The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Cortona, Italy

Cortona rises from the Valdichiana like a stone crown set against the slopes of Monte Sant'Egidio, its Etruscan walls encircling a town that has drawn two kinds of pilgrims for eight centuries: those who come seeking the "Second Magdalene," and those who follow in the footsteps of the Poverello himself. The first built her sanctuary at the summit; the second carved his hermitage into the wooded ravine below. Between them, this Tuscan hill town preserves one of Italy's most concentrated landscapes of Franciscan spirituality. Margaret arrived in Cortona as a fallen woman in 1273, fleeing the murder of her lover and the rejection of her stepmother, with only her young son and her sins. The Franciscan friars received her. For twenty-four years she would transform herself through brutal penance and tireless charity, founding a hospital, establishing a confraternity for the poor, and experiencing visions of Christ that drew penitents from across Europe. When she died in 1297, her body did not decay. It has not decayed still. Seven centuries later, pilgrims climb the steep Via Santa Margherita to gaze upon her face through the crystal urn above the high altar—preserved, incorrupt, a testament to what grace can do with willing flesh. St. Francis had come to Cortona sixty years earlier, in 1211, seeking the solitude that would become essential to his vocation. A young nobleman named Guido Vagnottelli offered him a rocky ravine beneath Monte Sant'Egidio, and there Francis built the first of his hermitages—Le Celle—where he would return throughout his life, including the final months before his death. Today, Capuchin friars maintain the site, and pilgrims can still enter the cell where Francis slept on bare stone and, according to tradition, dictated his spiritual Testament.

📜 History & Spiritual Significance

Cortona's Catholic story begins not with Margaret but with Francis. In 1211, the young saint from Assisi arrived to preach, and a wealthy young man named Guido Vagnottelli listened. Guido would become Blessed Guido, one of Francis's first companions, and would offer him the isolated ravine at the foot of Monte Sant'Egidio that became Le Celle. Francis returned repeatedly—in 1215 to celebrate Easter after his Lenten fast on Isola Maggiore in Lake Trasimeno, and finally in 1226, already bearing the stigmata he had received at La Verna, already dying. Tradition holds that he dictated his Testament here, his final instructions to the brothers he was leaving behind. After Francis's death, his close friend and controversial successor, Brother Elias, retired to Cortona. Elias had overseen construction of the great basilica at Assisi; now he built the Church of San Francesco in Cortona, the second Franciscan church ever constructed, and designed it as the prototype for all that would follow. He brought precious relics: Francis's worn tunic, the cushion on which the dying saint had rested his head, his manuscript of the Gospels, and a fragment of the True Cross that the Byzantine Emperor had given him during his diplomatic missions to the Holy Land. Elias himself was buried in the choir, near these relics, in 1253. Margaret's story begins in darkness. Born in 1247 in Laviano, she lost her mother at seven and found no love from her stepmother. At seventeen she fled with a young nobleman who kept her as his mistress for nine years, never marrying her, though she bore him a son. She flaunted her beauty and her lover's wealth. Then his dog returned alone and led her to his murdered body in the forest. The shock shattered her. She returned everything he had given her, took her son, and sought reconciliation with her father—but her stepmother barred the door. In desperation she heard an interior voice: "Go to Cortona and put yourself under the spiritual direction of the Franciscan friars." Two pious women took her in. For three years she battled temptations so fierce that she nearly returned to her former life, her beauty still her greatest weapon and her greatest danger. She fasted on bread and herbs, scourged herself, wept over her sins until the brothers feared she would die of grief. But she did not die. She was admitted to the Third Order of St. Francis in 1277 and began her real work: nursing the sick, serving the poor, founding a hospital, establishing the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mercy. Christ granted her visions and the ability to read souls. Sinners came from across Italy, from France and Spain, drawn by word of the woman who could see their hidden sins and hidden hopes. An infamous Ghibelline warlord converted under her influence and spent his remaining years in Franciscan penance. In 1288, Margaret withdrew to a cell beside the ruined church of San Basilio above the town, which she had restored. Nine years later, on February 22, 1297, she died there. The miracles began immediately. The dead were raised, the paralyzed walked, the blind saw. Pilgrims overwhelmed the little oratory. Cortona built a proper sanctuary to house her relics, and in 1515 Pope Leo X knelt before her urn and perceived the fragrance her body still exhaled. She was canonized in 1728.

☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Cortona

Cortona's pilgrimage sites span from the valley floor to the hilltop, each requiring different levels of physical effort but all accessible within a single day. The town itself climbs steeply within its Etruscan walls, with Le Celle in a ravine 3 kilometers east and the Basilica di Santa Margherita crowning the heights above the historic center.

