SINGULAR AND DEGENERATE EVOLUTION PROBLEMS

Cortona (Italy), June 23-27, 2014


Information

Registration
Abstract Submission
Cortona
How to get to Cortona
How to get to Palazzone
Accommodation
Meals
Weather
Home

Registration

In order to register (no conference fee is required), please copy and paste the text below, fill it in, and e-mail it back to

singdeg2014@gmail.com

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First name:
Last name:
Affiliation:
E-mail:
Personal URL:

Deadline for registration is May 15, 2014.
A limited financial support for young participants is available. In case a young participant wants to apply for such a support, he/she is kindly requested to explicitly write it in the registration email.

Abstract submission

There is there is the possibility to present a very small number of short communications; if you would like to apply, the submission of an

abstract before April 20, 2014

is required. Abstracts should contain the title and the full author's address and not exceed one page. Please submit an abstract in plain text, TeX, or LaTeX to the conference e-mail:

singdeg2014@gmail.com

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Cortona

The Roman poet Virgil considered Cortona founded by the mythical Dardano. The city subsequently became Umbrian, Etruscan and Roman, and then in 1200 a free commune under Uguccio Casali. The medieval history of Cortona ended with its annexation first to the Florentine Republic and then to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. More than 2000 years of history are found in Cortona and this makes it one of the most unique and fascinating cities in central Italy.

Cortona is built on the crest of Monte Sant-Egidio and is surrounded by a massive ancient city-wall that for the most part corresponds to or is made up of walls built during the Etruscan period. Looking from the top of the city walls, one can see one of the finest and widest views in Italy; the wide fertile plain of the Valdichiana, with the mountains of Siena at the far end and the great shining expanse of Lake Trasimeno in the distance. Large parts of the early Etruscan walls are visible outside and inside the Porta Montanina (Gate of Montanina), the walls below the Cathedral as far as the Porta S. Maria (Gate of St. Mary) and the area near the Porta Ghibellina (Gate of Ghibelline). The walls, worn by centuries of wind and weather, have an elongated rectangular form and encircle the perimeter of Cortona. Ancient city gates open out of the walls onto various roads winding up from the valley below.

Other remains of Etruscan and Roman buildings can still be seen within the city walls: the Etruscan drain near the Porta S. Maria, the Roman-Etruscan drain and Etruscan barrel vault near the Porta S. Agostino, and the Bagni di Bacco Roman baths in the area of the Church of St. Anthony (Chiesa di S. Antonio). Evidence of the Etruscan civilization survives among the impressive religious and secular buildings from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and beyond. The Chiesa di S. Cristoforo (Church of St. Christopher) is erected on the ruins of an ancient Romanesque parish church.

The architecture of Cortona is often a mixture of periods and styles, revealing layers of history. The Gothic churches of S. Francesco and S. Domenico, the fifteenth century San Niccolò and the late sixteenth century Santa Maria Nuovo represent typical architectural conventions of their time. The outlying Santa Maria della Grazie al Calcinaio, whose construction began in 1483 according to plans drawn by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, is a noble building of rare elegance, simplicity and harmony. The city's steep ancient streets open up to breathtaking views of the Valdichiana (Chiana Valley) and reveal an urban fabric where houses are built in the light-colored local stone with their upper floors jutting out on wooden corbels. These private dwellings alternate with imposing public buildings such as the Palazzo del Comune and the Palazzo Pretorio. The Palazzo Pretorio has a Renaissance facade and houses the respected Etruscan Academy as well as a valuable, well- known library.

Cortona's painting tradition was dominated by the Sienese tradition throughout the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The dramatic Crucifix panel by Pietro Lorenzetti, now in the Museo Diocesano, is an excellent example of the influence of the Sienese school. The Museo Diocesano houses a number of important paintings and the most well-known is probably Fra Angelico's Annunciation. The 16th century church of San Niccolò houses fine paintings by the 15th century painter Luca Signorelli.

The flowering of artistry has been constant throughout Cortona's history. In the 20th century, a native Cortonese, Gino Severini - the great cubist, futurist and modernist painter, friend of Picasso, Modiglini, Braque and Matisse - returned to Cortona in the years following WWII and created a series of mosaics depicting the Stations of the Cross, which line the steep street of Via Santa Margherita.


