Cortona
and Surroundings
Framed by vineyards and olive-groves Cortona
is perched up on a steep hill resting on a buttress of Mount
Sant’Egidio and looks out over a wide and stunning panorama
of the valley. At Cortona’s foot lies the broad Valdichiana
hedged in at the horizon by the rolling hills of Siena, mountains
such as the Cetona and the Amiata and lake Trasimeno. The
origins of Cortona are lost in the mists of time. Probably
founded by Umbrians, Cortona was, together with Arezzo and
Perugia one of the main cities of central Etruria. The town
is still surrounded by cyclopean Etruscan walls and evidence
of the Etruscan past of the town was found at different sites
in the territory: the celebrated Etruscan Lamp and the famous
Tabula Cortonensis, found in the surroundings of the town,
are today housed in one of the leading, state of the art museums
of Italy: The Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca e della Città
di Cortona.
Steep alleys, old houses, monasteries
and a real wealth of churches housing precious works of art
bear testimony to the medieval and Renaissance past of the
town. During medieval and Renaissance times Cortona gave birth
and was the destination of a number of saints and artists.
Saint Francis travelled to Cortona and here founded in one
of the most charming spots of town the Eremo delle Celle.
In Cortona lived and died Saint Margaret, whose uncorrupted
body is still worshipped in the sanctuary standing at the
top of the hill; here were born Friar Elia, first successor
of Saint Francis at the head of the Franciscan Order who built
in his town the large and magnificent church dedicated to
the Saint from Assisi and painters Luca Signorelli and Pietro
Berrettini. Important works by Luca Signorelli are on display
in the local Museo Diocesano that also houses the famous Annunciazione
by Beato Angelico. Amongst Cortona’s churches is also
one of the most impressive churches of the Italian Renaissance:
Santa Maria del Calcinaio, built to plans by Francesco di
Giorgio Martini.
Cortona hosts several
events amongst which the Fiera del Rame (copperware market
– late April), the Giostra dell’Archidado, a costume
cross-bow competition (in May), the Steak Festival (August
15th) and the Antique Fair (late August-early September).
The Abbey of Farneta
The Abbey of Farneta, located only 1 and ½
miles away from Poggio Sant’Angelo, is a jewel of the
Tuscan romanesque architecture. Probably founded in the 8th
century, this benedectine abbey lived its golden period from
the 10th century when the church we see today was erected
to the 13th century; its slow and inexorable decline started
in the 14th century and continued well into the past century.
In the 1800s the abbey was suppressed by order of Grand-duke
Peter Leopold and the church was completely remodeled: the
façade was torn down, the remaining nave was shortened
and part of the monastery was demolished.
Today’s visitor
can hardly imagine what the abbey-complex may have looked
like in its days: only the apse and the crypt are left from
the original chrurch and yet these are sufficient for us to
admire the ancient beauty and the architectural splendour
of this monument.
Entering the church the visitor will immediately notice the
imposing transept and the three apses on the far wall each
of which originally had two side-niches unfortunately destroyed
in the early 20th century. Further testimony to the magnificent
past of the abbey is brought by the crypt, brought to light
in the early 1940s and today in excellent conditions of preservation.
The crypt is divided into three cells two of which, smaller
in size and simpler in appearance, are in the shape of a clover
whilst the central one, larger and more complex, is shaped
like a four-leave-clover with a cross-vault supported by valuable
oriental columns that were probably taken from some rich Roman
building thought to have been in the vicinity of the abbey.
Suggested
tours >>>
|
