| Page Views: 4,757 Last Visit to Cortona: - | The Town that Frances Mayes Built by mariocibelli - last update: Dec 21, 2003 |
I have always loves Cortona. It is a magical Tuscan hilltown, located 110 Km southeast of Florence very close to the border with Umbria and Lago Trasimeno. Of all the 'hilltowns' I have visited I find it to be the warmest, both in terms of the physical place (buildings, colours and atmosphere), but also the people. I don't feel that this is just because I have spent a lot of time here and also have many friends either.
One thing about Cortona, it has one level street, Via Nazionale (the main thouroughfare) which is a pedestrian street ( as are the majority) where the daily and nightly passegiata occurs. All the other streets are either up or down, some of the older ones are essentially stair-like with very short steps.
The funniest thing is the 15th century hospital at which if you come by car you park on a 90 degree angle, note the stones under the rear wheels of the cars to prevent slippage. Another point I should bring out, NOBODY DRIVES A TRUCK OR SUV - being vertically challenged sits well with them. |
| Under the Tuscan Sun House |
|  | Under the Tuscan Sun and all that Jazz Yes, Cortona is where the book(s) and now film version of Under the Tuscan Sun was set. I don't know anyone who has ever met her (the author) who still has her home there, but most people feel a bit ambivalent about the whole thing. It has effected tourism to Cortona, however I don't like thetricke down effects.
I have very mixed feeling about the book and the film version is terrible. Can you believe they erected a fake fountain 'to make the town more Italian and quaint' with a statue of Neptune - who happened to have an anormous member, well the local monsignor and several local citizens saw to it that Neptune got circumsized.
La Vita e Bella (Life is Beautiful) was also partially filmed here - the scenes at the opera (that is the local cinema, Teatro Signorelli). |
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mariocibelli's Cortona Travel Tips
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Comments for mariocibelli about Cortona | | | | |
rozehill Sun Oct 24, 2004 05:09 UTC What a lovely house that one looks from the movie. Shame they made a hash of the Statue of Neptune. Good tips. | mapakettle Sun Sep 19, 2004 07:51 UTC Very interesting. Was the fountain removed before or after the film was completed? Pa | orlikins Fri Aug 27, 2004 12:21 UTC have that film on DVD, it has wonderful scenery | Helga67 Mon Jun 14, 2004 11:17 UTC This town looks lovely. Thanks for sharing |
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