Arezzo - La capitale mondiale dell'Arte Orafa e la capitale d'Italia dell'Antiquariato
Heading south-east we reach the town of one of the greatest renaissance painters: XVth century Piero della Francesca.
This town is called Arezzo.One of the first etruscan towns It is a world known place for its gold and mens’clothing factories. But also for its typical antique market that takes place in its main streets every first week-end of the month.
No better setting for a movie like Roberto Benigni’s "Life is beautiful" which was shot in a great extent in town. We will start our visit by the 12hundred gothic cathedral where we’ll admire the masterpiece painting by Piero della Francesca "Mary Magdalen" Situated at the top of Arezzo, this church is at an ideal place to start a stroll through its elegant streets.We will walk by the house of Giorgio Vasari, the XVIeen hundred architect that built the Uffizi palace in Florence, also from this town. Not too far is the church of Saint Frances where the great cycle of frescos by Piero Della Francesca called "The Legend of the Holy Cross"can be admired.
Reaching the bottom of Corso Italia, the main street we will be ready to head towards our next stop ,the charming town of Cortona. Before we climb the hill to reach this town, we will stop for lunch by a casual restaurant overlooking the lake Trasimeno where you can taste the local lake’s fish platters and enjoy a world premiere ice cream bowl.
This lake is also known as "Hannibal’s Lake" as the area was the site of a very fierce battle between the roman army and the african king heading his troops, which also included the famous elephants nobody had ever seen before in this part of the world. (200 b.c approx). Time to climb the hill towards the town of Cortona.Universally known for being the set of the 1990’s hit-movie "Under the Tuscan Sun".
The story of a young american lady deciding to experience living in Italy. Not without many obstacles from the ways of life to the ways of the heart. We will enjoy the overlook where we will also pay a tribute to "Bramasole" house from the movie As we will enter the main hotel to have a look at its painting. This is also the town where the magnificent painting by Beato Angelico can be seen. Time will also be spent wandering through the streets of Cortona before returning to Florence.
Cortona
Perched at 500 metres above sea level, Cortona dominates the entire Valdichiana, with a view that stretches as far as Monte Amiata. The town is entirely surrounded by fortifications, that constitute an interesting archaeological element as well as one of its most beautiful aspects. Most of the buildings and streets within the city date from Medieval times – the Basilica of Santa Margherita and the Celle Franciscan sanctuary placed above the city make it natural for any tourist to conduct their visit ‘downwards’ into Cortona. The only horizontally-running street in Cortona is Ruga Piana, now called Via Nazionale, and leads directly to Piazza della Repubblica dominated by the Medieval Palazzo Comunale, formerly Palazzo Casali, once the home of this aristocratic family and that now houses the Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca.
The museum houses an interesting collection of Etruscan and Roman artefacts. On the opposite side of town, opposite the Romanesque cathedral, stands the Museo Diocesano, which contains some important works by Luca Signorelli and one of the finest Annunciations to have been painted by Beato Angelico. Beneath Cortona, further down the hill on which the city stands, there are the Etruscan Meloni I and II del Sodo tombs as well as a hypogeum dating from the 6th century BC.
Towards Foiano della Chiana stands the abbey of Santa Maria a Farneta, one of the oldest examples of Romanesque architecture. Of the annual events organised in Cortona, one of the most interesting is CortonAntiquaria antiques fair that is housed in the 18th century halls of Palazzo Vagnotti and Palazzo Casali from the last Saturday in August to the second Sunday in September. In 1990 played the movie "Under The Tuscan Sun" with the great Diane Lane.
Famous Lines About Cortona
"... mother of Troy and grandmother of Rome" (Virgil - Aeneid III and IV) Dante Alighieri was known to appreciate the so-called “copertino cortonese”, a blanked made of finely woven wool (I sonnet - Tenzone between Dante and Forese Donati) "... no field or clod of earth is kept better than here, and everything is clean ..."(Wolfang Goethe on the surrounding countryside) "... the mingling roofs of the houses and the town’s arrogant towers seem closer to Heaven than to the nearby railway station..." (Henry James, 1873) "... I have found a wonderful Tuscan wine from Cortona..." (Giosuè Carducci, 1886) Gabriele D'Annunzio celebrated Cortona among Italy’s silent cities. "... From Cortona there is a magnificent view; one’s gaze loses itself in the distance..." (François Mitterand, 1987) "... a marvellous city where everything speaks of God – the nature, the mountains, the woods..." (John Paul II, 1993) "... No map planner would describe it thus, but it is fascinating" (Frances Mayes - "Under the Tuscan Sun", 1997)
Altitude: 494 above sea level
Location: Arezzo km 27, Lake Trasimene km 10, Perugia km 50, Siena km 70, Florence km 116
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