A Day in Cortona

a full day exploring our senses

Hello friend! My name is Amy. I am so happy you have stopped by ✨ If you are new here, a warm welcome to you! This space is where I meander through midlife, connecting to my true self through the seasonal shifts and simpler living, and seeking my inner wise woman. If you are also on this path and looking for someone to walk gently beside you, I see you and am here. Let’s color outside the lines together.

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We headed out early to Cortona as we needed to get to the walled city before the road closures for the Giro d’Italia. This alone was exciting, as B, an avid cycling enthusiast, and I had been watching many stages of the race. We were dropped off at the base of this Etruscan¹ city at the Piazza Garibaldi, which had spectacular views of the surrounding valley. We then walked up the cobblestoned Via Nazionali, where I did a little window shopping and immersed myself in the moment. The rich aromas of espresso drifted through the air along with the robust greetings of Buongiorno.

We were given a task for the day: to describe a street in Cortona through a character’s eyes using all of the senses. This was the first town we had visited, and I was immediately taken with the narrow side streets, the towering buildings that formed these streets speckled them with light and shadow, giving them an ethereal feel.

We had a lovely lunch as a group at Cafe Del Teatro. There were some things that I was struck by, and I am not sure if it was because I was focusing on my senses or just so in love with the meal. First of all, I love the Frizzante water. When dining in Europe, you are asked if you want sparkling or still water. The Frizzante is no club soda; it is lighter and more effervescent, like prosecco. It seemed that every locale had its housemade olive oil. There was always pane toscano (bread) on the table to dip in the olive oil with a grind of salt or rich balsamic vinegars (fun fact, bread in Tuscany is made without salt!²) Each had its variations of flavor: all of them amazingly light, with distinctive notes, peppery, fruity, and earthy. I had a beautiful pear and ricotta ravioli in a gorgonzola broth. It was so light and flavorful, just a hint of sweetness from the pear, and perfect with a glass of crisp white wine.

As we were leaving, we saw the start of a procession going up to the Piazza Della Repubblica, the Bigordi Banderie³ an ancient event with flag throwers who perform in honor of Santa Margherita, Cortona’s patron Saint.

We left Cortona in late afternoon and went to a small local winemaker’s home for a tasting. Fabriziano has been winemaking for decades. His vineyard is about 15 km from his home, and the soil conditions are best for Syrah. He produces 700 bottles a year.

We tasted 4 different vintages, one being taken directly from its current aging cask. He believes his wines are best in year 5. Interestingly, he prefers not to decant as he feels tasting the wine at 5-minute intervals allows the wine to breathe and the experience to evolve. He is passionate that his wine is organic and takes great pride in it. As the tasting progressed, stories were told, and he provided us with a delicious antipasto. We again used our senses to describe what we were tasting, exercising our descriptive muscles for writing. It was a full and beautiful day!

Until next time,

1. The Etruscan civilization flourished in central Italy between the 8th and 3rd century BCE. The culture was renowned in antiquity for its rich mineral resources and as a major Mediterranean trading power. Much of its culture and even history was either obliterated or assimilated into that of its conqueror, Rome. Nevertheless, surviving Etruscan tombs, their contents and their wall paintings, as well as the Roman adoption of certain Etruscan clothing, religious practices, and architecture, are convincing testament to the great prosperity and significant contribution to Mediterranean culture achieved by Italy's first great civilization.

2. The history of Italy's saltless bread

3. The name of the festival Bigordi Banderie came from the municipal statue of Cortona of 1325, where there were mentioned some flags used during the performances in honour of Santa Margherita, the patron Saint of Cortona. The performers used the Bigordi Banderie, a peculiar type of flags with very long flagpole.