Unusual July rainy weather did not keep us away from the gnocchi sagra (a village food festival) in San Giovanni Profiamma near Foligno. I’d never seen the interior of the 12th-c. Romanesque church there and…
Probably an hour after participating in the 4th-c martyrdom scene of Santa Cristina – patron saint of Bolsena and feted in late July in two days of medieval street theater – young…
As we arrived in Bolsena on July 24th, the locals were gathering together in front of the 14th-century castle across the road from the San Salvatore church. At the conclusion of the Mass…
“Ospedaletto” literally means “a small place offering hospitality” – and in fact, the ospedale in the Middle Ages gave rest, respite, and nourishment to the pilgrims trekking through Europe. And not only: housing…
The brass band from Florence, Funk Off, always wows the crowds at Umbria Jazz in Perugia in July. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the gemellaggio (literally, “twinning”) – or sister city tie…
For the celebration of Corpus Domini (sixty days after Easter), the floral tapestries of Spello – le Infiorate – are certainly the most famous here in Umbria. You need a full morning to stroll…
Of course you need days to uncover all the wonders of medieval Assisi. But if you’re there in the summertime, do take an afternoon or evening pause to head to the tiny…
Memorable adventures can even start with just an espresso in a small-town bar. Pino and I had stopped at the only cafe in Rioveggio, a wink of a town in the Bolognesi…
In early July, they told us at Castelluccio di Norcia that the wildflower varieties were fewer this year and the colors less intense due to drastic climate alteration. May 2019 was cold…
On May 15th, friends and I relished our serene drive from Assisi through lush green Umbria springtime splendor to Gubbio. But on arrival in medieval hilltop gem, Gubbio, I knew we’d leave…










