Cortona, Italy Summary

Travelling south from Arezzo you enter the Valdichiana, reclaimed swampland that is now prosperous cattle country, producing the much-prized Florentine bistecca. From the valley floor a long road winds up through terraces of vines and olives to the hill-town of CORTONA, 20km south of Arezzo, from whose heights you can see Lago Trasimeno. A scattering of Etruscan tombs aside, the steep streets are dominated by medieval architecture that claws its way around a knife-edge ridge, with barely a patch of level ground anywhere. Traffic is restricted, which accentuates the sense of hilltop isolation – although the quantity of summer visitors can diminish the atmosphere. Even without its art treasures, Cortona would be a good place to rest up, with pleasant hotels, excellent restaurants, and an amazing view at night of the villages of southern Tuscany glittering in the distance.