Cortona is the ideal destination for all the people looking for spiritual incentives and deep meditation: here you can find monumental churches, ancient monasteries and harmonious and mystic landscapes.

 

The Celle hermitage, built by St. Francesco from Assisi (1211) is made up of little stone constructions, where you can visit the poor and plain cella, that gave hospitality to St. Francesco himself, friar Elia from Cortona, St. Bonaventura and St. Antonio from Padova. This hermitage rises in the middle of a cypresses and conifers wood, immersed in the silence only broken by the sound of a little torrent. The hermitage leans on the side of St. Egidio Mount. This scenery allows the visitor to approach these Franciscan soul places, with emotion and concentration. You can reach the hermitage driving through the provincial road to Torreone direction.

The St.Francesco church, placed inside the town, was started in 1245: the style is Gothic with a great rosette on the façade and easy mullioned windows on the apses. Inside you can admire, in addition to the Holy Cross, the frock, the Gospel manuscript and the cushion, all belonged to St. Francesco. On the third altar of the left side “The Annunciation”, the last work of the painter Pietro Berrettini (Pietro from Cortona 1597-1669).

The St.Niccolò church, built at the beginning of the XV century with an elegant portico on the façade and on the left side, rises on a place surrounded by cypresses. Inside you can admire the standard of “San Niccolò” confraternity and one tablet of the Virgin with child (Luca Signorelli).  

The Santa Maria delle Grazie al Calcinaio church, its construction dates back to 1485-1513. It's a work of architect Francesco of Giorgio Martini, with a Renaissance style and a Latin cross: the wonderful dome hurls all the construction. This church belonged to the “shoemaker guild”. The shoemakers had in that place their lime thanks for the skins tanning. On the central rosette on the façade there is a glass of Marcillat, representing the Virgin who has at her foot Pope Leone X, Emperor Massimiliano and the Bishop of Cortona, Cardinal Soderini.

The Santa Maria Nuova church, , the wonderful church with a Greek shape, rose in the hand of 1550, with three equal façades. It was a drawing of Cristofanello. The dome was built later. The high altar is attributed to Rodi from Cortona. The rosette of the stained-glass window of the façade is attributed to Urbano Urbani and represents the Magi adoration.

 

The Santa Maria Assunta church -Duomo, has been built on the old Parish ruins, built at the dawning of the Christianity on the foundation of a pagan temple. It dates back to the middle of the XIV century and was immediately declared a diocese Cathedral. The two portals (central and lateral) are attributed to Cristofanello (XVI century). F. Mazzuoli and F. Laparelli high altar bell tower.

 

The Spirito Santo church, rises out of the walls: it was built between 1637 and 1669 following the drawings of Filippo Berrettini. The dome and the façade were concluded in 1751. The plant has a Latin cross shape. The high altar is attributed to Fabbrucci (1687-1767), as well as the decoration and the wood-statues of Faith and Charity.