Cortona, a small tuscan city, perched up on a hillside verdant with olive-trees, vineyards and cipresses, looks out over the Valdichiana offering a stunning view of this fruitful plain, hemmed in on the horizon by rolling gentle hills and the expanse of the Trasimeno Lake.
The history of Cortona is lost in the mists of time. Before it was medieval, Cortona was roman and before that it was one of the most important etruscan Lucumonies.
As stated by some ancient authors the territory of Etruria was divided amogst twelve cities and Cortona enjoyed, within the federation, a prominent position. More recent studies produced new important evidence of this glorious past which added to that shown by the mighty wall perimeter, over two Km long, large parts of which are still to be seen. There was unfortunately very scant archaelogical evidence to enable researchers to outline exactly Cortona's ancient city planning. In Camucia and in the neighbouring village of Sodo the visitor will get a chance to behold some remarkable etruscan tumulus tombs dating back to the 7th /6th century B.C. and locally known as "Meloni" (Melons ) for their roundish shape. In the past few years Cortona's most pleasant and greatest surprise came from the excavation at the site of the Melone II tomb of Sodo, where an imposing structure measuring about 500 ft. in circumference was brought to light. The structure consists of a monumental cylindrical drum, two burial chambers and an impressive altar-terrace accessible by means of a majestic flight of steps. On either side of the steps are lodged panels sculpted from massive blocks of stone and depicting scenes of battle between men and imaginary creatures.

The Tomb II of the Melone has yelded a large number of precious furnishings and jewels to be seen today in a special section of the Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca on the top floor of Palazzo Casali. The findings, and particularly so the gold ones, stand out for their extraordinary manufacturing technique. Buckles, pendants, rings and necklaces, today on display inside the Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca, add to and ennoble, if possible, the unique wealth of touristic and cultural features of this town. The tourist visiting Cortona will have a chance, besides the first and instant approach to the attractiveness of the local architecture and landscape, to magically go back in time to the very dawning of civilization, in the era of the mysterious etruscan people, and move along the history of the western world thanks to the pictorial Renaissance masterpieces of the Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca and the Museo Diocesano, where many prestigious works of cortonian Luca Signorelli and the impressive Annunciation by Beato Angelico are kept. The visitor will be able to walk along the paths that St.Francis treaded on centuries ago in a spiritual quest for mystical spots such as the franciscan convent of Le Celle and the notable mosaics by Gino Severini, which lead the pilgrim from the town center all the way up to the sanctuary of St. Margherita.

For further information on Cortona please visit www.cortonaweb.net

To reach Cortona by car, get off the A1 highway (Firenze-Roma) either at the Monte S.Savino or the Valdichiana exit and follow the signs for Cortona standing right outside the toll-booths.