Holiday apartment in Mercatale: Festivals, cycling and landscape

Mercatale between festivals, cycling and landscape

Mercatale combines a recurring summer event with cycling, festivals, sacred sites and surroundings where mountains, an island, a palace, a castle and museums provide distinct highlights. If you are planning a holiday apartment stay in Mercatale, you will therefore find several specific themes for your visit: regional cuisine, sporting experiences, culture and landscape can be weighted differently depending on your personal interests.

Summer evening with regional cuisine

Mercatale Sotto le Stelle is a recurring summer event. The edition announced for 1 August 2026 from 7 p.m. to midnight was the fifth edition. Mercatale Sotto le Stelle featured tagliatelle, porchetta, desserts, wines and regional products. There was also live music, DJ sets, children's entertainment and craft markets.

Cycling and festivities

The 2026 edition of the Gran Premio Città di Cortona was the 25th Trofeo Val di Pierle. The route for this edition included the Cima Protine climb, which is 3.3 kilometres long and has an average gradient of 6.1 percent.

Festivals are also part of the culture during the Carnival in Val di Pierle: on Sunday, 15 February 2026, a parade of allegorical floats travelled from Mengaccini via Lisciano Niccone to Mercatale. To access the Mercatale sports facility, contact U.P. Val di Pierle.

Church and culture in Mercatale

The parish of Mercatale is officially named “MERCATALE DI CORTONA” and has the alternative name “S. Maria in Val di Pierle”. The parish church of Santa Maria del Carmine contains two marble plaques bearing the names of those who fell in the First World War.

The Villa Guglielmi- Isola Maggiore palace is located in the surroundings of Mercatale. The Castello Di Coceto castle is also nearby. Other attractions include the Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca museum and the Museo Diocesano Del Capitolo museum.

Landscaping highlights

The Monte Maestrino mountain is located in the immediate surroundings of Mercatale. The Monte Castel Giudeo mountain, the Alta San Egidio mountain and the Isola Minore island are also in the surrounding area.

Choosing the right holiday apartment in Mercatale

The different focal points can be helpful when choosing your accommodation. Cycling enthusiasts may focus on the competition and the route featuring the Cima Protine climb, while those interested in culture may wish to prioritise the parish, parish church, palace, castle and museums. Anyone looking for regional cuisine, music, crafts and children's entertainment will find a distinct event focus at Mercatale Sotto le Stelle. This allows you to choose your holiday apartment according to the type of stay that matters most to you and your fellow travellers.

Other places to include in your plans

For further travel planning, you can also include Camucia, Pergo Di Cortona, Montanare, Barullo-Centoia, Terontola, Col Di Morro, Chianacce and Fratticciola in your itinerary.

For the overarching travel overview: Cortona.