Climb to the Heavens:
Viewing Fresco Restoration
in Assisi (9/2002)MUST READ! Five years ago today, 2 areas of the frescoed vault of the Upper Basilica di San Francesco here in Assisi, crashed to the floor when an earthquake struck. The frescoed vault section over the door has just been returned to the world.
Medieval May Festival in Assisi
In the medieval hilltown of Assisi committees have been meeting
nightly since February to plan this year's traditional salute to spring,
the Calendimaggio.
Spielberg Honors Assisi Priest (1/2003)
Don Aldo, close to 89 years old, assisted the
bishop of Assisi in hiding Jewish refugees in World War II. For this event,
Spielberg chose to interview Don Aldo along with three other direct witnesses.
La Fiera di San Francesco... What a Market! The day after the St. Francis Feast Day, Oct 5th, the GRANDISSIMO annual open street
market, la Fiera di San Francesco, winds its way through the medieval
streets of the town.
Here Comes the Pope! (1/2002)
When the helicopter was sighted, the crowds below started to yell in exultation,
"viva il Papa!" ... as did the friar, who was jumping
up and down in excitement.
UMBRIA
Why Umbria Entices "I have never seen anything more pleasing", said St. Francis
of his own Umbria, often called Italy’s green heart.
January Festivals (Join the Locals) Special feast days highlight January here in
Umbria, making it a wonderful time to visit. Mediterranean winter: clear,
crisp days in the 30's and 40's, hilltown gems empty of tourists, lower
prices and the opportunity to share in le feste with the locals.
Catecuccio: Eating and Dancing with "the Locals" (2/2006) Carnevale is in full swing now. And I do mean "full swing": the rural people exuberate in ballroom dancing (after banquet meals!) every Friday and Saturday night, as well as Sunday afternoons.
Baking in the Outdoor Bread Oven (2/2005)
Pizza
is Naples' famous quickbread. The Umbrians, too, have a quickbread: torta al testo (torta generally means "cake" in Italian
- but not here in the Region of Umbria, where it denotes a delicious hearth
bread).
Easter Monday in Montone, Umbria I've lived here in Umbria, "Italy's green heart", for well over
25 years... and finally this past year was able to attend the celebration
of the Sacra Spina ("Sacred Thorn") in the tiny walled
medieval castle-village of Montone, about 25 miles north of Perugia.
Walking Umbria and Tuscany in May Walk through the green hills of Tuscany and Umbria with a "simpaticissimo",
knowledgeable guide: my friend Alessandro. Enjoy regional wine and cuisine
in country inns and wine cellars owned by Ale's friends.
Walking Tours in Umbria My Umbrian friend, Manuela, is a superb cook, botanist, and the only fluent
(her husband is American) English-speaking licensed nature guide in our
region of Umbria. If you wish to enjoy a hiking experience
through the unsurpassed beauties of Umbria, "Italy's green heart",
you'll enjoy her tours.
Sagra: Joining a Local Festival(4/2003) We've been attending the local sagre (singular: sagra) or
country festivals since our arrival here in Umbria nearly 30 years ago
and we certainly do have favorites
A "Wonder" at Umbria Jazz
- Perugia (7/2004) The hit of Umbria Jazz 2004
in Perugia this July was the 15-year-old Sicilian sax player Francesco
"Wonder Boy" Cafiso (so baptized when he played Carnegie Hall
last May with Wynton Marsalis).
2-Day FESTAtour: Gubbio, La Verna and Assisi St. Francis of Assisi died October 3, 1226 after sunset and so his Feast
day is October 4th. Join us as we celebrate the San Francesco following
in his footsteps in a 2-day FESTAtour which delightfully combines
the "sacred and profane"...!
October: Black Celery Festival(10/2005) Because Trevi's celery is not just any celery, this tiny Umbrian hilltown
dedicates its most important annual festival to the apium graveoleus,
a dark celery variety cultivated in Italy only in the outskirts of Trevi.
Olive Oil and Truffles: Umbria's Diamonds(11/2005)
Umbria is the only region of Italy's 20 regions which boasts only DOP
olive oils. DOP ("denominazione origine protetta") signifies
that the specific item in question may be produced only from ingredients
from that specific and limited area.
November 25th: "Umbria's Diamonds" FESTAtour This new afternoon/evening tour will entice those whose palates wish to
savor art and history as well as Umbria's two gastronomical "diamonds":
olive oil and truffles.
Christmas in Umbria The crib scene originated in Assisi with St. Francis who was the first to
create a "living manger scene".... In 1223 (3 years before his
death), St. Francis decided to celebrate the memory of the birth of Christ
at Greccio (south of Assisi, in northern Latium).
Raphel Fresco Just Discovered!(5/2003) "C'e un Raffaello a Cerqueto" ("A Raphael in Cerqueto"...!)
leapt off the front page of Corriere dell'Umbria on Saturday, May
17, 2003. On the following Sunday, my husband Pino, one of our sons, Keegan
(23) and I attended the conference in the little town (pop. 500) of Cerqueto
(Marsciano) - not far from Perugia.
