GETTING THERE
Villa Michelangelo
Loc. Leoncini Monte 39
Sant'Andrea di Sorbello
52044 Cortona - AR
Tel. +39 0575 61.91.57 (incoming only)
FLIGHTS
Flights from the United States arrive at either Rome's Leonardo Da Vinci Airport (sometimes also called Fiumicino) and Milano's Malpensa Airport. If you connect in Europe, you can fly into one of Italy's many other airports; Bologna or Florence make the most sense. Expect to pay about $1,500 for a round-trip ticket.
ARRIVING BY TRAIN
Low-cost bus service is available from Malpensa Airport to Stazione Centrale in Milan, and from Leonardo da Vinci Airport to Stazione Termini in Rome. Students traveling by train can arrange with Carlo pickups and dropoffs at the Camucia-Cortona station, on the Rome-Florence train line. Visit TRENITALIA for complete timetables.
CAR RENTALS
Transportation (except to/from the train station) will not be provided. However, Paul and Carlo will each have a car available and will provide occasional rides to shops or Internet cafes. Renting a car is therefore not required, but we strongly recommend that students plan among themselves to have one or two additional vehicles available. In order to make these arrangments, we will provide students with everyone's contact information well ahead of time. Car rentals are available from all the major travel sites, but sometimes more competitive rates can be found using an agency called Maiellano.
ARRIVING BY CAR
Please use the following directions and maps in conjunction with an atlas or road map. An affordable one is available from Touring Club Italiano at any highway rest stop and most newstands.
1) Take the A1 autostrada (highway) for Florence (if coming from Rome) or for Rome (if coming from Florence and points north).
2) Take the Valdichiana-Bettolle Sinalunga exit. If traveling north from Rome, this is the first exit after the Area di Servizio Montepulciano Est (East Montepulciano Service Area). If traveling south from Florence, this is the first exit after the Area di Servizio Lucignano Ovest (West Lucignano Service Area).
3) After paying the exit toll, follow signs for the highway to Perugia (going east) and get on it.
4) Do not take the Cortona exit. After you reach Lago Trasimeno (Lake Trasimeno) on your right, take the Touro exit and head north, away from the lake.
5) At Tuoro, stay on this road heading toward the top of the ridge by following signs for Mercatale.
6) Cross over the ridge and descend. Continue to follow signs for Mercatale.
7) Continue through and past Mercatale. Disregard the sign for Cortona.
8) Exactly 3.90 km east of Mercatale, you will see a small bar and convenience store called Il Pino (The Pine), sitting by itself at an intersection with a small road lined with mulberry trees. Make a LEFT here, onto this road.
9) Follow the paved road, making a RIGHT at each intersection or turnoff so long as the road is still paved. Do NOT make any right hand turns onto unpaved roads so long as paved road remains available.
10) After 3 km the paved portion ENDS and there is an immediate intersection with an unpaved road. Now make a RIGHT.
11) After 20 meters, make a LEFT. This is the driveway to the house.
12) The driveway is long, about 400 meters (1/4 mile). You will arrive at a large garage with three red doors, and the house is just above. You can pull up to the house to unload your car, but parking is otherwise in front of the garage.
MAPS (click for larger version)
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Central Italy, showing route from Rome Airport to Villa Michelangelo. |
Eastern Tuscany & northern Umbria, showing route from the A1 to Il Pino Bar. |
Detail: Mercatale, Il Pino Bar (A) and Villa Michelangelo (B) |
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