Girifalco Fortress

The Girifalco Fortress in Cortona stands atop the town’s highest hill and offers visitors a splendid view of the surrounding valleys.

Its current appearance is attributed to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I de’ Medici, who had the fortress built in 1556.

The complex was built on the ruins of a much older fortress dating back to the early Middle Ages, which was sacked in 1258. An Etruscan and Roman fortification had already stood on this site in the centuries prior to the sacking. The Girifalco Fortress offers a glimpse into 16th-century military architecture; it is open to visitors and hosts exhibitions and events.