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,…
Not just Giuseppa’s generosity abounds – as Doug and Wendy wrote after lunch with her – but so does the goodness! Let Becky and Marcello’s group tell you about the joy of feasting with Giuseppa in her Deruta countryside farrmhouse:: “Giuseppa welcomed us into her home and provided us a meal that was cooked with…
A rural feast with Giuseppa in her farmhouse in the Deruta countryside is one of the highlights my Deruta tours. Simply ask George and Michelle. And here’s Michelle’s comment on our Deruta full-day tour: “….what an incredible day! We thoroughly enjoyed Annie’s tour of Deruta, showcasing the process of producing maiolica pottery. Afterward Annie pointed…
During an Assisi guided tour, tour guests often ask me if San Francesco is the patron saint of Assisi. Per niente! (“For nothing”, ie., “no way”). San Rufino, 3rd-century martyred bishop, is Assisi’s patron saint and San Francesco is the much-loved patron saint of all of Italy. If you’re ever in Assisi on his feast…
On September 8th – Festa della Nativita’ della Beata Vergine Maria (Nativity of the Blessed Viirgin) – the locals of the area of “upper Assisi” (near the Cathedral of San Rufino) join together in a procession as the Beata Vergine is carried on the shoulders of members of a medieval confraternity from the Cathedral of…