Arezzo and Cortona

closest major Tuscan airport

small Umbrian airport with seasonal European routes

wide choice of European routes

best for intercontinental arrivals

alternative for long haul connections

An elegant, prosperous city with medieval lanes, Renaissance churches and a famous antiques fair.

A steep hilltown of stone lanes and terraces overlooking the Val di Chiana and Lake Trasimeno.

A broad, fertile valley of farmhouses and villas between Arezzo, Cortona and Montepulciano.

A green upper Arno valley of castles, monasteries and forests, cool even in midsummer.

The upper Tiber valley around Anghiari and Sansepolcro, birthplace of Piero della Francesca.

Small walled towns in the western valley, close to the A1 and to Siena.

Positions are approximate: the exact address is shared once your stay is confirmed.

Piero della Francesca's Legend of the True Cross fills the chancel with luminous, geometric scenes painted in the fifteenth century. Visits are in small groups by timed reservation.

An irregular sloping square framed by medieval houses and Vasari's Logge, setting for the Giostra del Saracino and the antiques fair.

A Gothic cathedral on the city's highest point, home to Piero della Francesca's fresco of Mary Magdalene.

Housed in Palazzo Casali, it displays an extraordinary bronze Etruscan lamp and finds from the nearby tombs.

The Museo Diocesano holds this radiant altarpiece among other early Renaissance treasures.

A Franciscan hermitage built into a ravine below Cortona, founded by Saint Francis in the early thirteenth century.

Sansepolcro's Museo Civico holds Piero's Resurrection, while Monterchi displays his tender Madonna del Parto in a museum of its own.

A beautifully preserved medieval castle dominating the Casentino valley, with a library of ancient manuscripts.

Follow the painter's works from Arezzo to Monterchi and Sansepolcro over one unhurried day.

Browse hundreds of stalls on the first weekend of the month with an expert who knows the dealers.

Learn about the valley's ancient white cattle and taste a perfectly grilled steak.

Explore ancient beech and fir woods in the national park, visiting the monasteries of Camaldoli and La Verna.

Discover the Syrah and Sangiovese of the Cortona DOC on estates overlooking the valley.

Cross into Umbria to visit Isola Maggiore and its fishing village by boat.

Vast beech and fir forests on the Apennine ridge, with marked trails and abundant wildlife.

A monastery on a rocky outcrop where Saint Francis is said to have received the stigmata, surrounded by ancient woods.

An eleventh century monastic retreat deep in the forest, with a historic pharmacy.

A flat cycling and walking path along the Canale Maestro della Chiana between Arezzo and Chiusi.

Gentle lakeside walks and beaches a short drive from Cortona.

What to eat

What to drink

Renaissance hilltowns, Vino Nobile and pecorino in the Val d'Orcia.

The great Renaissance city, easily reached without driving.

Gothic palaces and Piazza del Campo.

Umbria's capital and the town of Saint Francis.

Islands, castles and lakeside villages.

Green valleys, wildflowers and pleasant temperatures make April and May perfect for walking and art trails. Easter brings processions to the hilltowns.

Warm days in the valley and cool forests in the Casentino, with festivals and outdoor dinners. Cortona's elevation keeps evenings pleasant.

Harvest, olive pressing and chestnut festivals fill the calendar. The woods of the Casentino turn spectacular shades of copper.

Quiet and authentic, with the antiques fair continuing year round. Some country restaurants close or reduce hours.