Cortona has become very popular thanks to the novel Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayer (and the movie with Diane Lane): the protagonist immediately falls in love with this town, its people, and the villa that she purchases and fixes up.
Cortona is indeed a town that's easy to love for everybody because of its charming atmosphere, its Etruscan past, the lovely medieval city center and the great views it offers.
Your local guide will take you back in time during a pleasant walk through the historic center. The tour includes Piazza della Repubblica, the main square dating back to the Roman age, Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, the residence of Cardinal Passerini during the 16th century, the 12th-century Palazzo Comunale, Palazzo Casali and Teatro Signorelli, a typical theatre in Neoclassical style. Cortona’s cathedral with its charming view will also be part of the tour.