Head to Gubbio during the first days in May and you’ll see signs of “Ceri fever” all over town. May 15th, la Corsa dei Ceri – one of the greatest medieval festivals…
“The medieval tower leapt straight up into the air when the bomb went off,” Signor Fausto told me, “….and then disintegrated into chunks of rock.” I asked if anyone was hurt. “No,…
La passione – certainly in the Italian DNA – takes over at a young age. In early May during Assisi’s Calendimaggio, the town’s medieval history, poetry, music, theater is recreated with passione by…
Tuscany borders our Umbria on the north and on the west and now and then, we head off (by car or on Pino’s motorcycle) for a week-end of discoveries. As in any…
During my Umbrian hilltown guided tours, I’m always pointing out examples of Italian passione; after all, if you don’t get la passione, you don’t get a hold on Italy. Examples are endless…
When you walk Assisi, the medieval splendors leap out at you around every corner. Panoramic vistas spread in the valley below. You’ll want to try to capture the magic in your photos.…
Ah, Perugia, “city of the infinite view”, as Henry James wrote. Pre-Roman Etruscan city gates, a stunning 13th-c. fountain, frescoed and wood-inlaid guild halls, a majestic medieval courthouse, a 15th-c Papal fortress,…
He could only hobble across the stage, head of fuzzy white hair bobbing, sax clutched in a strong gnarled fist. The knees and hips of Sonny Rollins – soon to be eighty-two…
Italy’s recent loss to Spain in the European cup was “meritata” as countless Italian newscasters and fans all over the country admitted in interviews. But what a glorious show of Italian passione…
“It’s written on the wall” is the most apt expression to describe a wander through Visso, medieval hilltown not far from Norcia, close to the Sibilline mountains. As you walk through this…