MuseumMAEC Parco, the Archeologic Park of Cortona

Cortona and the surrounding territory offer visitors a unique mix of attractions, where the natural wonders of Tuscan landscape beautifully combine with a wealth of archaeological heritage sites dotted across its countryside, spanning from Etruscan to Roman times.

MAEC’s project for cycling and trekking trails was developed with a view to combining all cycling and pedestrian-friendly trails existing within the territory into a single network designed to enhance the value of the local archaeological heritage by providing visitors insight into the wider natural context in which it came into being.

A number of remains from the ancient Etruscan town are still to be seen within the town’s mighty defensive walls, including the double-arched gate of Porta Bifora as well as a series of underground artefacts (the vaulted arch in the Palazzo Cerulli Diligenti, the barrel vault in the Via Guelfa, the Etruscan wall-portion in the Palazzo Casali); surviving remains from Roman times include the remnants of a Roman aqueduct consisting of  coccio-pesto piping located next to the Porta Montanina gate as well as a the Bagni di Bacco cistern next to the church of S. Antonio.

The country-side is dotted with so-called “Meloni”, Etruscan burial-mounds from the archaic period, which can be seen in Camucia and only a short distance from the hamlet known as “Sodo”. The highlight of the park is the burial site known as “Tumulus II” at Sodo with its spectacular terrace-altar decorated with sculptural groups and architectural elements in the orientalizing style. Peacefully nestled amid sun-kissed olive groves in the foothills below Cortona, stand the so-called “Tanella di Pitagora”, a fascinating Etruscan burial chamber known to travellers since the 1500s, the “Tanella Angori” and the “Tomba di Mezzavia”. In recent years, the hills above Cortona were the discovery site of a dense network of slab-paved roads dating back to Roman times.

On the hillside overlooking lake Trasimeno, lies the hamlet of Ossaia where the remarkable remains of a Roman villa dating back to the late Republican-Imperial period can be seen. Extensively described within the MAEC museum, the above sights are all well-marked with road signs and can be easily accessed by car or taking a hike along one of the beautiful trekking paths meandering through the hilly countryside

All monuments and sights, some which located miles from one another, are extensively described within the MAEC museum, which also serves as a documentation centre for the archaeological park as well as a hub for reception and orientation services to visitors.