Closer to Italy's rugged Apennines than any other part of the region, eastern Tuscany hides its secrets in the valleys of the upper Arno and Tiber rivers and among mountains covered with forests of chestnut, fir, and beech. This is where Michelangelo saw the first light of day and St. Francis founded a sanctuary and received the signs of Christ's wounds.
The region attracts those seeking an experience far from the madding crowd. One of Tuscany's best "off-the-beaten-path" experiences, Parco Nazionale Casentino beckons, with mountain scenery that has been safeguarded by monks for eight centuries. Anchoring the area are the hill towns of Arezzo and Cortona, both of which carry on age-old local traditions. Each June and September, for example, Arezzo's Romanesque and Gothic churches are enlivened by the Giostra del Saracino, a medieval pageant.
Since ancient times, Arezzo has been home to important artists: from the Etruscan potters who produced those fiery-red vessels to the poet Petrarch and the writer, architect, and painter Giorgio Vasari. Cortona, magnificently situated, with olive groves and vineyards creeping up to its walls, commands sweeping views over Lago Trasimeno and the plain of the Valdichiana. The medieval streets are a pleasure to wander, and the town has galleries and churches that are worth a visit.
