Monastero di Cortona Hotel & Spa: A Sanctuary Above the Valley
At the highest point of Cortona, the experience of staying at Monastero di Cortona Hotel & Spa feels less like checking into a hotel and more like entering a living piece of history. Once a 15th-century monastery, the building has evolved through centuries of religious life, from Dominican monks to Cistercian communities, before being transformed into a refined retreat that still preserves its spiritual architecture.
The structure itself is layered with memory. Cloisters, vaulted ceilings, and restored frescoes remain intact, while former monastic corridors now lead to softly lit suites. Each room carries a sense of continuity between past and present, where ancient stonework is
balanced by understated contemporary design and expansive views over the Val di Chiana.
Wellness here is not an addition but a continuation of the site’s original purpose. The spa, known as Bagni di Bacco, is carved into an ancient Roman cistern once associated with ritual bathing. Today, it has been reimagined as a serene thermal space with pools, saunas, and sensory treatments that echo the site’s historic association with water and renewal.
Dining is equally immersive. In the main restaurant, frescoed walls frame a refined interpretation of Tuscan cuisine, where traditional recipes are elevated with contemporary precision. A second, more intimate osteria offers a grounded expression of regional cooking, celebrating seasonal ingredients and local produce with quiet confidence. The wine cellar, with its extensive collection of Tuscan and Italian labels, reinforces the sense that this is a place where heritage is both preserved and experienced.
Perhaps the most defining element, however, is the terrace and pool deck. Set above the
valley, it opens onto uninterrupted horizons where sunset becomes a daily ritual rather than a spectacle, an unhurried transition from day to night that reflects the spirit of the monastery itself.