"Cortona: Exploring Renaissance Art and Tranquil Lakeside Bliss"

Hello dear friends,

As I mentioned in another post, I couldn't wait for the weekend to arrive, not only to rest from this exhausting workweek, which was particularly demanding, but also because I wanted to visit a beautiful Tuscan town that many of you might know, Cortona, located in the province of Arezzo. This stunning town sits on a hill at an altitude of over 500 meters and offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the Val di Chiana. Cortona has always been an important city, not only in terms of architecture but also culturally. It has been the birthplace of many painters who have shaped the history of this significant region of Italy.

This is the beautiful square of Cortona.

I didn't come to this place by chance; I received an invitation to visit an exhibition dedicated to a famous Renaissance painter who lived between 1445 and 1523, Luca Signorelli. The exhibition was organized to commemorate the 500th anniversary of his death, and it was closing soon. Unfortunately, I hadn't had the opportunity to visit this important exhibition until now, but fortunately, I coordinated with a friend, and we found the time to pay a visit to Cortona.

as you can see on the sign at the bottom right it was forbidden to take photos but I couldn't resist

Of course to complete this exhibition there were also some Etruscan sculptures like this one which they say still inspires designs today

Signorelli has always been a painter I admired for the emotion conveyed in his works. His paintings have always struck me as very innovative, and I think it was quite challenging, especially at the time, to compete with figures like Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo, names we often remember and who have become much more famous than him.

I couldn't share many photos from the exhibition because strangely, photography was prohibited, most likely because many works didn't have authorization to be photographed. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the exhibition, and it's important to acknowledge these lesser-known painters who still made significant contributions to the Italian Renaissance.

I was so hungry I forgot to share what we ate but I remembered to take this photo to show you the view I had from the table

To wrap up the day, my friend and I decided to take a stroll to Lake Trasimeno, which is just across the border into Umbria, in the province of Perugia. It's a beautiful lake surrounded by hills, famous for its natural beauty and wildlife. It's quite large and has a very natural feel to it. I had been there several years ago, and it left a positive impression. If I'm not mistaken, it's a tectonic lake, and unfortunately, this area of both Tuscany and Umbria is prone to earthquakes, which have given rise to these lakes.
In the end, I can say it was a lovely Sunday trip. I was a bit disappointed because I expected to see more tourists in Cortona, but perhaps it's not a very popular tourist destination. In my opinion, there were many more people in Arezzo. However, this allowed me to enjoy the exhibition more, and then I had the opportunity to take a walk and get some exercise by Lake Trasimeno.

For some, these things may seem as unimportant as exploring an art exhibition, but they bring me a lot of happiness, and I believe that is the most important thing.

I thank you for the affection you show in the comments under my posts; it means a lot to me. I'll see you in my next post, but before that, I always want to wish you all a great day!