The small Museo Diocesano in Cortona contains one painting that justifies the trip up the hill: Fra Angelico's Annunciation (1433-34). The angel Gabriel kneels before Mary in a loggia that looks exactly like Cortona's own architecture — pink columns, tiled floor, walled garden behind. The colors: pastel blue, rose, gold. The light: gentle, Umbrian, divine. Also: Luca Signorelli paintings (Cortona's hometown artist who influenced Michelangelo's Sistine ceiling). €5. Zero crowds.
Fra Angelico — Annunciation: The gold-winged angel kneels. Mary sits with a book. Between them: a column marking the boundary between divine and human space. The garden behind Mary is the Garden of Eden — the Incarnation reverses the Fall. Signorelli: Deposition + Communion of the Apostles — muscular, dramatic, proto-Michelangelo. Also: Roman sarcophagus (2nd century AD, Dionysiac scenes), Lorenzetti crucifix.
Practical: Piazza del Duomo 1. €5. Open Apr-Oct daily 10am-7pm, Nov-Mar Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. Duration: 30-45 min. Cortona complete guide →