l Cotone is the natural terrace of Proceno, a lookout that opens onto a wide and extraordinary panorama. Located at the highest point of the village, it is a place that combines landscape, memory and everyday life. Today it hosts a public garden with flower beds, trees, a fountain and a children's play area, but it has always been the point from which the village looks out onto the world.
From Cotone you can enjoy a wide and clear view of the Paglia Valley and the narrow and wild Stridolone Valley. The gaze takes in Mount Amiata , the Rocca di Radicofani , the lands of San Casciano dei Bagni , Mount Cetona , the green Mount Rufeno and the fortress of Torre Alfina . In the distance, on clear days, you can also make out the profiles of the Sibillini Mountains and Mount Vettore . Looking south, you can recognize the first offshoots of Acquapendente , the Valtieri plateau and, further on, the landscapes of the Maremma Grossetana, towards Sorano and Pitigliano.
A place of stories and legends
In the past, Cotone was just a clearing delimited by two tuff walls , with vegetable gardens to the north, a steep road towards the Church of San Martino and, to the south, an enormous boulder called " il Sassone ". The village children used to play on it until, on the morning of May 21, 1939, the boulder suddenly broke off with a crash that sounded like an earthquake.
A name, a mystery
The origin of the name "Cotone" is unclear. No written records mention the cultivation of the cotton plant in this area. Some believe it comes from the word “Costone,” meaning a steep slope, and that over time the “s” was dropped.
Whatever the true story, many people have always seen it as a place of peace and beauty, a quiet spot for lovers and a meeting point for those seeking silence, open skies and a connection with nature.
Where
Corso Regina Margherita, 2, 01020 Proceno VT, Italia
