Eventi a Cortona

The town of Cortona organizes every year in its historic centre and all over its territory a wide range of cultural, gastronomic, historical and folklore events. The best known of all historical re-enactments taking place in town is the so-called Giostra dell’Archidado celebrating the wedding between the Lord of Cortona, Francesco Casali and noble Antonia dei Salimbeni di Siena. This costume event featuring parades, dances and the so-called Colata dei Ceri (candle casting) culminates on the last Sunday of the month in a crossbow competition (the Giostra) in which the 5 city districts compete. Beween late August and the beginning of September Cortona hosts each year in the rooms of its 18th century Palazzo Vagnotti, the former seat of the Seminario Vescovile, the Mostra Mercato Nazionale del Mobile Antico (National Antique Fair) attracting each year a host of people and highlighting the cultural, artistic and environmental characteristics of the town.

One of Europe’s most outstanding cultural events combining classical music, arts, literature, gastronomy, wines and wellnes into a unique celebration of arts and the art of living is the Tuscan Sun Festival. Created from an idea by writer Frances Mayes, this festival is since 2003 of of Italy’s major crowd-pulling events. Not to be forgotten are, however, the several gastronomic events taking place all year round all over Cortona’s territory and keeping alive old tastes and traditions that would otherwise completely die out. Amongst these the Sagra della Bistecca (Steak Festival) taking place on 14-15 th August, the Farm cart show, the Frog festival, the Snail festival, the Threshing festival, the Chestnut festival, the Porcini mushroom festival and many others.