Cortona

Cortona perla della Toscana
Cortona has got a wonderful view because is situated on the top of the hill and from there you can see alla the Val di Chiana Val di Chiana,  the now extincted volcanic cones of Cetona and Amiata and the water of Trasimeno Lake. This magnificent panoramic context can be seen in all its extension by Fortress, by the square of St. Margaret, from the square Garibaldi and public promenade, starting from the gardens, cut in half the hill.
But Cortona is beautiful, as well as for his views, even for the mildness of its climate, because even if you are  500 m.over the sea level, has mild winters, during which the temperatures rarely reache negative values; summers are  not too hot, the air is often so transparent and allows  the eyes to go away until you can  clearly see all the villages  on the hills that rise on the horizon.

La storia
The legend told that is Dardano who founded the city and that it was probably a city fortified by the Umbrians, then passed to the Etruscans between the VIII and the seventh century  and then became an important Lucumonia. She received citizenship during the social war of Roman society, then we do not have more news. Cortona has got a new life during the municipal period and then under the rule of Ranieri Casali. Sold by the King of Naples to Florence in 1411, then followed by the Grand Duchy of Tuscany fate.
Built on a contrafforte of Mount St. Egidio, Cortona is surrounded by powerful walls, polished by centuries and by the wind, which opens the doors at ancient roads that rise from the plains. The visitor who have a look from its walls will have one of the most extensive and harmonious views of Italy: the immense potential of Val di Chiana closed on the horizon from the mountains of Siena, among which stand out the Amiata and the Cetona and more closely mirror and the Trasimeno Lake.
There are numerous tombs discovered in the countryside. Among the most famous note that called the Tanella Pythagoras, il Melone in  Camucia and il melone in Sodo.  All the old pieces of history are in the Etruscan Museum in Palazzo Casali, including the famous Etruscan chandlier fifth. On the  top of the hill there is the Fortezza Medicea. Under it shines rebuilt the sanctuary of Santa Margherita, which degrades one of the main street that bring to the city  The many churches, from the Romanesque St. Francesco, the Renaissance jewels of Santa Maria delle Grazie to Calcinaio and Santa Maria Nuova, the silent church of St. Niccolò are really wonderful. Cortona was the home of painters such as Luca Signorelli and Pietro Berrettini, known as Peter from Cortona.
Also Gino Severini was born here.
Every house or building in Cortona has got an important history or even ancient origin. Renowned among scholars of all the world is finally the Municipal Library  of Etruscan, rich in parchment, manuscripts, incunabula, and printed volumes.