Lea Woods McKnoulty is amongst other pusuits, an Australian writer who with her husband Paul Woods divides her time between Brisbane Australia and Cortona Italy.

‘I am often asked by friends back in Australia what keeps us here and how do we spend our time in Cortona. As those of you who are already full-timers or part-timers know, this home of ours in this pocket of Tuscany is many things to many people.

What a joy it has been discovering this corner of the world, so different from my birthplace. Its nuances hold me here, like a ‘girls own adventure’ did through books in my childhood. That was an escape I know and I sometimes wonder if this place is too? Here the mundane is never that. It is challenging, inspiring and oh so very beautiful in so many ways.

Our home has been standing within the walls of Cortona for hundreds of years, housing generations, families and individuals. In this ancient space I feel connected to the souls who lived here before me. It intrigues me to imagine them here, living their lives in simpler ways than probably I can ever contemplate. 

It was empty when we bought it, waiting for us to fill its crevices with ourselves. It was a gradual building of parts, some changed over and over until they felt at home with us. It was from shared stories with the many wonderful others that exist in this town and its surrounds that we found the once-elusive places of supply. Those excursions were many, fruitful and brought us great pleasure. Once completed there was even a sadness in knowing we were done. But ‘done’ is never really ‘done’ is it?

We have shared this space with family and friends, laughter and stories filling the space. I’ve held women’s circles here using the quiet to its best advantage.  We have made music here, created culinary wonders from the extraordinary local and seasonal produce, accompanied by the mellow notes of a local Syrah or Sangiovese. We sit and enjoy our fireplace, the view over the Valdichiana down to Lake Trasimeno and marvel at the changing light. We stroll the town, using its hills to keep fit in a way that’s far more enjoyable that any workout. We sample the sublime offerings of the many restaurants and bars, savouring it all as we make our way back down to our part of town. We visit the many beautiful nearby villages for day-trips or sometimes overnight there, of course happily confirming our own corner of Italy as far superior!

I have gently asked a spirit to move on from this place. Perhaps it lingered perhaps not but there is a quiet, wholesome energy to this home and indeed our village that upon every return softens yet enlivens me. Perhaps it is past souls who co-habit happily with my Irishman and me and we work together in harmony to maintain this energy but whatever it is you can feel it in your bones.’