(Photo above thanks to Assisi News – www.assisinews.it) You might consider St. Francis of Assisi the patron saint of animals but Italians well-know that this honorific appellation belongs to St. Anthony Abbot,…
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In elegant ancient Roman garb, blonde-haired Greta told me with pride about her performances in Bolsena’s July 24th celebration of the lake-side town’s patron saint Cristina, I Misteri di Santa Cristina (those scenes…
The best way to recount the joys of touring Umbria for a week with Judy and Grady? Sharing Judy’s comment: “What a wonderful week of touring the Umbrian hill towns with Anne…
On a recent mid-March Spoleto guided tour, my tour guests and I spotted a shop window displaying perfume bottles flanked by branches of yellow mimosa tied with yellow bows: In harmony with…
Perched on a double-crested hill overlooking the Tiber River, Umbria hill town Todi – “the world’s most livable city” – commands distant views in every direction. Its “livable” appellation was attached to…
Medieval hill town Montefalco, – often called “the balcony of Umbria” – is noted for stunning views surrounding the town seen from every medieval alleyway.,… …… the splendid frescoes of the Church…
During the late 9th to early 10th century, Narni was both a stronghold of, and threatened by, the Saracens – the appellation in the Middle Ages for Muslim Arabs – as was…
In Italy, the patron saints of cities, towns and villages are feted with joy, emotion, grande passione and splendid celebratory events rooted in local traditions and history. In Umbria medieval gem, Narni,…
I hadn’t missed Assisi’s evocative morning Good Friday procession in years. Until last year, due to COVID restrictions. And, ahimè – alas – there won’t be a Good Friday Processione del Cristo Morto (“Procession…
I dropped in recently at Assisi’s Cathedral of San Rufino: I needed a couple photos. Built in the 12th-century on the site of the martyrdom of Assisi’s first bishop and patron saint…