Off to Cortona ~ Home of Frances Mayes

"I find that other countries have this or that, but Italy is the only one that has it all for me.

The culture, the cuisine, the people, the landscape, the history.

Just everything to me comes together there."

Frances Mayes

I've read all of Mayes' books and have had the pleasure of hearing her speak at Fearrington Village's

McIntyre Books and at Quail Ridge Books ... but I'd never before visited the town where she bought her house, Bramisole, and made her home.  After hearing from Hank & Carolyn (Week 1) & Gladys & Jesus (Week 2) how much they enjoyed Cortona ... when the Foldesi Group suggested a day trip there, I was ready to hop in my navigator's spot in their rental car and hit the road!

Leonardo's Vitruian Man

Only about an hour from Chiarentana, Cortona is well worth a visit.  Rick Steves' describes it as "a town clinging by its fingernails to the side of a mountain."  Our friends had shared a very helpful tip:  As you drive the switchbacks up the mountain approaching the town, keep on going until you find a parking space close to the very top of the town ... which we did!  Our short walk to the town gates was beautiful, with views all the way back to Mt. Amiata in the Val d'Orcia.  Some great street art along the way, including a

San Domenico

bronze depiction of Leonardo's Vetruvian Man. We visited the Church of San Domenico (15th c.) outside the city walls, where floor mosaics had been decorated by townspeople with fresh flowers and leaves ... and where the Domincan artist Fra Angelico had lived before moving to Florence to paint his amazing frescoes on the walls of the San Marco monastery. 

The shops leading to the main town square, Piazza Della Repubblica, were all lovely and charming ... Brenda, Palmer and I did quite a bit of shopping.  Beautiful Il Papiro stationery shop. One shop had a sign we'd never seen before:  "No Pay, No Pee, No Poo!" 

Delcious lunch at La Grotta, Cortona

Since it was beginning to warm up, we opted for lunch inside today, in the beautiful cool & cave-like restaurant, La Grotta, down a pretty alley-way just off the Piazza Della Repubblica.  Palmer & I had the traditional Tuscan soup, ribolitta; Brenda had roasted green peppers & potatoes & a wonderful insalata mista.  All the food was, of course, delicious!

We stopped in the historic (1854) Signorelli Theatre, home to over a century and a half of major cultural events, and named for Cortona's most famous son, Renaissance artist Luca Signorelli. On the steps of the theatre, Jim spotted a restaurant across the street named Nessun Dorma, and broke into that aria from the final act of Pucini's opera, Turandot ... (as he informed me), one of the best known tenor arias in all of opera!

San Francesco

We hiked up the hills to the ancient, amazing Church of San Francesco, constructed by Franciscan Brother Elias in 1247.  In a courtyard shop where strains of Andrea Boccelli's fabulous voice filled the air, I bought a lovely pen & ink drawing of landmarks from all over Italy.

Then it was time for our afternoon gelato and heading home to Sassaia.  Our GPS took us a different route back (no surprise!), passing through many tiny Italian villages. The vineyards and green, green hills were gleaming in the bright afternoon sunlight ... a absolutely beautiful ride home.  We loved the beautiful, historic town of Cortona and were so happy we made the easy trip there!

Cortona's Piazza della Repubblica

Whimsical sculpture!