From Agriturismo Pratovalle you can spot Cortona, perched on a hilltop at 600 m AMSL and about 12 km away from our apartments. This is one of the oldest Etruscan towns boasting an almost untouched historic center, consisting of a network of narrow streets and squares full of bars, restaurants, handicraft shops and boutiques.
Apart from getting lost amid the streets, there is a wide range of museums and places to visit in Cortona. First of all the MAEC Museum or Museum of the Etruscan Academy with its valuable collections and the Diocesan Museum, a small treasure chest that preserves works of art of great local artists like Luca Signorelli and one of the most beautiful Annunciations by Fra Angelico.
The Basilica of Saint Margaret is not to be missed as well as the Fortress of Girifalco, built in the 16th century by the will of Cosimo I de’ Medici, Grand-Duke of Tuscany, and today used as exhibition venue.
These two important monuments invite tourists to discover Cortona from above, offering an itinerary of arts and religious faith very close to the old town, which ends with a visit to the Franciscan Hermitage of Le Celle, surrounded by silence and a beautiful landscape.
There are many interesting events in Cortona throughout the year, but mostly in the summertime.
In particular, the most popular events and food festivals are the Giostra dell’Archidado, a medieval tournament held on the second Sunday of June, the T-Bone Steak Festival and the Porcini Mushrooms Festival, held in mid August, and Cortonantiquaria, in the first week of September.
