Tuscany to Discover
CORTONA
A really rich in history and legend town, it is said that Cortona was founded by the same hero who founded Troy, Dardanus.
Dating back to the Etruscan period, Cortona was a lucumony of the area, thanks to its favourable position that allowed to control the surrounding areas. The work of the imposing outside walls was completed by the Etruscans, who wanted to protect it from war attacks.
Unfortunately Cortona counts many armed clashes, right from the most ancient times and many invasions. The conflicts and the battles in the Trasimeno area against Rome are known: the Goths occupied the town and managed its destiny for about 500 years.
Since 1200, with the affirmation of the municipalities, Cortona revives and sets off a splendour never seen before: initially very opposed by people of Arezzo, who drove people of Cortona up to the exile, Cortona knew prosperity and fertility thanks to the Casali’s rule.
In the 15th century the king of Naples, who in the meantime had become Lord of Cortona, surrenders the town to the people of Florence of the Medici’s dynasty, who made it a strategic military post. Cortona loses part of its splendour, despite some of its characters, such as Luca Signorelli, Pietro Berrettini and Francesco Laparelli, succeeded in drawing attention to themselves on the artistic field.
In the 18th century the Asburgo Lorena reclaimed countries and improved the infrastructures of the town and the so-called Accademia Etrusca was founded: intellectuals of all over Europe were interested in it and many important works were translated into Italian, such as those of Diderot, Voltaire and Winckelmann.
Later Cortona lived again the hostilities with Napoleon who tried to occupy it. After the 18th century the town was returned to the Gran Duchy of Tuscany, from which however it succeeded in breaking away, until being a part of the united Italy in 1861.
Today Cortona boasts a large visitors’ and tourists’ attendance in every season, pushed by the high number of present works of art, from the ancient walls, from the culture and from the historic and intellectual activities that are organized in the town throughout the year. The visit of Cortona is interpreted as a true walk through all the Italian ages.
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