In 1737, the senior branch of the Medici line went extinct and Cortona came under the authority of the House of Lorraine. In 1727 one of the most important associations in Cortona, that still nowadays is working, was born, : the Etruscan Academy of Cortona. It was set up by a group of researchers from Cortona, with the purpose of exploring the archaeological and historical studies. These intellectuals had also some relationships with the most advanced sectors of the culture of that time. To remark the importance of this academy in the Etruscan researches, and also the roots of the city of Cortona, to the president of the association was given the title of Lucumone, that is the ancient name of the Etruscan governors; and still nowadays the name remained that. Precisely on this year (1727), there is the birth also of the museum of Cortona, when the abbot Onofrio Baldelli gave all his personal museum and library to the academy. To this first museum, as the time passes, many other findings were added, for example the Etruscan chandelier, one of the most important Etruscan findings made during the 19th century. in the course of 20th century, one of the most important people inside the Etruscan Academy was Girolamo Mancini, the most outstanding historian from Cortona, that studied all the ancient period of Cortona, and added to the library many manuscripts, from which the most important one is the Laudario Cortonese. Then, after the second world war, the Etruscan Academy had its important position in all the area of Cortona and not only. In fact, there are many collaborations with other museum and association in Italy and all over the world that has been made by the Etruscan Academy. 

During the medieval period, Cortona became a Ghibellinian city, and we could easily know it, if we take a look at the architecture. In fact, if you look at the tower of the municipal palace, you could see on the top of the clock tower the typical battlements of the Ghibellinian cities. During that period, Cortona was one of the most important cities of this area. But there was a date that changed its status, that is still reminded today by people of Cortona: 2nd of February 1258. On this day, the Ghibellines from Arezzo, together with the exiled Guelph from Cortona, came inside the city, under false pretences to conquer the city. But how could they enter inside? In secret, one Cortona’s man let them came inside the city through one of the main doors, called also nowadays Porta Bifora. The people from Arezzo burnt and raided the city, driving out all the inhabitant of the city. The legend says that they left a burning candle on the door of the cathedral, and until the light was on, people form Cortona could escape, but when the light finished, the people from Arezzo would have killed everyone who were remained inside the city. Luckly, people of Cortona found refuge in Perugia, and after many years, they came back to the city. From 1325 to 1409, the Ranieri-Casali family successfully ruled the town. Then in 1409 Cortona was sold to the Medici family, the important family of Florence. During this period, they built the Girifalco Fortress on the top of the hill. A curiosity about the Porta Bifora; the tradition says that is a cursed door, because from that door people from Arezzo came into the city to raided it. It was opened again only in 1950, after some works by the archaeologists, and nowadays is one of the accesses to the city. 

Cortona finds its roots directly to the Etruscan age. But why Etruscans chose precisely this place to settle their city? Because Cortona is located on a strategic position, both for defending against enemies, and for its small distances from the main centres of the cities nearby. Among the 8th and 7th century B.C., Cortona became an important Etruscan Lucumonia. A so called Lucumonia is the area that is the jurisdiction of the Lucumone, who was the administrator of the Lucumonia. Nowadays, this term Lucumone is the name with which people from Cortona called the president of the Etruscan Academy, that owns the MAEC (Museum of the Etruscan Academy of Cortona). In 310 B.C. lots of Etruscans cities were conquered by Romans, and Cortona made a formal alliance with Rome. This alliance wouldn’t lasted for a long time, and for that reason the famous battle of Trasimeno was fought. Regarding the Etruscan period, we could find many testimonies inside the city centre of Cortona, and also in the area nearby, as the famous Tabula Cortonensis, the tombs of the archaeological area of Sodo, and many traces inside the city centre. One example, that catch first your eyes when you come to Cortona, is the majestic walls that surrounds all the city; you will be amazed by the impressiveness of the big stones that compose the walls.
 

Cortona, according to the ancient traditions, has mythological origins. The legend tells that it was found by Dardano, son of Jupiter and Electra, who later was the founder of Troy. He was supposed to be born in Cortona, according to what Virgil writes in the Aeneid, and from there he would have gone to Asia. Through people from Cortona there is a proverb that says: Cortona, mother of Troy and grandmother of Rom. But, according to the legend, how Cortona was found? It is said that Dardano was fighting on a hill, that overlooked the Valdichiana and he was struck by a spear which struck off his helmet, and it is not possible to find it anymore. A fortune – teller said that Mother Earth had wrapped the helmet in her womb, because she wanted a turreted city to be erected where the helmet was lost, which would be as impenetrable and strong as Dardano’s helmet. So, the hero built the walls of the new city, which had its centre just where the helmet got lost. The city was named Corito, that means “helmet”, changing lately then in the name of Cortona. 
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