Basilica di Santa Margherita

Local Name: Basilica di Santa Margherita Address: Via Santa Margherita, 1, 52044 Cortona AR, Italy GPS Coordinates: 43.2788000, 11.9880000 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Website: https://www.santuariosantamargherita.com Dedication: St. Margaret of Cortona Historical Note: The basilica stands where Margaret herself restored the ruined church of San Basilio and spent her final years. After her death in 1297, the small oratory proved inadequate for the flood of pilgrims. Giovanni Pisano designed a new church, completed within a few years, but the structure underwent major alterations over the centuries. The current neo-Gothic appearance dates to the 19th century, the result of a vow made by Cortona's citizens during the cholera epidemic of 1855—when the town lost a third of its population, the people implored Margaret's intercession and promised to build a grander sanctuary in her honor. The medieval rose window and 14th-century bell tower survive from the original structure. The church was elevated to minor basilica in 1927. Spiritual Importance: Above the high altar, enclosed in a silver and crystal urn, rests the incorrupt body of St. Margaret. More than seven centuries after her death, pilgrims can still gaze upon her face—preserved, according to witnesses throughout the centuries, with an almost lifelike quality and occasionally exuding an inexplicable fragrance. In a chapel to the right of the nave hangs the 13th-century wooden crucifix before which Margaret prayed and received her visions of Christ. The funeral monument by Angelo and Francesco di Pietro, carved in the 14th century, depicts scenes from her life. Pilgrims seeking Margaret's intercession—particularly those struggling with past sins, difficult family situations, or mental illness—light candles and pray before her shrine.

Church of San Francesco

Local Name: Chiesa di San Francesco Address: Via Berrettini, 52044 Cortona AR, Italy GPS Coordinates: 43.2757000, 11.9840000 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Dedication: St. Francis of Assisi Historical Note: Built beginning in 1245 on orders of Brother Elias, this is the second Franciscan church ever constructed after the basilica in Assisi—and Elias designed it as the prototype for all Franciscan churches that would follow. The austere Gothic structure, with its single nave, exposed wooden beams, and groin-vaulted apse, embodies the simplicity Francis preached. Brother Elias lies buried in the choir, near the relics he spent his life gathering and protecting. The church has undergone restorations but retains much of its 13th-century character. The painter Luca Signorelli, Cortona's most famous artistic son, is believed to be buried in the crypt. Spiritual Importance: The church preserves three relics of St. Francis himself: his tunic, worn and patched, a physical remnant of the saint who embraced poverty; a finely embroidered cushion on which he rested his head as he lay dying at Assisi; and his personal copy of the Gospels, the words he took as his literal guide. Behind the high altar, pilgrims can venerate one of Christianity's most precious relics: a fragment of the True Cross, encased in a 10th-century ivory and silver Byzantine reliquary. Brother Elias received this relic from the Byzantine Emperor in 1244 during his diplomatic missions to Constantinople. The combination of Franciscan relics and this fragment of the Cross makes San Francesco an essential stop for pilgrims tracing the Franciscan story through Tuscany.

Hermitage of Le Celle

Local Name: Eremo Le Celle (Convento delle Celle) Address: Strada Provinciale 34, Località Le Celle, 52044 Cortona AR, Italy GPS Coordinates: 43.2851000, 12.0063000 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Website: https://www.lecelledicortona.it Dedication: St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua Historical Note: In 1211, St. Francis came to Cortona seeking solitude and received from Guido Vagnottelli—who would become Blessed Guido, one of his first companions—a rocky ravine beneath Monte Sant'Egidio. Francis slept on bare stone in a natural grotto barely large enough to stand in. After his death in 1226, Brother Elias expanded the site, building the first stone cells for friars. The hermitage fell into disuse but was revived in 1537 when the Capuchins took over, constructing the chapel of St. Anthony of Padua in 1634. Today, seven Capuchin friars live here, maintaining the site as a house of prayer. Pilgrims can visit the cell where Francis slept, now enclosed behind glass, and walk the wooded paths where he walked eight centuries ago. Spiritual Importance: Le Celle is one of the most atmospheric of all Franciscan sites. Built across a narrow ravine, with the Fosso dei Cappuccini stream running through its heart, the hermitage seems to grow from the mountainside itself. The sound of water and birdsong are the only interruptions to the silence Francis sought. According to tradition, he returned here in 1226, already bearing the stigmata, already near death, and dictated his spiritual Testament—his final instructions to his brothers. Pilgrims come not for relics but for encounter: the stone Francis touched, the silence he loved, the wildness he understood as God's own voice. A sign at the entrance reads: "Brother, Sister, the presence of St. Francis of Assisi has sanctified this place. May your presence be devout and collected."

🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

February 22 – Feast of St. Margaret of Cortona Basilica di Santa Margherita. The town celebrates its patron saint with solemn Mass at her shrine and a procession through the streets. Pilgrims from across Italy gather to venerate her incorrupt body, which is sometimes displayed more prominently for the occasion. October 4 – Feast of St. Francis of Assisi Eremo Le Celle and Chiesa di San Francesco. Both Franciscan sites hold special liturgies honoring their founder. At Le Celle, the celebration has a particular intimacy, as pilgrims gather in the hermitage where Francis himself prayed.

🛏️ Where to Stay

5-Star Hotels

Monastero di Cortona Hotel & Spa ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Address: Via del Salvatore, 52044 Cortona AR, Italy 🌐 Website: https://www.monasterodicortona.com 🔗 Booking.com: monastero-di-cortona A beautifully restored 15th-century monastery at the highest point of Cortona, offering 36 rooms in former monks' cells transformed into elegant accommodations. The spa occupies an ancient Roman cistern called the "Bath of Bacchus." Perfect for pilgrims seeking a contemplative atmosphere with modern comforts.

4-Star Hotels

Hotel San Michele ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Address: Via Guelfa, 15, 52044 Cortona AR, Italy 🌐 Website: https://hotelsanmichele.net 🔗 Booking.com: hotelsanmichele Housed in the 15th-century Baldelli Palace in the heart of Cortona, declared a National Monument by the Italian Ministry of Art. The 40 individually furnished rooms feature ancient furniture, wooden beams, and views over the rooftops and valley. The only hotel in central Cortona with private parking.

🚗 Getting There

By Air: The nearest international airport is Perugia San Francesco d'Assisi (PEG), approximately 58 km away. Florence Airport (FLR) is 115 km away, and Rome Fiumicino (FCO) is approximately 200 km. By Train: Two stations serve Cortona: Camucia-Cortona on the regional line and Terontola-Cortona on the main Florence-Rome line. From Florence Santa Maria Novella, the journey takes approximately one hour on Intercity trains to Terontola. From both stations, buses climb to the hilltop town, or taxis are available. Note that the historic center sits high above the valley—plan for the ascent. By Car: From Florence, take the A1 Autostrada south toward Rome, exit at Valdichiana, and follow signs to Cortona (approximately 20 minutes from the highway). Parking within the walls is extremely limited; most visitors use the car parks below the city gates and walk up, or stay at hotels with parking like Hotel San Michele. Local Transport: From Cortona's center, Le Celle is 3 km east along the SP34; the walk takes about 45 minutes but is hilly. The Basilica di Santa Margherita is a steep 15-20 minute climb from Piazza della Repubblica via the Via Santa Margherita—a pilgrim path marked with mosaics depicting scenes from Margaret's life.

📚 Further Reading

Articles & Online Resources:

• A Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of Sinner-Turned-Saint Margaret of Cortona – Aleteia's overview of Cortona's Franciscan and Marian sites.
• St. Margaret of Cortona – Catholic Encyclopedia's detailed biography of the "Second Magdalene."

🔗 Useful Links

• Visit Tuscany: Cortona – Official regional tourism information.
• Discover Arezzo: Hermitage of Le Celle – Provincial tourism guide to the Franciscan hermitage.

🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations

La Verna – 70 km north. The mountainous sanctuary where St. Francis received the stigmata in 1224. The Franciscan trail connecting La Verna to Cortona via Arezzo traces the saint's final journey. Assisi – 75 km east. The birthplace of St. Francis and home to his great basilica, containing Giotto's frescoes of his life. Direct regional trains connect Cortona's stations to Assisi in approximately 75 minutes. Arezzo – 30 km north. The Basilica di San Francesco houses Piero della Francesca's "Legend of the True Cross" frescoes, among the greatest masterpieces of Renaissance art, and relics of Blessed Benedetto Sinigardi, an early Franciscan. Castiglion Fiorentino – 15 km north. A less-visited medieval town along the Via di Francesco pilgrim route, with the Church of the Cross and views over the Valdichiana.

🥾 Pilgrim Routes

Via di Francesco (The Way of St. Francis) – Cortona lies on the Tuscan section of this pilgrim route connecting Florence to Assisi via La Verna and Arezzo. The route passes through Le Celle, making Cortona a natural stopping point for pilgrims walking in Francis's footsteps. The section from Arezzo to Cortona covers approximately 30 km through the Valdichiana.

🪶 Closing Reflection

"Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road."

— St. Clare of Assisi, quoting St. Margaret of Cortona's final words to her own soul, as recorded in the Legenda of Margaret of Cortona