At the foot of Cortona, the Sodo Archaeological Park lets you meet history in the landscape where it was born. The monuments are not separate from the countryside: they emerge among meadows, slopes and footpaths, revealing the real scale of the Etruscan city and its territory.
The Melons and the great staircase of Sodo
The two funerary tumuli, traditionally called "melons", date back to the Archaic period. Tumulus II stands out for its monumental stepped terrace decorated with sculptures and motifs of Eastern taste. Nearby, the Tanella di Pitagora, the Tanella Angori and the Tomba di Mezzavia expand the story of the Cortona necropolises.
Archaeology to explore on foot
The park can be explored on foot or by bicycle, following routes that connect tombs, stretches of Roman roads and other sites in the territory. It is a museum without a roof, where the distance between one monument and the next becomes part of the visit. Walking here helps you understand how extensive ancient Cortona was and how deeply it was tied to the valley.