29 August 2016
Of all the places we visited in Italy I think Cortona would probably rate as my wife’s favourite place and we have probably, as a result of this, visited it more times than anywhere else.
There is a beautiful drive up through the hills to get to Cortona from Valliano. It probably takes about an hour and a quarter to get there. It is definitely idea to do the drive in good weather, because some of the views are excellent.
Parking is not great but we found a large car park off the road going around the city walls, which was half empty. I think the car park is the Parking of the Holy Spirit – I suspect this loses something in translation. The first time we parked there we then walked back down the road to the main entrance into Cortona which is probably a good 15 minute walk to the heart of the old town and it is pretty steep. Keep reading below as there is a much easier way of getting from this car park into Cortona.
The car park is past the Santo Spirito and then up Via Guelfo just off the SP34. We subsequently found that there is a partial escalator. Instead of turning down the hill when you come out of the car park, you walk up about three minutes and on the left-hand side, when you cross over the road, there is a combination of a staircase and an escalator that brings you out at the top of the hill.
If you do the walk up from the bottom there is a lovely square in the centre of the town. Lots of coffee shops and clothes shops/bag shops (apparently). You walk across the square towards the left-hand side (if you walked up from the bottom of the hill) to get to the Duomo which has some beautiful frescos and is right on the edge of the old town, so some spectacular views looking over the countryside.
The opposite side of the square with the cathedral in it is the Museo Diocesano which is simply wonderful. Assorted Fra Angelicoes [Angelici?]. These are laid out really well and there is a stunning red slippered angel telling Mary of her role to come. We have visited here many times and it is never crowded so I cannot simply recommend it enough. And the museum is very small so even those with the attention span of a forgetful goldfish can cope with it.
Downstairs in the Museo there is some relatively nondescript artwork (modern) then there is a lovely little fresco chapel – totally unexpected and very atmospheric – a real find.
Our first visit we only had little time so we did not get the MAEC museum but we did stop by the 54th Monstra Mercito Nazionale D’Antiquiro which had lots and lots of beautiful antiques to tempt me to do something silly. We got speaking to one (very bored) woman in a room at the end who was completely excited to have someone to talk to that her Italian was literally coming out at full speed. I just about held on but it did make realise how slowly most people speak when they are speaking to me.
25 November 2016
Well reader, I went back to MAEC.
We discovered that there are two routes to Cortona. The sat nav wanted us to head north and then effectively turn west across country to Cortona. However it brought us back through Corneto which is the next village between Promano and Citta di Castello
The other sat nav had taken us effectively towards to Umbertide on the back route (not the E45) and then over the Tiber and almost into Umbertide before we turned right at a small village (Niccone) where you join the SP146
It generally either way took about an hour and a bit so I guess it is just down to traffic and your sense of taste.
We tend to do the Niccone route by default to Cortona.
When we went back in November to Cortona most of the shops (but not all of them) were open in the morning but there are some differences from the summer season. Closing at 1pm and opening again at 4pm (and maybe a little fuzzy on the reopening bit) and some closed early and some seemed to open early. Cash discounts become the norm. I wanted to know if this is because it is safer to take the risk or is the assumption that most people in Italy in November are not typical tourists. Maybe it was just difficult times in Italy. The discount, for what it is worth, seems to be worth roughly 13% for cash.
The MAEC museum is two different collections yoked together – it is quite easy to miss the second collection. Downstairs is a fairly standard collection of Tuscan materials. Some copies of stuff which are found elsewhere Some but not all of the exhibits are in English.
The amazing thing in this part was the collection of tondos. These are drum burial sites, large ancient mausoleums which were used over centuries but not constantly. . But at least one of the tondos was for a single grave.
Upstairs there is a wholly different collection of material from Cortona itself. If you think of the Victoria and Albert museum in London which typical mish-mash of layout and mixed paintings (paintings not great – also just the like V&A) some Egyptian mummies (not great but in Cortona?), and a coin collection with looks as if they were all lined up neatly in rows and then someone lifted the board just enough so that each coin has slipped towards its neighbour. Some of the museum is good. Some is more ho hum but I enjoyed and would happily go back again. It took about an hour wandering around.