Your may find more infos at the url's:

cortonaweb.net
www.accademia-etrusca.org

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How to get to Cortona

by plane

Florence [FLR], Perugia [PEG], and Pisa airports [PSA] are the closest ones; Rome Fiumicino [FCO], Milan Malpensa [MXP], Milan Linate [LIN], and Bologna [BLQ] airports are also convenient - e.g. there are fast shuttle trains (no. 8 & no. 128) from Fiumicino Aeroporto directly to both Roma Termini and Roma Tiburtina railway stations [Note: for many destinations, transferring at Roma Tiburtina is faster and more convenient than Roma Termini]. In Milan, take the direct shuttle bus or train from Malpensa airport to Milano Centrale train station if you are transferring to a train; if you are going to stay in downtown Milano instead of taking a train immediately to another city there's an express shuttle which goes to several of the metro (subway) stations. In Florence, take the direct shuttle bus from the airport to the Santa Maria Novella (Firenze S.M.N.) train station.

by train

Train tickets can be purchased directly at any departure railway station. Remember that tickets must be stamped by the yellow devices located inside the station before getting on the train.
Cortona is on the line Florence - Rome. You should check for your train to stop either at the Terontola-Cortona station or the Camucia-Cortona station. You can view the italian railways timetable or the german railways timetable in order to find a train and check that it actually stops in one of the above stations.
The Terontola station is 11 km. from Cortona and the Camucia station is 5 km. from Cortona. There is a regular bus service between Cortona and the railway stations. Please note that the service is less frequent on sundays and that tickets must be purchased at the newspaper stand in Camucia or at the cafeteria in front of the railway station in Terontola and not on the bus. The bus schedules for Sunday June 22nd will be:
departures from Camucia (train station) to Cortona: to be checked
departures from Terontola (train station) to Cortona: to be checked.
Here you find a complete bus schedule (bad quality jpeg). Moreover, you also have taxis.

by car

From A1 (either north- or southbound) take the Valdichiana exit. After you pay your toll, turn to the right. At 0.5 km from the tollbooth take the Perugia Superstrada (direction Perugia). Continue on it for 12.3 km to the Cortona/Camucia exit. In just under 3 km you'll see Cortona on the hill. Follow the signs to Cortona; about 7 km further you'll be at the city walls.



Here you have a simplyfied road map

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How to get to the Palazzone

To arrive at the Palazzone, the 16th century Villa Passerini, you should take the usual road for access to Cortona and just before coming into town you will find a place where three roads meet; here you take the little road going down to the right which has a yellow sign saying “Il Palazzone”; taking this road that leads to Contesse you will come to a fork where there is another yellow sign and go left for the Palazzone. It is on the South-East of Cortona and it is about 2 km from the town. As there is no bus connection between Cortona and the Palazzone, participants will enjoy a wonderful walk in the Tuscan country.


Here you have a map of downtown Cortona

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Accommodation

We offer a hotel reservation service. In case a participant needs such a service, he/she is kindly requested to point it out explicitly in the registration message. The speakers will be directly booked by the Organizing Committee.

We suggest the following accommodations:

Hotel S. Michele****, via Guelfa 15, phone +39-0575-604348, fax +39-0575-630147
Hotel S. Luca***, piazza Garibaldi 2, phone +39-0575-630460, fax +39-0575-630105
Hotel Oasi Neumann***, via delle Contesse 1, phone +39-0575-630354, fax +39-0575-630354
Hotel Italia***, via Ghibellina 5/7, phone +39-0575-630254, fax +39-0575-605763
Villa Santa Margherita, via Cesare Battisti 17, phone +39-0575-630336, fax +39-0575-630549
Below you may find a list of accommodations in Cortona.

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Meals

During the meeting days June 23 - 27 lunch will be offered to all participants and served directly at the Palazzone. As for dinners, participants will easily find restaurants in town.

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Weather

June in Tuscany may range from mild to hot. In general, we may expect temperatures in the mid 70's (Farenheit) or 25-30 (Celsius). We suggest also to bring some good walking shoes.

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