Tuscany - Enjoy a warm, friendly Italian welcome at this little hotel in Cortona. Savour tastefully furnished rooms and delicious meals in a 16th century townhouse.
Cortona was one of the 12 cities of the Etruscan League, and parts of the ancient defences can still be seen, incorporated within the medieval walls. Apart from a few fine Renaissance palaces, the prevailing character of Cortona's architecture is medieval, giving the steep narrow streets a strong sense of atmosphere.
Sitting high above the Val di Chiana, at a commanding 600 metres above sea level, you'll enjoy magnificent panoramic views. And Cortona's strategic position makes it a great starting point for trips to Umbria, Arezzo, Siena and Florence.
Hotel Sabrina, located in the historical centre of the city is in a fine sixteenth century building, once the residence of the famous sculptor Fabbrucci. It offers its guests a warm and friendly atmosphere with simply but tastefully furnished rooms. In the small main hall, Paola Barboni, who manages the hotel together with her son Gianni, offers excellent breakfasts with delicious warm tarts and home-made bread. Every room has an en-suite bathroom, TV, telephone with direct dial external line, safe, and everything you'll need for a marvellous stay.
Open all year round, the hotel has seven double rooms and a suite. Nightly bed and breakfast for single occupancy of a room ranges between EURO €55 and €75, depending on the season; for a double the prices ranges from €68 to €85. The hotel accepts all major credit cards, including Visa, Bank Americard, CartaSi, EuroCard, MasterCard and AmericanExpress. There is a bar for guests, and small pets are permitted. Your hosts speak English.
There's an enormous amount to see nearby. Apart from the beautiful Tuscan countryside, peppered with little hamlets and hill towns, and with some marvellous restaurants to be discovered, there are towns such as Arezzo to explore. Just 30km from the hotel, Arezzo was originally an important Etruscan city, and then became a strategic Roman one. An independent commune before being annexed by Florence in 1384, the past is still very much alive in Arezzo. This was the birthplace of men pivotal to the Renaissance and the growth of Western thought and culture. The poet Petrarch was from the city, as was Guido d'Arezzo, the inventor of the musical scale.
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Florence itself lies 90km away. For 300 years between the 13th and 16th centuries, Florence was the powerhouse of European art and culture, producing an extraordinary outpouring of artistic and intellectual activity. This was the template for the later evolution of European culture and thought: our paintings, poetry, architecture and much more have their roots in Renaissance Florence. Home to the Medici, Machiavelli, Dante Aligheri, Giotto, Michelangelo and many more, the city today is a treasurehouse of architecture, museums, galleries and churches. It's a marvellously vibrant living city too: you could spend weeks exploring and enjoying Florence.
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