Cortona

Piazza della Repubblica

Begin your Cortona visit in its splendid historic centre, with its medieval character and excellent state of preservation. Its beating heart is the central Piazza della Repubblica, overlooked by elegant historic palaces, foremost among them the palazzo comunale (town hall), dating from the XII century, with its fine bell tower, and the palazzo del Capitano del Popolo (Palace of the People’s Captain), or palazzo Passerini, named after the family who long inhabited it.

Once the intersection of the two main streets of the Roman town, the cardo and decumano, Piazza della Repubblica is today undoubtedly the first thing to see in Cortona; several of the centre’s most important streets also branch from here, including via Guelfa, via Ghibellina and via Nazionale.

MAEC – Museum of the Etruscan Academy and the City of Cortona

In Piazza Signorelli, adjacent to Piazza della Repubblica, you’ll find the fascinating MAEC museum, dedicated to Etruscan art. The unique feature of the exhibition is its location in the underground chambers of a thirteenth-century palazzo. The collections are of considerable historical and artistic value, and alongside an extensive section devoted to the Etruscans, who lived here for nearly 1,000 years, there are also artefacts from the Roman period, plus a section dedicated to ancient Egypt where you can find two mummies.

The jewel of the MAEC is undoubtedly the Tabula Cortonensis, a bronze tablet dating from the II century BC recording the sale of agricultural land. Also of great interest are the artefacts recovered from ancient Etruscan tombs in Cortona, including statues and burial furnishings, with bronze objects, vases and oil lamps.

Entry to the MAEC requires a ticket – full price, concession or combined ticket, which also includes access to the archaeological area. The museum is open daily from 10 to 19.

San Francesco Convent

Taking via Santucci and via Berrettini from Piazza della Repubblica, you’ll reach this haven of peace that is the San Francesco Convent, another essential sight in Cortona; be sure to enjoy the interior, where you can admire splendid paintings and ancient frescoes.

The church, built in Italian Gothic style with a single nave, is rich in works of art and relics, including the remains of Brother Elias, exhumed for scholarly purposes in 1966. Also striking is the Annunciation painting by Pietro da Cortona, created in the mid-17th century for the local nobleman Antonio Alfieri.

The church is maintained by Franciscan friars; the convent houses some relics of St Francis of Assisi, including a habit, a pillow and a gospel book.

Cortona Cathedral

The Cortona Cathedral, officially the Concattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, is the city’s most important church. Built in Romanesque style from the XI century onwards, it was completed about 400 years later, when it was declared a Cathedral by Pope Julius II.

The exterior is striking for its austere yet intriguing façade in medieval Romanesque style, whilst on the right side there’s a 16th-century extension, a loggia completed by a pietra serena (local stone) portal. The bell tower was built later, designed by Francesco Laparelli.

Once inside, the Cortona Cathedral presents itself as a Renaissance church, with a fine barrel vault covering the central nave; the division between naves is created by splendid columns with capitals, inspired by Brunelleschi. Among works worth visiting, the funerary statue of Giovanni Battista Tommasi, last Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, a native of Cortona, stands out, along with the Transfiguration by Raffaello Vanni and a Madonna and Child dating from the 16th century, though of unknown artist.

Basilica of Santa Margherita

Among Cortona’s many churches, besides the cathedral, we mention the Basilica of Santa Margherita, dedicated to the city’s patroness. It’s a most evocative church, with a façade featuring three portals and a large rose window at its centre; altogether it creates a very harmonious ensemble, undoubtedly making it one of the city’s most beautiful monuments.

The basilica’s interior is also interesting and certainly worthy of a visit, if only to see the marble funerary monument to Santa Margherita, who rests in the centre of the basilica above the high altar. The ceilings are particularly striking, painted a vivid blue, whilst the plaster statues of St Francis, St Louis, St Elizabeth and St Clare, positioned on corresponding pillars, lend the church an impressive air.

Church of San Benedetto

The Church of San Benedetto is one of the places you mustn’t miss when visiting Cortona, due to its truly unique form with an elliptical floor plan. Set in a highly scenic setting, it has a round façade without render, with exposed brick, three large frameless windows and a fourth positioned above the entrance door.

Inside, the wealth of decoration is astonishing: stuccos and marbles make the interior of the Church of San Benedetto truly evocative. Of interest is the statue of Christ Flagellated, positioned at the central altar, dating from the 17th century.

Sodo Archaeological Area

Below the town of Cortona lies the Sodo Archaeological Area, within the Cortona Archaeological Park. Here you can observe three Etruscan tumuli (burial mounds), informally known as “melons” because of their shape; they are called Tumulus I, Tumulus II and the Tumulus of Camucia.

Of these, Tumulus II is the largest and most interesting: state-owned, it has a diameter of 64 metres and a series of tombs and minor burials. Tumulus I is managed by the park operators and is the oldest, dating to around the VII century BC; the Tumulus of Camucia is located a few kilometres further south, is the smallest and is only visitable by appointment.

It’s possible to enter inside the tombs, but the artefacts they originally contained have been moved to the MAEC museum in central Cortona.