Cortona Cottage for Rent: Cortona Mountaintop Retreat was Home to St. Francis, Etruscans - Property 228286

For rent is a simple, rustic, but spacious and beautifully renovated 13th-century stone cottage, located on the country estate of an Italian gentleman whose family goes back 2000 years and who speaks English and is an endless fund of local history and lore. The cottage stands close by the owner's villa. A central kitchen with fireplace and table leads into two master bedroom suites, each with bath and anteroom (one with additional twin beds). Mountain breezes keep this spot cool even in the heat of summer; birdsong fills the air from dawn to dusk. On foot one can follow the ancient Roman Road from this property down to the cleft below Cortona where St. Francis established a monastery in 1211. Or take your walking stick and circle the mountain's heights, on wooded trails that open to 360-degree views. Just out the door are miles of mountain trails, ranging from a shady stroll on even ground to a day's demanding hike.

The property and its lovely green lawns provide an ever cool and fresh retreat from sightseeing in the heat of the Italian summer. Yet it is only a short drive from the town of Cortona (15 minutes by car) Arezzo (20 miles), Montepulciano (15 miles), Siena (50 miles), Perugia (32 miles), Florence (62 miles), and dozens of other storied towns and cities of Umbria and Tuscany. Express trains from Terontola station speed to Rome and Florence at regular intervals.