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Day Trips |
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LA Mucchia Casa Vacanze and Art Gallery - Cortona
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The cells of the Capuchin friars |
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| Cortona hill |
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Hermitage "Le Celle" is the first monastery built by St. Francis of Assisi (1211) and was inhabited by him after having received the "stigmata". Even today you can see his cell oratory of his first companions. It is rich in history and spirituality: in it have lived Frate Elia da Cortona, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Bonaventure, St. Lawrence of Brindisi and Blessed Guido da Cortona.
Today it is inhabited by the Capuchin friars continue over time the experience of prayer inherited from S. Francis, with the participation of others.If you travel from La Mucchia to Cortona, go around the walls in the direction of Saint Marguerite before arriving to the top turn left (you will see signs along the road) and you reach the monastery, about 6-7 km from us. |
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| 6.30 meditation, 7.30 spiritual meetings |
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Bramasole, the house in Under the Tuscan Sun. |
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| Cortona |
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| If you want to see Bramasole, the house in Under the Tuscan Sun. To get to the house, walk all the way through the Giardino Pubblico, go past the Tennis Club, and continue on viale Passerini uphill for ~ 1km. Bramasole is on your left. You can also drive to Bramasole: take the road on the west side of Cortona to Torreone; turn right at Torreone towards the Church of S. Margherita and, where that road splits into three at a small Bar, take the road to the left downhill; Bramasole will be on your right in ~0.5km. |
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The Sodoma |
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| Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore |
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If you would like to see the fresco cycle on the life of St. Benedict in the monastery cloister painted by two Renaissance painters, Luca Signorelli and Antonio Bazzi, more commonly known as Il Sodoma.
one of the most memorable panels is that of St. Benedict scolding two monks who have sneaked out to a tavern for a meal (in case you are wondering, St. Benedict is the figure on the stairs). The monks are waited on by a boy and two young women, one of whom holds a plate in a pose very similar to the angels in many Perugino paintings. Perugino and Luca Signorelli had both studied under the same teacher, Piero della Francesca.
Il Sodoma finished the remaining panels between 1505 and 1508, he was said to have a menagerie of animals, you can see many of them in the details of his paintings. Someone going by the name of Il Sodoma may strike you as a strange choice of artist to fresco a monastery, he was forced to tone down at least one of the paintings, in the scene depicting St. Benedict being tempted by women, he was a made to repaint them with clothes on.
you go from La Mucchia to the super strada direction of Siena, leave the superstrada on Serre di Rapolano and proceed to Asciano on SP26, then to Santa Lucia and further to Palazzo Venturi and Saltalfabbro, proceed on SS451 to La Canonica and then to Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore where the monastery is located.
open: 9.15-12.00 AM
15.15-17.00 PM
There is small restaurant and herbs store (herbs made by the monks) |
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| Donation box for the monks is presented |
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Cortona |
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| Cortona |
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For those who have read “Under the Tuscan Sun” by Frances Mayes or watched the film based on the novel, the beauty and charm of Cortona may feel familiar. The film was shot in Cortona itself but the lush hillsides of vibrant flowers dotted with Etruscan tombs and the winding streets of the town can only truly be appreciated in living color. Settled by the Etruscans, as evidenced by the aforementioned tombstones, Cortona’s history is somewhat steeped in mystery. Two opposing legends tell different tales of the town’s antiquity: the Florentine class supposed that Tuscany belonged to ancient Etruria, placing Cortona under the rule of Florence, while the Cortonese ruling class argued that the town was the oldest in the region and had an autonomous political structure, thus allowing Cortona the right to their own governance. These legends were retold and retooled over time, clouding the truth of the town’s past. Despite these blurry beginnings, Cortona has become an agricultural and tourist center of the Tuscan region with remarkable Renaissance architecture, narrow medieval streets and a diverse and welcoming expatriate community.
Harkening back to Cortona’s origins, the historic center of town, with narrow, winding streets, is surrounded by a combination of early Etruscan and medieval walls. The town was built on the crest of Monte Sant-Egidio, affording views of mountains and Lake Trasimeno in the distance and the lush and fertile valley below. Two of the town’s churches, Santa Maria Nuova built in 1554 and Santa Maria delle Grazie built between 1484-1515, are extraordinary examples of Renaissance architecture and construction. There is also a Renaissance cathedral, the Duomo, not to be missed that houses 16th and 17th century artwork. One of the main squares in Cortona is the Piazza della Republica where a coffee or espresso can be enjoyed at one of the cafes while taking in the 13th century town hall and clock tower. The Piazza Signorelli holds one of the town’s oldest buildings, the Palazzo Casali, which is home to the Museo dell’Academia Etrusca (Estruscan Museum of Cortona), a museum of Etruscan artifacts and Renaissance and Baroque artwork. The public gardens are definitely to be explored as well as the nearby San Domenico church. If a unique and distinctly local experience is craved, the Sagra della Bistecca festival in August is the place to be. Held outdoors on the Parterre, a pedestrian-only avenue, the festival celebrates the famous Valdichiana veal. The event draws larger crowds every year to taste the renowned “bistecca”, charcoal-broiled veal steak on the bone. For a taste of Tuscany, Cortona is perhaps the ultimate destination.
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Six Tuscan sites are part of UNESCO World Heritage |
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| Florence, Siena, Pisa, San Gimignano and Pienza |
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Tuscany is one of the most visited regions in Italy. Six Tuscan sites are part of UNESCO World Heritage: the historical centres of Florence, Siena, Pisa, San Gimignano and Pienza and the Val d’Orcia. Cities of art such as Florence, Pisa, Siena, Lucca, Arezzo and centres like Volterra, San Gimignano, Montalcino, Pienza, Cortona, Sansepolcro, Monterchi and Poppi attract every millions of tourists from all over the world.
Medieval castles dominate the wonderful hilly regions of Chianti, Val d’Orcia, Valdichiana, Mugello, Garfagnana and Casentino, scattered with old farmhouses that have been transformed into luxury villas. The Apuan Alps rising alongside the beaches of the Versilia and the reefs in Maremma characterize the western part of the region.
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