In early May, four days of medieval majesty in Assisi start with a blessing. The blessing of the banners of La Nobilissima Parte de Sopra (“the Most Noble Part of Upper”) take place in the Cathedral of San Rufino, focal point of “upper Assisi.” “Upper Assisi” (Sopra) is that area on the western end of…
Pino and I are often invited for a “simple” lunch at Peppa’s, elderly rural friend living here in the Assisi countryside – who quite simply prefers company at mealtimes. When calling me to invite us for meal, she’ll nearly always say, “Ma non ho molto da offrirvi oggi..” (“I don’t have much to offer you…
All over Italy, the outoor weekly markets offer tempting local goodness, seasonal and not only… In February, many stands at the Friday morning Bastia Umbra market near Assisi displayted juicy oranges and tangerines from southern Italy… Some vendors sold citrus fruits non trattati (“not treated” with pesticides)… Often flanking the oranges (a wintertime fruit) were finocchi…
When Italians wish to get a smile for a photograph, they urge “Dici ‘cheese!” Many of the photographed subjects don’t even know the meaning of “cheese” but they obediently repeat it with a wide smile. No point in saying “Dici ‘formaggio‘” because saying the Italian word for “cheese” turns the lips downward a bit. Not…
The creche scene competition (Concorso Presepi) is always a highlight of the Christmas season in Assisi – for the first crèche scene was a “living” one created by San Francesco in 1223 in Greccio (northern Latium). Throughout Assisi, artisanal crèche scenes appear in shop windows, hotel entryways, medieval alleyways and in civic buildings and churches. And…
Magnificent illumination highlights Assisi’s medieval monuments during the Christmas season. Quotes of San Francesco – beloved patron saint of all of Italy – are incorporated in the illumination of the splendid 13th-c. Basilica di San Francesco where the Saint is buried. The Basilica overlooks the valley below, la Valle Umbra Nord (the North Umbria Valley):…
A tractor adorned with fiscoli – those discs used in olive mills during the pressing – stood alone near the medieval church of Spello, Santa Maria Maggiore, an olive tree standing tall on the tractor trailer above the fiscoli: For the two days of Spello’s beloved oilve oil festival, that tractor and others would roll…
In late November, nets had been spread out under our olive trees as preparation for our harvest. One of our maremano sheep dogs surveyed the scene: In this video, you can see our son Keegan working with his abbachiatore (the olive harvester) – and the Italian term defines its task: “that which knocks down”.. Picking took…
Don’t overlook open church doors in Spello: one actually opens to the studio of a talented artist who creates his wonders in the de-consecrated church dedicated to San Michele Arcangelo. A poster on the side wall near the church entrance aptly describes the masterpieces of Marchionni: “Tra Sacro e Profano” (“Between the Sacred and the…
For over ten years, Assisi has celebrated the newly-pressed olive oil with the UNTO festival, lasting this year from October 31 to December 1st (the period of picking and pressing of olives). Olive mills in the area open their doors and countless UNTO festival activities celebrate l’olio nuovo: guided olive-oil tastings in local olive oil mills,…