SETTING
Cortona is a town in Tuscany built on a hillside at an elevation of 2,000 feet. Some of its original walls remain and the architecture is primarily medieval. It was an Etruscan kingdom, then a Roman colony, then independent, and in the 15th century part of the Medici holdings. When Italy was united into one country, Cortona became part of Tuscany. At the highest points, there are good views toward large Lake Trasimeno.
We stayed at hotel down the hill from the town, a short walk up a fairly steep street to Garibaldi Piazza. From then on, this main thoroughfare is pretty flat and it’s a short walk past shops and eateries (wine bars, pizzerias, trattorias, and restaurants) to the Piazza della Repubblica, site of the town hall with its simple bell tower and clock.
CHURCHES AND ART
Today, our guide was Giovanni, a proud native of Cortona whose family goes back to the 1300s. He was both funny and knowledgeable about the town’s history and its famous art and artists. In his spare time, he’s also a cabinetmaker.
On our walk before the town center, he spoke about the medieval buildings we passed. He pointed out the large doors for what were shops next to a narrow door, perhaps no longer a door, for entry into the house. The buildings have a flat surface and are often painted in the ochres, greens, and mustard shades one associates with Tuscany.
Our first stop was the Catterdrale di Santa Maria Assunta or the Cortona Cathedral, where we admired the Romanesque sanctuary and looked at an altar carved out of the softer Italian walnut.
Next stop was the Diocesan Museum, a small museum of paintings by artists associated with Cortona. Of especial note are two works by Fra Angelico which I thought were stunning in their use of colors. One is the Annunciation and the other a Madonna grouping. There are some marvelous details in these paintings which my photos don’t show.
Another noteworthy artist is Luca Signorelli, a native of Corona, renowned for his rendering of human anatomy. One painting of his here is The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary painted between 1519-1521. Giovanni asked us to note the delicacy of the hands and the folds in the golden robe. In the lower half, Mary is surrounded by the apostles. Here is the painting and then a close-up of part of it.
Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)
