Character town house at the heart of cultural historic Cortona — Property 73238

Character town house at the heart of cultural historic Cortona

Our sturdy, 3-storey town house lies at the heart of Cortona, a walled Etruscan hill town situated midway between Rome and Florence, in glorious wooded scenery - where Frances Mayes wrote 'Under the Tuscan Sun', with its Tuscan Sun Festival 2-12 August. Approach up a cobbled alleyway, 30 metres from Cortona's main (pedestrian) street, and enter a gracious living space with cloakroom off. A brick vaulted stair leads up to the dining room/kitchen, sumptuously furnished and equipped with the latest appliances. The top floor houses two generous bedrooms with luxury en suite bathrooms. Ceilings throughout the house are beamed in typical Tuscan manner; the floors are quality 'cotto'. The house is furnished to the highest standard with family antiques. Dine alfresco in the small walled garden or stroll 3 minutes to Cortona's wide range of excellent restaurants and bustling coffee bars - not to mention museums, art galleries, medieval churches and newly landscaped outdoor swimming pool.

Location Central Cortona Cortona area < Arezzo Area < Tuscany < Italy

Central Cortona Cortona area < Arezzo Area < Tuscany < Italy

 marks the location of this property in Cortona area

Availability for the house in Cortona area, Arezzo Area, Tuscany, Italy

Last updated on:

Saturday, 19 July 2008

Changeover day:

negotiable

Normal availability

spring, summer, autumn

Rental rates for the house in Cortona area, Arezzo Area, Tuscany, Italy

^*Please Note: The owner of this property accepts payment in the original currency specified, before use of conversion tool. The conversion tool is provided for your convenience only. The owner may accept other currencies if specifically agreed in advance.

Notes to the rental rates

• 1. The house can be rented by two couples (at the prices above) or by one couple, in which case the prices would be as follows:
  One couple only, per week, in high season €1,450.
  One couple only, per week, in mid season €1,300 (with supplement).
  One couple only, per week, in low season €1100 (with supplement).
  One couple would enjoy the use of the whole house and all the facilities, but with one bedroom only
  2. A heating supplement of €100 is charged at the time of booking as indicated.
  3. Payment: 25% is due on booking.
  4. Balance 2 months before holiday start date.
  5. Security deposit of €300 per booking payable with balance, refundable on departure.
  6. Payments must be made by bank transfer in euros.
  7. For guests arriving late, or not wishing to shop on arrival, we are willing to shop for your requirements, payment on arrival.
  
• On your initial enquiry we undertake to contact you personally, by phone and/or e-mail, and to direct you to our personal website with fuller details and photographs of the property and the area, including many hyperlinks to centres of interest.
  On payment of your balance we will send you road directions from your point of entry into Italy, or from your airport of arrival.
  Cars can be rented from the airport or, if you wish to rent a car locally, we are willing to meet you at the local train station and bring you to the house.
  
• Please note, when staying in Cortona, a car is not strictly necessary: it is possible to spend a week sightseeing very happily within the walled city, shopping at local shops and exploiting the local buses and trains.
  

Accommodation and Facilities for the house in Cortona area, Arezzo Area, Tuscany, Italy

Festivals and Pageants: Tuscan Sun Festival

Cortona and its surroundings offer a wide range of Festivals and Pageants. These range from the much acclaimed Tuscan Sun Classical Music Festival (2-12 August) hosted in Cortona's attractive Neo Classical Theatre, to many village festivals celebrating local products - wine, oil, cheese, beefsteak etc. Within Cortona's walls, festivals start at Easter, with the Festa of Santa Margarita in May, and the Medieval Week (including the Giostro dell'Archidado or Crossbow Contest) 24 May-1 June. In June Cortona also hosts the Poetry and Coffee Festival. July as a whole is the 'archaeological month' with many free activities and guided access to normally restricted sites. Concerts, operas and English language films can all be sampled in the open in July and August. Nearby in Umbria, 11 - 20 July offers Jazz in Perugia, while 24 July - 3 August is the Trasimeno Blues Festival. 23 August - 7 September is Citta' di Castello's Spanish Music Festival

Church Art and Architecture

Tuscany was at the heart of Italy's Renaissance, making Cortona an ideal spot to sample many masterpieces where they were created. Climb to the Medici Fortress for views, or visit Cortona's Cathedral Museum with its works by Fra Angelico and the mannerist Luca Signorelli. The church of San Francesco, of an age with Assisi's Basilica and completed by the same Fra Elia Coppi, contains fragments of original frescoes. Other mini-masterpieces such as the churches of S Niccolo and S Philippo Neri deserve a visit. Piero Della Francesca was born in San Sepulchro, and his works can be seen in Arezzo and other nearby towns. Much of Perugino's work can be seen, either in Perugia, or in the villages and towns around Lake Trasimene. As well as hosting the Palio, Siena has two museums of great quality, and the world famous allegorical fresco 'Good and Bad Governance' in the City Hall. Assisi is a must for the 13th Century decoration of the Basilica by Giotto and others.

Walking, Cycling, Swimming

Cortona's unique position close to mountains and lakes offers a wide variety of walks. It is possible to trace the route of Hannibal's soldiers above Lake Trasimene, or to follow the original 13th century mule tracks travelled by saints and pilgrims, including St Francis, for example from Cortona's Le Celle to Assisi or up the Val d'Arno to the monastery at La Verna. Some tracks are adopted by the Touring Club of Italy whose maps can be purchased in Cortona's bookshop, as can a number of useful walking guides. One of these offers 18 circular walks on the Tuscan/Umbrian border, of varying lengths and difficulty. This is spectacular scenery for road and mountain biking. Bikes can be hired from nearby Camucia. For swimming we recommend Cortona's new open air pool, or the safe, shallow beaches of Lake Trasimene. Our local expertise is always available to guests, either when we introduce you to the house, or on request throughout your stay.