|
Day 3 - Sept
16th -
Today we have a short, but steep 5 km ride to the top of
Cortona.
The road winds through terraces of vines and olives. |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Here is our destination. Cortona at the top of the hill. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Heading out of
Camucia for a hill climb.
We love it. |
|
|
 |
|
Cortona in the distance. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Who knows how old this stone bridge is? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
It was quite common to see the women sitting outside
talking, knitting, or
preparing veggies. |
|
|
 |
|
Entrance to someone's house. Nice! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Here's where we parked out bikes, but there was still lots of
steep hills
to navigate on foot in the town itself. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Cortona the model to the left shows just how steep a mountain
the town is built on. Because of the limitations of space within the
walls, all later development was done in Camucia.
The Etruscans took over Cortona in the 8th century BC. About four hundred
years later it passed to the Romans and remained a significant Roman
center until its destruction by the Goths. By the 11th century it had
become a free commune. In 1258 the Aretines destroyed Cortona, but the town
soon revived under the patronage of Siena. At the start of the 15th
century it was appropriated by the Kingdome of Naples and then sold off to
the Florentines, who never let go. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
We didn't make it
past the first bakery in town. |
|
|
 |
|
Wonderful fruit and
veggie stand. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here are some street scenes. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
Upper archway
leading out of the walled town at the top end. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A couple of views from the top of town... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
A steep path made of old stones leads
up to Santa Margherita. |
|
|
 |
|
Santa Margherita. Rebuilt in the nineteenth century,
it contains the tomb
of Margaret of Cortona, the town's patron saint. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Fortezza Medicea
This fortress, at the summit of town, can be seen all the way from the lake in the far
distance.
The building is often closed but they were having an art exhibit
while we were there. |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
The
art didn't really grab me but the building was very cool. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
View from the upper walkway or the Fortezza. You can see part of the
old ruined Etruscan and Roman wall as it
heads down the slope. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Lunch at last! |
|
|
 |
|
Tree lined-street leading out of town and around the back-side. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Under the Tuscan
Sun - Bramasole
I started reading this book on my flight over to Italy so I was
thrilled to get to see the house. It's a great read and really gives you
the feel of Tuscany. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From Bramasole we rode onto a Monastery called Delle Celle. Now there are
only four or five monks residing at the monastery but at one time there were a
large number. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
Each of these windows shows what was once a room for one of the many
monks. |
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
It would be great to see the water running
down this channel in the wet
season. |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| |
|
 |
|
Another fine pasta
dish created by Ian. Yum! |
|
|
| |
| |
| |
|
Shift into gear for
Day 4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
