yourself here.

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