My Town: Max Weinberg’s Picks for Cortona, Italy

Take in the local atmosphere at …  

La Terrazza on the Piazza della Repubblica, which overlooks one of the main squares. [It] is ideal for a drink and a bit of people watching. You eat dinner and you go out for a stroll in the square, which is what they call the Piazza della Repubblica. You don’t just [go home and] turn on the TV.

Weinberg, seen here at the Piazza della Repubblica, enjoys the culture, food, history and scenery that Cortona has to offer.

Dario Garofalo

Savor brunch at …

Tuscher Caffé on Via Nazionale. Try the macchiato and biscotti late in the morning or afternoon. Owned and operated for decades by Daniela and Massimo, the “pours” are as generous as the tourists and friends who gather there. 

At the top of the hill just past Frances Mayes’ astounding home, Girasole, is Caffé del Torreone. Definitely worth the hike. Have an espresso or acqua, sit outside and take in the vistas.

Locally owned and operated for decades, Tuscher Caffé is one of Weinberg’s favorite brunch spots.

Dario Garofalo

Get your steps in …   

Our daily walk of a loop of nearly 3 miles takes us through the official formal gardens and park of Parterre. More French than Italian, actually, it resembles a mini Champs-Élysées. In the summer, open-air films and theatrical performances are held at the impressive though intimate stone amphitheater.

Weinberg and wife Becky enjoy daily strolls through the park of Parterre.

Dario Garofalo

Catch a musical performance at …

Teatro Signorelli, named after the great artist from Cortona, Luca Signorelli. The vast array of opera, small symphony and jazz performances offered, particularly from April to October, are world-class. I had the privilege of bringing my five-piece bebop group [The Max Weinberg Quintet] there for — I’m happy to say — a sold-out performance in 2017.

Revel in history at … 

Cortona itself is a vast museum. The churches and chapels spread out through the city contain ancient frescos, many by artists from the various so-called schools of Giotto [and Luca] Signorelli, [and there are] even Gino Severini modernist masterpieces.

The Museum of the Etruscan Academy and the Town of Cortona is a wonder to behold. Here you will find bronzes from the Etruscans three millennia in age, treasures from ancient Egypt, and sculptures virtually retelling the history and impulses of the Etruscan people.

The Diocesan Museum exhibits artwork by early Renaissance masters such as Fra Angelico, Luca Signorelli, Pietro Lorenzetti, Bartolomeo della Gatta. I’d also include gazing upon the work of Pietro Berrenttini, whose 17th century work bridged the gap between the Italian futurists and the leading Parisian avant-garde figures.

Outside the city walls is a monastery [Hermitage of Le Celle] … you can see the “Le Celle” where the late St. Francis of Assisi slept.

The Museum of the Etruscan Academy features 18th-century art and the latest archaeological finds illustrating the history of Cortona.

Dario Garofalo

Shop locally at …  

The two main viales (avenues) of the city are Via Nazionale and Via Roma. Here you find a bustling shopping area for food and wines, wonderful clothing shops, shoemakers, antique stores and, of course, shops for souvenirs and galleries of artwork. We shop in the square for everyday food items from Molesini, the grocery store and bottle shop owned and operated by Marco Molesini. The local merchants so appreciate the residents and visitors who frequent their shops.

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