Once a sleepy little Italian hilltop town, Cortona is enjoying a rebirth as a tourist mecca. The book "Under the Tuscan Sun" and its sequels, along with the hit film based on this book, people have discovered Tuscany's Cortona is a delight. Conveniently located between Rome and Florence, this town of 30,000 people is located on a lovely hill. You can find whatever you want to do here, from museums to biking to restaurants. Cortona has a long and interesting history, longer than many people realize: The Etruscans built the city's walls 2,600 years ago. You can still see Etruscan stone work at Porta Guelfa and at Porta Montanina. If the Etruscans fascinate you, you can see more at the Museo dell'Academia Etrusca, which has artifacts from the Etruscans and the Egyptians as well as many historic artworks, books and other items. Don't just look at the city walls, interesting as they are. Go inside to the Piazza Garibaldi. From there you can see beautiful Lake Trasimeno. There is also a beautiful church and a park, at the center of which is a fountain decorated with two playful dolphins of bronze. Take a break, sit down and enjoy the view. Once you've rested to Piazza Grande, with its 6th century town hall. On the first Saturday of each month, there is a market where you can find gifts, food and other wares to buy for yourself and others. If shopping is your thing, come to Cortona, Tuscany at the end of August for the National Market of Ancient Furniture at Cortona's Casali Palace. Stuck for the time? Look for the Torre del Pulcinella, the town clock that uses cymbals rather than bells to announce the time. Cortona is full of history, obviously. Nowhere is this more evident than at Cetona Belvedere. This ancient cemetery has caverns, grottoes and other ancient sites. If exploring is your thing, go to Montepulciano on one of the largest mountain peaks in the area. If you're fond of religious history, go to the Great Cloister of the Monastero di Monte Oliveta Maggiore (monastery of the Mount of Olives) to see the frescoes of St. Benedict. Signorelli painted these in the 15th century. Also be sure to see the church of Santa Maria Del Calcinaio, a unique octagonal church. Other religious treasures can be seen at the Museo Diocesano. It houses the Cortona Altarpiece with its six beautiful small paintings that frame the piece. When visiting Cortona, rest assured that all the usual tourist amenities are available to make your trip easy. Cortona is deservedly coming into its own. If you get a chance go and see it for yourself. It is a trip you will long remember for its beauty, its heritage and its people. Travelers booking a trip should call their travel agents for more information.
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