Cortona city tour (walking).
This tour is usually organised in conjunction with other Tuscan cities.
The city is located 80 km from Florence. “A city with a magnificent view” is the short description of Cortona, whose old quarters are flanked by the steep slopes of a 600-metre hill. The city traces its history back to the settlement of the Etruscans, whose most valuable traces can now be seen in the Diocesan Museum. Then the Romans and Goths came here in succession, until in the XV century Cortona was taken over by the Medici family. They summoned the renowned masters Fra Angelico and Luca Signorelli to decorate the town, thus “immortalising” Cortona in the annals of history.
Today, visitors come here to see the famous “Annunciation” and other Renaissance masterpieces, to admire panoramic views of the picturesque Chiana Valley and Lake Trasimeno, and to wander the medieval streets.
On the tour you will see:
St Margaret’s tomb – A woman called Franciscan Mary Magdalene, she was later called St Margaret of Cortona.
The Church of San Niccolo – located on the street of the same name in Cortona. Its history is closely linked to St Bernardino da Siena. It houses works by Luca Signorelli. (The church is opened especially for visitors by appointment) (entrance fee)
Piazza del Duomo – The central square of Cortona
Cathedral – It was the seat of the Bishops of Cortona from 1507 to 1986, and is now the cathedral of the current diocese of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro, built on the remains of a pagan temple
Piazza della Repubblica is another main square and the heart of the city
Casali Palace, built by the Casali family in the 13th century – used by Florentine rulers at the end of the Signoria. The courtyard of the palace is decorated with the coats of arms of the people’s captains.
The Church of St Francis is the first Franciscan basilica built in this province and is decorated with the work of Pietro da Cortona, one of the most brilliant masters of the Baroque period.
The main street with the city’s Renaissance palaces.
The observation deck – with a dizzying panorama of the whole city
