Cortona Sessions for New Music
June 28 - July 12, 2015
open to student and emerging composers & performers of any instrument / voice type
About Cortona
The historic Etruscan village of Cortona is located in the glorious, sun-bathed region of Tuscany in Central Italy. A town filled with old-world charms, Cortona captures the hearts of all who visit it, and gives a perfect taste of the true dolce vita. Rising to fame several years ago as the real-life setting of the movie Under the Tuscan Sun, Cortona remains a relatively undiscovered gem.
Visit the links below to learn more about this magical place, and then join us for a wonderful summer of music making!
www.cortonaweb.net
www.discovertuscany.com
The Hotel Oasi Neumann
The Hotel Oasi Neumann is the beautiful and historic home of the Cortona Sessions. Panoramic views looking out over the Val di Chiana towards Umbria in the south and Montepulciano in the west greet you every morning as you sip on espresso and eat breakfast on the terrace. A leisurely stroll through the gardens provides a perfect meditative break from reality. The Hotel Oasi provides us with multiple spaces for performance, rehearsal, and practice and the friendly staff is always eager to help and answer any questions.
History of the Hotel Oasi Neumann (from hotel website):
Hotel Oasi Neumann came to be long ago in 1225, thanks to the generous Cortonese Agnolo di Ranieri, who built the structure and donated it to the Damianites (today the Order of St. Clare) who stayed there until 1237. In 1290 the monastery was entrusted to the Benedictine Sisters by Countesses Bandinucci dei Conti di Cegliolo and Giasconi dei Conti di Montemaggio; from then on it took on the name “Le Contesse” (The Countesses). In 1945, Bishop Petrella united the canonesses of Santa Caterina Monastery with those of Le Contesse, the number of resident nuns of the latter thus being greatly increased. At the beginning of the 18th century, the church was redone and enlarged according to the design of Architect Jannelli, consecrated by Bishop Puccini and dedicated to the Our Lady of the Assumption.
On April 20, 1782, by order of Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo, Le Contesse Monastery was abolished, despite the fact that it had been flourishing with cultural activities of the day. This was perhaps to spite the noble Cortonese families almost all of which had daughters there, or to seize the monastery’s considerable fortune. In the second half of the 19th century, the grounds and buildings were acquired by the monastery of the Holy Trinity and rented out to laymen who turned it into a silkworm breeding farm.
The devastation ended in 1891 when the Redemptorists bought the church and grounds, launching a massive renovation project led by Architect Mirri. From 1891 until 1966 it was used as a seminary, leaving its mark even during the two World Wars: Le Contesse served its country in those tragic occasions as a military hospital. After 1967, due to the downturn in religious vocations, the student residence was transferred to Rome and Le Contesse's activities were redirected. In 1973 Father Tommaso Natalizia laid the foundations for the present-day Hotel Oasi Neumann.