Santa Rita’s Red Roses – Always
On May 22nd, the feast of the beloved 15th-c. Umbrian saint, Santa Rita di Cascia, I always take red roses... View article
Anne's Blog / Folklore
Covid-19 Has Assisi’s Calendimaggio On Hold
May 5th, our second day of “liberation” from that full lockdown which has kept us all at home since March... View article
Terni, the “Love City” of Umbria
Just after Valentine’s Day, over one hundred engaged couples – each woman holding a rose – celebrated their love in... View article
Perugia: Celebrating San Costanzo with Il Torcolo
On January 29th – the Feast of San Costanzo (Perugia’s first bishop and one of the town’s three patron saints)... View article
With a Bonfire and Chestnuts, Assisi Awaits La Madonna
That huge crackling and spitting focaraccio (literally, “big ugly fire” i.e., “bonfire”) near Assisi’s massive medieval fortress, La Rocca Maggiore,... View article
Cannara’s Onion Festival: an Umbria Highlight
Sharing tasty food with family and friends is often a week-end outing in central Italy from early spring to late... View article
October 4th in Assisi: St. Francis Feted
In a past note on the Assisi’s October 4th festivities for the Feast of St. Francis, I started by summing... View article
Montefalco Wines Star: Sagrantino…and Not Only
The hills undulating down from Montefalco are laced with vineyards of the Sagrantino, a prized grape indigenous a to very... View article
Gnocchi with Peppa…..Without the Malocchio
How to refuse when Peppa calls us to ask, “Ho fatto gnocchi oggi. Venite a cena? (“I made gnocchi today... View article
Bolsena: Treasured Wash-day Memories
On an August Saturday night, groups of musicians and singers filled the Bolsena piazzas and wandered down the town’s winding... View article
Agenzia Viaggi Stoppini in Assisi handles all technical support for my guided visits (bus transportation, organization of meals, etc)