Tourist

Cortona is an etruscan jewel located in the central Italian region of Tuscany (Toscana), in the Province of Arezzo. The town isn't far from the border with Umbria, and its magnificent views extend over the green plains and hills of Tuscany and Umbria, extending beyond the lovely Lake Trasimeno. Its spectacular location on the southern spur of Monte Sant'Egidio gives it magnificent views over the Valdichiana and lake Trasimeno in neighbouring Umbria.

Many historic sites and artefacts are in and around this lovely city and new discoveries have been made very recently. The natural beauty of Cortona's location is matched by its cultural heritage carried on in modern times. Throughout the year there are traditional "sagre", local exhibitions and of course the countries' old saturday morning market. Exquisite shops offering local craftware and excellent cafeterias and restaurants line the via Nazionale.

Cortona is surrounded by defensive walls, the foundations of which date back to the Etruscan period. Tightly-clustered medieval houses pack the slopes, leading upwards to an open green area where the hill is crowned by a Medici fortress (the Fortezza Medicea).

The heart of medieval Cortona is the Piazza della Repubblica, dominated by the Palazzo Comunale. Many of the city's events take place here and it's a favourite meeting place for locals and visitors alike. Close by is the Piazza Signorelli housing the theatre of that name and the splendid Palazzo Casali, the latter originating in the 1.200's.

One of the finest sights in Cortona is the Annunciation by Fra Angelico (Beato Angelico), in the Museo Diocesano. Other treasures in the small museum include works by Cortona-born Luca Signorelli and by Pietro Lorenzetti. A wide range of local artefacts from various eras can be admired in the Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca. The museum is housed in the 13th-century Palazzo Casali. Churches worth visiting include the pretty fifteenth-century Chiesa di San Niccolo', a small Romanesque church containing a painting by Signorelli, and Madonna (or Santa Maria) del Calcinaio (1485), a domed Renaissance church located outside the walls.

Car Rental Il Girasole - Terontola di Cortona

Address: s.s.71 - via Licio Nencetti, 6 Terontola

Cortona (AR) (in front of Railway Station)

Tel. and Fax: +39 0575 678687

Cell.: +39 380 3942895 +39 348 3850331

web site: http://www.autonoleggioilgirasole.it/index.en.php