Viterbo’s Wonder, La Macchina di Santa Rosa

Curiosities, Festivals, History, Other Italy Favorites2 Comments

“La macchina di Santa Rosa” is not the “car” of Santa Rosa, nor of anyone for that matter: it’s not even a car…but a “construction”, to put it in very understated simple terms. Imagine a curvaceous steel, aluminum, fibre glass tower of gold, silver, greens and ochre, nearly thirty meters tall, weighing around 5 tons, illuminated with 1200 LED lights decorated with 900 handmade textile roses, 9 tall and delicate angels – and carried on the backs of over 100 men through dark medieval backstreets lined with “the locals”, awaiting with bated breath….and you are JUST beginning to get a sense of the wonder.
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We Have a New Nest – but not an Empty One!

Special Events, Umbrian Hilltowns16 Comments

When you are next in Umbria, why not stay in “Il Nido Tranquillo” (“The Tranquil Nest”)? The name perfectly fits this snug little apartment for two in the quiet medieval backstreets of Assisi, just off the main square – yet in perfect silence. Small, basic, in the “spirito francescano”: one small bedrooom with double bed, tiny sitting room with sofa bed and TV connecting to a fully-equipped kitchenette for two.
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Peppe, Gentile…and the New Wine…

Food/Wine Lore, Rural Friends, Rural LifeLeave a comment

Last white grapes still to be picked[/caption]“Poco ma buono” , wine experts unanimously declare the 2012 vintage. The lack of rain and intense summer heat hampered the proper maturation of the grapes, resulting in a drastic drop in grape production, though the quality of the wines should be excellent. Claudio Riponi, head of the Departimento di Vinicoltura ed Enologia dell’Università di Bologna, assures “qualita’ buona”, explaining that this summer’s hot and dry temperatures protected the grapes from disease.
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