Cortona

If you have read Under the Tuscan Sun you may feel that you already know Cortona.  Certainly, her lyric descriptions of this classic Tuscan hill town have engaged millions of readers.  But until you have climbed the narrow, winding streets or sat in a small piazza sipping an afternoon aperitif, you may have missed the sense of past in the present.  Our properties in the Cortona region are ideally located for exploring Cortona, Siena , Florence and the Chianti and northern Umbria.  

Cortona is one of the treasures of Tuscany, with olive groves and vineyards tumbling down the hillsides beneath the walls and commanding spectacular views of Umbria's Lago Trasimeno and the fertile plain of the Val di Chiana.

The surrounding countryside is rich in agriculture and history. Its Etruscan roots can still be seen in the remnants of the 4^th century walls and the numerous archeological sites in the area.  Cortona's medieval heritage is clearly in the numerous churches facing small piazzas.  Besides a wealth of medieval and early Renaissance art adorning these churches, there are two fine museums with excellent collections.  And don't forget the Romans!  Lago Trasimeno is where Hannibal defeated the C. Flaminius' Roman armies in 217 b.c.