Holidays in Cortona

Legend tells of 100 years after the Flood, Noé comes into the Chiana Valley and he found this place so attractive that he stayed there for about 30 years. After the Flood, in year 263, Crano, Noè’s son, arrived in a hill. He particularly liked that place for its height and calm, and so he decided to establish the village Cortona. Crano’s son, Dardan, established Lidia, the current Turkey, the city of Troy. From there, some of his greek descendants, among them Ulysses and Pitagora come back to the actual Tuscany: Etruscans. Enea, Dardan’s descendant, escaped from the destroyed Troy, comes in Lazio, here his progeny established Rome. The village of Cortona is situated in a strategic position and, thanks to its Etrsucan walls, it could control the near cities of Arezzo, Perugia, Siena and Valtiberina (V sec. b.C). At the end of the IV b.C., the city of Cortona forms an alliance with Rome. In XI century, after darks years, the village come back to shine, winning big cities, such as Arezzo and Perugia, that did not want its growth. In XII century, the city plan within the walls started to form, but only in the XIII century, with the achievement of the municipality, its shape become definitive. In 1258, people from Arezzo and Cortona, encroached and sacked the city, exiling an high number of people. In 1261, they could come back thank to the support of Siena; in 1325, under the reign of Casalis which lead the village until 1409, Cortona lived a great period. After that, they gave Cortona to the king of Naples, which allowed its annexation to Florence. From this moment, the village was a member of the Dukedom of Tuscany and, during the Renaissance and under Medicis and Lorenas, it lived a florid period. In 1860 become member of the Italian kingdom.