Assisi’s Glorious Day: Festa di San Francesco

Festivals, Umbrian Hilltowns7 Comments

San Francesco is not the patron saint of our Assisi: He is the patron saint of all Italy along with Catherine of Siena. Most Italians aren’t practicing Catholics. Let’s just call them “cultural Catholics”. Example: ask an Italian, “Sei cattolico?” “Certo!” will be the answer. Then ask about last Mass attended. A likely reply: “a Natale” (“for Christmas”). Catholic or not, you don’t mess with the name of San Francesco in this country. He is “Numero Uno” for the Italians. And Alessandro del Piero is only Numero Due (greatest Italian soccer player?)…
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Sirolo, Seaside Treasure of the Marches Region

Other Italy Favorites3 Comments

“Center of the Adriatic, center of Italy, center of the heart,” reads a brochure at the Sirolo Tourist Office. Sirolo certainly has a place in our hearts. When we have a free summer weekend, Pino and I often set out on his moto Guzzi heading through the mountainous Marche region to Sirolo, “la Riviera dell’Adriatico”, as Italians call this rocky stretch of seacoast, just south of Ancona.
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The Colorful Sicilian Island, Ustica

Other Italy Favorites2 Comments

More than anything, the island of Ustica evokes images of colors: bright intense colors, muted pastel colors. First of all the blues, the greens: The translucent acquamarine and emerald brilliance of the surrounding sea are highlighted by the black volcanic rock of this wondrous island, just off the northwestern coast of Sicily. Maritime pines, the pungent wild fennel, fig trees, date palms and caper vines crawling the lava-rock stone walls blend in varied shades of green.
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