Private Tour from Rome to Arezzo and Cortona with Guide

Highlights

• Medieval Cortona
• Historic Arezzo
• Private Tour from Rome

What's included

Itinerary

1. 1

   Duomo di Cortona

   20min

   The history of the co-cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, Cathedral of Cortona, begins as early as the year 1000, when it was built as a parish church on the remains of an ancient pagan temple. The facade still shows signs of the original Romanesque style, while the interior, divided into three naves, is decorated in Renaissance style.

2. 2

   Cortona

   20min

   The Church of San Francesco was commissioned by the successor of the saint of Assisi, Friar Elijah, who began construction in 1247. Its architectural form recalls the typical Franciscan style, with the interior with a single nave and truss roof, with three cross-vaulted chapels.

3. 3

   MAEC - Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca

   30min

   For lovers of history and archaeology, a visit to the MAEC – Museum of the Etruscan Academy and the City of Cortona is mandatory. Located in Piazza Signorelli, a few steps from Piazza della Repubblica, the MAEC will take you back in time to learn about the great Etruscan past of the territory. The sections encountered along the way boast truly unique pieces, such as the famous Etruscan bronze chandelier of the fourth century BC.C., the gold fibula in the shape of a panther, or the Tabula Cortonensis, third Etruscan text in length. Also noteworthy is the Egyptian collection, along with the historical-artistic section with paintings from the Tuscan school from the 14th to the 20th century.

4. 4

   Basilica di Santa Margherita

   20min

   To visit the Basilica of Santa Margherita, dedicated to the patron saint of Cortona, you have to go to the edge of the historic center. Although the original building dates back to the fourteenth century, various alterations took place over the centuries, in particular between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries: on this occasion two naves were added that gave the church the basilica layout, the facade was rebuilt and the interior was embellished according to the taste of the time. The bright colors of the Baroque style are therefore mixed with traces of the Gothic and Romanesque styles, while fragments of medieval frescoes, unfortunately largely lost, are now in the Diocesan Museum.

5. 5

   Cortona

   30min

   A walk through the village among the streets and squares to breathe a medieval area and stop for an aperitif.

6. 6

   Piazza Grande

   25min

   Piazza Grande, the heart of Arezzo, is one of the most beautiful squares in Tuscany, thanks to the constructions of different eras that look out here as if on a stage. The square has irregular shapes, because it is built on downhill ground. During the municipal age it was the Point of Sale and in the Renaissance it became the center of civic life in the city. Its current appearance dates back to the sixteenth century, when the splendid Palazzo delle Logge was built, overlooking the highest part of Piazza Grande. The project, signed by Giorgio Vasari, was completed in 1595: the building stands out for the simplicity of the architectural lines and the great elegance of the portico.

7. 7

   Church of San Francesco Arezzo

   25min

   one of the oldest churches in Arezzo, a thirteenth-century Gothic building inspired by the Franciscan aesthetic: the only ornaments present, in fact, are a frame that runs around the entire edge of the roof, the windows with pointed arches and the rose window above the main door. With the exception of the lower part of the facade which is made of travertine blocks, all the construction is brick burnished by time. The frescoes that characterize the interior of the basilica were begun by Bicci di Lorenzo who, after his death, was replaced by Piero della Francesca: his splendid works depict the fifteen scenes of the Legend of the True Cross and were finished in 1466. The great Crucifix of the altar, attributed to Duccio di Boninsegna and most likely datable to 1289, is also of priceless value.

8. 8

   Stop 8

   25min

   It dominates the city from its highest hill and thanks to its imposing bulk is visible from all sides. The construction work was started in 1278 by Bishop Wilhelmine of Ubertini and finished only in 1511. Inside there are many priceless works such as the fresco of La Maddalena by Piero della Francesca - painted around 1460 in the left aisle - the monumental high altar complex whose wooden choir was designed in 1554 by Giorgio Vasari, the Madonna del Conforto, patron saint of the city, the seven medieval windows and the large altarpieces by Andrea Della Robbia.

Before you go

Location

Piazza del Duomo Vecchio 1, 52044, Italy