Villa Bramasole: Tuscany Under the Sun

“It’s market day in Cortona. The piazza is an ongoing party and everyone is invited. Clichés converge at this navel of the world. You almost want to laugh but you can’t help feeling these Italians know more about having fun than we do. I eat a hot grape from the market, and the violet sweetness breaks open in my mouth. It even smells purple. I wish I could stay here longer, but the bell reminds me of time. ‘Ding-dang-dong,’ the bell says, instead of ‘ding-dong.’ I wish you were here.” 
~From the 2003 movie, Under the Tuscan Sun

This week I had the privilege to visit Cortona, an ancient hilltop village in Tuscany with beautiful architecture, cobblestone streets, vibrant public squares and spectacular views of olive groves and vineyards terracing to the valley below. One of the oldest settlements in Italy, Cortona is known to have been a city of the ancient Etruscan civilization and later became a Roman colony. It is one of the best preserved historical centers in Italy.

Cortona is surrounded by Etruscan walls, around 3000 years old.