🇮🇹Italy · Places to discover
What to see in Cortona?
23 places selected by the community - landmarks, nature, hidden restaurants and activities.
Cortona clings to a Tuscan hillside with quiet assurance, far from the saturated circuits of Florence or Siena. This Etruscan town, predating Rome by centuries, has kept its ramparts, its sloping alleys and a human scale that forces you to slow down. Piazza della Repubblica remains the real centre of gravity for locals, not a stage set for tourists.
Allocate two full days, ideally in May or September when the light is sharp and visitor numbers reasonable. You arrive by train to Camucia-Cortona, then by shuttle or taxi for the three-kilometre climb. Don't visit the Museo Diocesano on a Monday-it's closed-and be wary of restaurants around Piazza Garibaldi that live entirely off passing trade.
Landmarks & heritage
6 places
1Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Landmark
Eremo Le Celle di Cortona
A Franciscan hermitage founded by Saint Francis of Assisi himself in 1211, nestled in a wooded ravine 3 km from Cortona. Monks still inhabit it in absolute silence, and the place radiates palpable spirituality.
2Wikimedia CommonsLandmark
Cortona Cathedral
A sober and elegant Romanesque cathedral built upon the ruins of an Etruscan temple. The interior houses works by Luca Signorelli and Pietro da Cortona, two of the town's most illustrious sons.
3Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Landmark
Tanella di Pitagora
A circular Etruscan tomb from the 3rd century BC, isolated in the countryside below Cortona and often overlooked by visitors. A funerary monument of exceptional preservation set in an idyllic landscape.
4Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Landmark
Melone del Sodo - Etruscan Tumulus
Two monumental 6th-century BC Etruscan tumuli with a unique relief altar found nowhere else in Tuscany. Rarely crowded, this open-air archaeological site conveys the full measure of Etruscan power in the region.
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Landmark
Landmark
Via Janelli
Cortona's most photographed street, lined with 13th-century medieval houses featuring corbelled upper storeys. Several of the wooden balconies rank amongst the oldest surviving examples in Italy.
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Landmark
Landmark
Piazza della Repubblica
The beating heart of Cortona, dominated by the medieval Palazzo del Comune with its monumental staircase. Locals gather here each evening for the passeggiata, far removed from tourist bustle.
Museums
2 places
7Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0Museum
Museum of the Etruscan Academy and the City of Cortona (MAEC)
One of Tuscany's richest Etruscan museums, installed in Palazzo Casali. The 4th-century BC Etruscan bronze chandelier is an absolutely unique piece in the world.
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Museum
Museum
Diocesan Museum of Cortona
Opposite the Cathedral, this intimate museum shelters Fra Angelico's Annunciation, an absolute masterpiece of Quattrocento painting. One room, one canvas, an extraordinarily rare emotional experience.
Religious sites
1 place
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Religious site
Religious site
Basilica of Santa Margherita
Perched atop Cortona, this neo-Gothic basilica houses the remains of the town's patroness. The climb from the historic centre rewards with breathtaking panoramas across the Val di Chiana.
Castles & fortresses
1 place
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Castle
Castle
Medici Fortress of Girifalco
A 16th-century Medicean fortress perched at Cortona's highest point (634 m). The ramparts command a 360° panorama across Lake Trasimeno, the Val di Chiana and the Apennines.
Nature
3 places
11Wikimedia CommonsNature
Via Crucis Path
A processional way climbing from the town to the Basilica of Santa Margherita, lined with 17th-century Baroque chapels. The morning walk, when mist blankets the valley, is an unforgettable experience.
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Nature
Nature
Bosco di Sant'Egidio
Oak and chestnut forest on the slopes of Monte Sant'Egidio, above Cortona. Waymarked trails traverse unspoilt countryside with sweeping views across Tuscany and Umbria.
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Nature
Nature
Montedoglio Lake
An artificial reservoir 20 km from Cortona, little known to tourists, surrounded by oak-covered hills. Perfect for a cycling excursion or a peaceful picnic away from the crowds.
Viewpoints
3 places
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Viewpoint
Viewpoint
Val di Chiana - Panorama from Parco del Prato
This public park northeast of the town commands an unobstructed view over the agricultural plains of Val di Chiana, a former marshland drained by the Medici. Locals gather here to play bowls in the evening.
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Viewpoint
Viewpoint
Panorama from Strada Provinciale 35 - Curve del Sodo
The bends of the road climbing towards Cortona from Camucia offer classic views of the hilltop medieval town and Tuscan cypresses. The preferred spot of local photographers at golden hour.
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Viewpoint
Viewpoint
Piazza Garibaldi Terrace
A natural vantage point overlooking Cortona's southern facade, facing Lake Trasimeno and the Val di Chiana plain. The sunset from this spot is among the finest in southern Tuscany.
Activities
5 places
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Activity
Activity
Cantina Stefanoni Vineyard Visit
Small family-run winery producing Cortona DOC Syrah, a varietal established here since the 1990s with remarkable success. Visits by appointment include tastings among the vines overlooking Val di Chiana.
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Activity
Activity
Hike to Monte Sant'Egidio (1056 m)
The highest point in Cortona's territory, reached in 2h30 from town. CAI trail 53 crosses vineyards, olive groves and forest before arriving at a summit with views across three Italian regions.
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Activity
Activity
Ceramiche Toscane Cortona Pottery Studio
Artisanal ceramic workshop on Via Nazionale where you can watch potters at work and buy unique pieces. Designs draw on Etruscan and medieval motifs from the region.
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Activity
Activity
Cortona Bistecca Festival
Annual festival in August around Fortezza del Girifalco, celebrating bistecca alla fiorentina from Chianina cattle. Beef raised on the plains below: an authentic popular celebration, free from touristy pretence.
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Activity
Activity
Cortona Weekly Market
Saturday morning market that sprawls through the lanes around Piazza Signorelli. Local producers of cheese, cured meats, vegetables and olive oil from the region—this is where Cortonese cooks source their ingredients.
More to discover
2 places
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Place
Place
Libri e Libri Bookshop
Independent bookshop tucked in a medieval alley, specialising in local history, Etruscan archaeology and Tuscan literature. The proprietor knows Cortona better than any guidebook.
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Place
Place
Teatro Signorelli
Neoclassical municipal theatre from the 19th century, among the finest in Arezzo province. The opera season and autumn chamber music concerts draw locals rather than tourists.
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