In Cortona there is an ancient pottery tradition, that is carried on also nowadays by some craftsmen of Cortona. If you are walking down the traditional alleys of Cortona, you could see the local pottery shops, that sell you the typical Cortona pottery. The traditional “cocci” (the dialect word that means pottery) were used as simple and everyday objects, like plates, glasses, vases and jars. During the ancient times, the Cortona potteries were produced, cooked and sold in a specific part of the city: the area called “I Cocciai”, that is a little neighbourhood just outside the city wall. You could also see nowadays this zone, which corresponds to Via del Duomo Vecchio (because originally the cathedral of Cortona was located in this place) and Borgo San Vincenzo. The original decoration was the mottled one, and it is characterized by yellow background with green spots. If you visit the ceramic’s shops in town, you could find this design on the pottery. Once the colours were made from natural ingredients that were all available in the countryside. This type of decoration reminds the shades of Valdichiana hills, full of sunflowers and wheat fields. The flower on the decoration is a daisy or a sunflower, and it is green and brown on a yellow background. The story of Cortona ceramics does not concern only the popular flower, but it reveals an important tradition coming from centuries ago. In the early nineteenth century Cortona had its own production of fine ceramics. The pottery from that period was produced in an important factory called Catrosse. The name “Catrosse” was the name of the villa where the Venuti brothers, a noble family of Cortona, lived, and here they founded the furnaced and produced the pottery in 1796. In town there are two craft shops that sells the typical pottery from Cortona. They still nowadays produce all the ceramics manually: one is “L’Antico Cocciaio”, located in Via Benedetti 24, the other is “Terrabruga”, located in Via Nazionale 54. When you come to Cortona do not miss to visit the two shops, because you will be struck by the beauty of this pottery.

Cortona is a city surrounded by Etruscan walls. In the Middle Age to access to the city there were five doors, that are still visible nowadays and used to access to the city: Porta Sant’Agostino, Porta Santa Maria, Porta Colonia, Porta Montanina, Porta Bifora and Porta Berarda. The one of which we talk here today is: Porta Bifora. Porta Bifora has an interesting story behind it. Once it was called the "cursed door." But why? Here's the story. On February 2nd, 1258, during the 13th century, the Ghibellines from Arezzo, along with exiled Guelphs from Cortona, entered the city secretly, planning to take control. A man from Cortona helped them by letting them in through Porta Bifora. Once inside, they burned and looted the city. Because of this, when the city's walls were later repaired, the door was closed. People believed it was cursed because of the betrayal by the inhabitant from Cortona, who let the Ghibellines enter inside the town. Nowadays it is open, and it is one of the easiest accesses to the town. 

In June there is the Giostra dell’Archidado, a crossbow race where all the ancient districts of Cortona compete to win the so-called verretta d’oro, a golden arrow. The Giostra dell’Archidado was officially established in 1397 to celebrate the wedding between Francesco Casali, the lord of Cortona, and Antonia Salimbeni, a noble woman from Siena. Every year the city of Cortona reenacts this historical event during the second Sunday of June. All the city dresses up with flags along all the streets, people dress with medieval dresses, there will be flag wavers and musicians… you will make a step back in time. This year the events around the Archidado joust will take place on the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th of June. 
If you want to know more about the joust and the linked events, you can click the button below.

During the first weekend of June, linked with the events of the Giostra dell'Archidado, Cortona makes a step back in the Middle Age with the medieval market, that takes place in Piazza Signorelli. Here you could find ancient markets of craftsmen, and you could taste the ancient medieval taste at the Taverna del Balestriere (Crossbowman tavern). In the market you can find many handicrafts from the soap, to the wicker basket market stall, and you could enjoy a fantastic and peculiar atmosphere. If you have the chance, come to Cortona during this period, because you will find yourselves back in time. This year the medieval market will take place on the 31st May 2025, 1st-2nd June 2025. Below you can find the button with the link to the Giostra dell'Archidado website.

During the month of May there is the reenactment of the feast in honour of Santa Margherita, the patron saint of Cortona. Once, during the Middle Ages, in the day of the feast of Santa Margherita, each ancient district of Cortona, that once were called Terzieri because the city was divided into three districts, came to the main square to offer the wax to make a candle in honour of the Saint. Once made, these candles were blessed and brought to the church of Santa Margherita, to offer them to the Saint. Nowadays, there is the reenactment of this tradition, and all people of each district of Cortona, dressed with medieval dresses, parade each one in its own street and they meet all together in the main square of the city, Piazza della Repubblica, where there is the performance of the flag wavers and musicians of the historical group of Cortona. After the performance all the candles for the Saint are blessed, and they started a parade that goes from Piazza della Repubblica to the church of Santa Margherita. This year the reenactment will take place on the 23rd and 24th of May 2025.

Bigordi Banderie is the international festival of flags that each year takes place in Cortona. It was created by the Gruppo Storico di Cortona (historical group of the city), which includes flag wavers and musicians (trumpet and drum players). This year it is the 3rd edition of the festival, and there will be many groups taking part. The name of the festival (Bigordi Banderie) came from the municipal statue of Cortona of 1325, where there were mentioned some flags used during the performances in honour of Santa Margherita, the patron Saint of Cortona. The performers used the Bigordi Banderie, a peculiar type of flags with very long flagpole. The historical group of Cortona still use this kind of flags during their shows, and if you have the chance to see this performances, these flags will let you make a step back in time, when there were the medieval jousts. The festival Bigordi Banderie was founded in 2023, with the will of making Cortona the Italian capital of the flag art. The purpose of this festival is the one of joining in Cortona many different styles of flag shows, from the ancient to the more modern one. During the various edition of the festival, many international groups were invited. This year, among some groups from all over Italy, there will be a Spanish historical group from Tortosa. This event is organized in cooperation with Consiglio dei Terzieri and supported by Comune di Cortona. This year, Bigordi Banderie will take place on the 17th and 18th of May 2025.
If you want to know more about festival and about the historical group of Cortona, you can click the link below to their website.

The church of San Marco is located in the city centre of Cortona, along via Santa Margherita. San Marco, together with Santa Margherita, is the patron Saint of Cortona. The peculiarity of this church is that is composed by two superimposed churches. Another characteristic feature of this church is the big outdoor mosaic, representing the saint and his symbol: the lion. The history of the building dates back to the end of sixteenth century. During that time the Company of the Holy Trinity of Lay people designed this construction to be dedicated to the Holy Trinity.  In reality in the location where there is the church, there was an hospital for pilgrims. You can access to the upper church through a Baroque gate made during a later period. On the lower church of San Marco there is the already mentioned mosaic dedicated to San Marco and made in 1961 by the famous artist Gino Severini. The church of San Marco is not always open to public, and if you want to visit it you should ask the tourist office for some further information. Annexed to the church there is a small museum that preserve some sacred objects. The church keeps also a statue of Jesus, that together with other statues placed in other churches in Cortona, is carried during the Easter procession of the Good Friday.