THE FOOD AND LOCAL WINE

When it comes to food and local wine, Cortona is a destination not to be missed. The town is full of good restaurants and bars that serve typical Tuscan dishes. There are also many excellent restaurants outside the walls of Cortona. For wine lovers, there are many wine bars where you can dine accompanied by a good Tuscan wine or simply buy local products. Enoteca Molesini, Tuscher Bar, and Bottega Baracchi are great places for wine tasting. The area is also known for its wines made from the Sangiovese grape, which are grown in the surrounding hills of Cortona.

For those who prefer to make their own meals, there is a small supermarket called Molesini in the main square of Cortona (Piazza della Republica). For those with a sweet tooth, there is a food market in Piazza Signorelli. One of the most important gastronomic events in Cortona is the “Sagra della Bistecca” (Steak Festival) which takes place on the 14th, 15th and 16th of August each year.

THE CHARM

“Frances Mayes’ heartwarming true story, “Under the Tuscan Sun,” and the popular film it inspired, has brought millions of tourists to Cortona. This humble working man’s town has become an international destination, but one may wonder if Cortona was better in its quieter days as an historical Etruscan hilltop town, less discovered by those seeking illusive magic.

However, one can say confidently, having visited dozens of walled towns in Tuscany and Umbria, that Cortona is perhaps the most magical and real of them all. Each town is different and special, but Cortona is one that one could see themselves living in for a while or perhaps a lifetime. There is a vast openness, even inside the walled fortress. One moment you may find yourself walking down a winding narrow path with flowered terraces and full clotheslines on either side, and then your world opens up and you can see for miles in every direction. The colors that paint the landscape are of an infinite imagination.

You may see the same person having his second cafe on the corner each morning, or you may watch a new group of aspiring artists from American and Canadian Universities display their work proudly in the center of town. Walk into a local bar, sit under a piece of exquisite modern art and have a fabulous cocktail, or have lunch in a family-owned restaurant where you can feel the heat of mamma’s stove waft past your table. Visit enchanting churches, important museums, or find a one-of-a-kind piece of handmade jewelry imprinted with the ancient Etruscan language. Watch an outdoor ballet that rivals the best of Manhattan, or sip a glass of fabulous local Syrah.

Cortona, in my estimation, can maintain its medieval allure, its Etruscan heritage, and its Tuscan charm no matter how many tourists approach its walls or how many couples walk the path to Bramasole. The marvel that is Cortona, fabulously lost in time, dynamically alive in the moment, will prevail in the fortitude, patience and integrity of its people.”