Quick tour
Piazza della Repubblica is the main square with a number of cafés and a great place for people watching. Leading off in one direction is ‘Via Nazionale’, the the main street in the old town, although locals call it ‘Ruga Piana’ (‘the flat walk’), as it is about the only street that is isn’t sloping! The Via Nazionale is lined with art galleries, craft shops, boutiques, cafés and gelaterie (ice cream shops) and on a summer’s night, is a lively buzzing place. At the far end is Piazza Garabaldi, where you can enjoy the view across the valley to Lake Trasimeno.
For even more far reaching views, climb to the very top of the town and the Fortezza Medicea, built for the Medicis, and the Santa Margherita basilica, from where there are absolutely stunning views.
The ‘Museo dell Accademia Etrusca’ in Cortona is a superb museum tracing the Etruscan past of this area via incredible antiquities. And a little drive into the countryside, at Fratticciola, is a museum all about rural life, with traditional farm tools and machinery on display, and the possibility to buy wine, oil and local produce.
Festivals
Look out for a ‘sagra’ happening nearby during your stay – it is a festival dedicated to food! For example, on the 14th and 15th August, Cortona celebrates its ‘Steak Festival’. Lots of it gets cooked up around the main gardens in the town. The following weekend is the ‘Porcini Mushroom Festival, again in the public gardens of Cortona.
Wine lovers may be able to join in one of the numerous events celebrating the fruit of the vine – particularly in the Chianti region. For example the ‘Radda nel Bicchiere’ festival in Radda in Chianti held over the last weekend in May, or the ‘Festa del Vino’ in Greve in Chianti over the second weekend in September.
Lake Trasimeno
From Cortona it only takes about 20 minutes to reach the ‘Lago di Trasimeno’, Italy’s fourth largest lake, just over the border in Umbria. Public ferries and private boat companies operate on the lake, from the villages of Tuoro, Passignano and Castiglione, and water sports are available including kayaking, sailing and motor boat hire. Bicycles can also be hired in order to ride the cycle path around the lake.
The villages and towns surrounding the lake all have their own character and a happy day can be spent touring them, stopping off for a lakeside lunch, coffee, gelato etc. For those wanting a ‘seaside’ experience, there are eight public beaches, all with facilities.
Chianti
Cortona is conveniently situated to visit the famous wine region of Chianti. Montepulciano is an obvious port of call to visit wineries and taste the world renowned ‘Nobile’ wines, but there are numerous other places to stop whilst touring this area.
The Wine Museum at Greve in Chianti offers tastings of over 200 different wines, each with a detailed description from its production to the tasting notes. There are also old farm machines on display, as well as 180 different corkscrews!
But Chianti offers more than just wine! An idyllic landscape of gentle hills and valleys covered in vines, olive groves and woodland, it is perfect for leisurely scenic drives taking in historic towns, castles and abbeys, and villas with manicured gardens.