I also visited the church of San Francesco – it is off the main road which goes through the old town of Cortona on the right-hand side. It is about 7 minutes walk from the central square. The church itself is quite plain on the outside and some fragments of frescos on the walls inside and some ok paintings. I am fairly sure theer is meant to be a Signorelli is in there somewhere. I could not spot it – I know he is buried at the church.
If you walk along the Via Nazionale from the Pizza Della Republica you come to a lovely square which opens out to one of the best views I have ever seen, over towards Lake Trasimeno but with a full panorama of all the buildings, churches, straight roman roads etc. In fact, if you have someone that will not make the walk up any stairs in Cortona I would keep this square in mind. If instead of going into the car park, you keep going past the car park entrance, ie you follow the road around with the car park on your right the road goes up towards the town and you come out in this square. You do not need to go into the centre town because there is then a route effectively turning left around the fountain in the centre of the square you end up going straight back down and out almost by the car park again. We have used that a few times to drop people off if they were not up to walking. This is also the square which you come up to when using the escalators from the car park
On this visit I also visited San Dominico which is off the square with amazing views. The church itself had nothing spectacular. There is on 14th century fresco which was obviously bricked up and so survived on its own until now. Lovely very different colouring from the norm. Did the workmen bricking up the fresco worry about hiding the Virgin from sight or was it just a job?
15 April 2017
See I told you we came here a lot.
Dropped the others in our party at the top of the town in square with the amazing views. It took two minutes to drive back down the hill to the car park once you have done the drop off. Turn right at the bottom of the hill to get back towards the car park on your left. The escalator itself takes about three or four minutes with the stairs if you are reasonably fit and energetic about it.
Coffee at the square with the view was good. With a fruit muffin which was met with approval.
Had lunch on the terrace overlooking the main square. Restaurante La Loggetta on Via Del Pescheria. A real find, although we notice it gets very busy. The pasta was excellent.
Had another trip around the cathedral. It is nothing special. It looks like it was made out of concrete, very gloomy and the paintings do not really offset the tone and the feel of the grey. The Signorellis, which I found this time, are excellent.
By the way, I quite genuinely reckon that there are more defibrillator machines on street corners in Cortona than there are cash points/bancomats. Presumably says something about the average experience of visitors in Cortona.
20 August 2017
This was a bit of an expensive trip to Cortona. Encountered a wonderful art shop (just off Via Nazionale). My wife had found it on a previous girls only trip to Italy. We bought a stunning photograph of Italian countryside and some painted tiles which we are going to have to go back in November to collect. The shop is down a passageway on the right hand side as you walk away from the centre of the town. It’s only a couple of minutes along the road. Well worth a detour but lock up your money before going The shop is called Pozzo – Galleria Del Arte, Via Nazionale, 10, Cortona And owner/manager is very helpful.
I tried to visit some of the sites that I have not been to before in Cortona. The Chiesa San Nicollo was allegedly open but the church itself was all locked up. I also visited the church of San Francesco but realised I had been there previously. It is ok but nothing special. Paintings on the wall are a bit too much of a show off.
Also we walked to the top end of Cortona Old Town which has got excellent views (Ponte Montanina) and then found the church of San Cristoforo which is a lovely deserted little church. It has the remnants of a fresco facing you as you go in and galleries at the back end of the church. Look at the well preserved fresco behind the alter. Shame it does not get a mention in the main guidebook so it is a pretty good example of the richness of Cortona.
We had lunch at the restaurant overlooking the square again. Service was slow but the food was very good.
10 November 2017
We got talking to someone on the plane out to Italy on this trip and he recommended the restaurant Croce del Travaglio which is right next to the theatre (and has green shutters). Walk past the theatre on the left-hand side heading up hill and it is a minute or so walk beyond that. He said it was the best pizza he had ever eaten and he was absolutely right. It is that good.
Summer 2021
We have always found Cortona to be pretty busy and usually hot too, so we were very pleased to find Ristorante Tempero Via Benedetti 10/12 which is just off the main squares, has its own little courtyard area, in the shade. If you want a little more peace and quiet than lunch on the main squares, do check this restaurant out.
If you are interested in picking up some high end Tuscan/Umbrian wine and would like some good advice on what to get, do Margheriti on Via Nazionale 61 Very pleasant, excellent English and yes, you could spend the GNP of a Carribean island in there, if you wanted to – but we got some excellent rose wine there and they were happy to make recommendations. We have been there two or three times, and we have enjoyed all of their choices for us.