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July 2005

Florence & Cortona (Tuscany)

Jeremy Koh
2005-11-05 12:15:44

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If you look up from the bottom of Via S. Margherity, you'll see that this path is not for the unfit. It is extremely steep and seems as if it goes on forever. But if you do decide to walk up, it's definitely a rewarding experience. Each station of the cross is spaced at regular intervals and I guess the religious-minded will find it extremely significant to walk up this path. For the rest of us, you'll also enjoy spectacular views of the Tuscany countryside.

Eventually we arrived at the Church of Santa Margherita. The church itself is very beautiful but at the altar, you'll find the preserved remains of St. Margherita encased in a glass. I don't know about you but it sure feels a bit strange looking at her body. Next to the altar, on the right, you'll also find the crucifix that supposedly spoke to her. From here, we continued the hike up towards the Medici fortress which overlooks the rest of the town. As we entered the Medici Fortress, we realized that we had to pay an admission fee and there were no youth discounts. Luckily, the person-in-charge decided to sell us the child tickets at only �1.5 upon learning that we are students. There was a photography exhibition going on at that time, and there were some amazing pictures but due to a lack of time, we sped through the exhibits and went right up to the top of the fortress. At the top, you can see for miles, and I imagine that it would be next to impossible for anyone to walk up to the fortress unsighted. There were also some sentry posts and I took some time to imagine how it would be like, hundreds of years ago, keeping watch at the post, watching out for any enemy movements. I imagine it would be lonely, miserable and cold. Strange how this place puts me in a contemplative mood.

Meanwhile, by this time, time was running out. We had to catch the last bus at 7pm back to Arezzo as we had to leave for Rome early next morning. However, we still had enough time to wander around and so we decided to head back to town by a different route. This route took us down a narrow, winding maze that took us pass many medieval buildings, cobbled streets and ancient walls. Along the way, Porta Montanina is a great place to stop and have a look at the red-tiled roofs of the buildings in Cortona.

Actually, it is a good idea to have a map in your hand as you wander along Cortona's streets. They are like a maze. Eventually we landed up near the Romanesque Duomo. However, we couldn't enter because there was a wedding, and outside the church we saw the men in their smart suits and the ladies at their dolled-up bests. Opposite the Duomo, there is a museum, the Museo Diocesano. Apparently there are some fabulous paintings inside. But we didn't enter. From here, we rushed back along Via Nazionale, stopping for some souvenirs and gelatos before catching the bus back to Arezzo.