"The Town that Frances Mayes Built" Cortona by mariocibelli

Cortona Travel Guide: 91 reviews and 221 photos

Cortona

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 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).

  • Intro Updated Dec 21, 2003
  • Add to Trip Planner (?)
  • Report Abuse

Reviews (3)

Comments (6)

mariocibelli

“Andiamo! Yalla! Let's Go!”

Online Now

Male

Top 1,000 Travel Writer
Member Rank:
0 0 7 1 6

Badges & Stats in Cortona

  • 3 Reviews
  • 5 Photos
  • 0 Forum posts
  • 7 Comments
  • 6,089PageViews

Have you been to Cortona?

  Share Your Travels  

Latest Activity in Cortona

Travel Interests

See All Travel Interests (5)

Latest Cortona hotel reviews

Hotel Nuovo Centrale
4 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Sep 13, 2012
Instituto Santa Margherita
2 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Feb 19, 2010
Il Sole del Sodo
59 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Oct 29, 2012
Ostello San Marco
6 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Nov 26, 2012
Borgo di Vagli
15 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Feb 18, 2013
Borgo il Melone
60 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 19, 2013
Hotel Corys
11 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Nov 11, 2011
Le Gelosie
37 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jul 7, 2012
La Mucchia Casa Vacanze
132 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 4, 2013
Relais La Corte dei Papi
177 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 19, 2013
Hotel Villa Marsili
229 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 19, 2013
Borgo Elena
8 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Oct 18, 2012
Villa Marsili Hotel Cortona
229 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 19, 2013