For many in Umbria, Christmastime is inextricably linked to visits to the presepi viventi (“living crib scenes”) of medieval villages surrounding Assisi. The first to bring the Nativity scene alive was San Francesco in…
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For periods of contemplation, meditation and restoration ,St. Francis of Assisi often withdrew to various retreats – grottoes, caves, primitive huts – in the areas of Italy now known as Tuscany, Abruzzo,…
Pino and I headed into Latium to the Franciscan sanctuary of Greccio on our first icy cold December day. We headed into the Valnerina and then south into Latium, medieval villages perched…
On this December 7th at nightfall, we weren’t able to gather around the towering blazing bonfire – il focaraccio (literally, “big ugly fire”) – up at Assisi’s 14th-c. fortress, la Rocca Maggiore. Due to COVID, the…
Why not give gold as a gift this year? “Liquid gold”: Extra-virgin olive oil of Umbria, “Italy’s green heart.” Our son Keegan is offering you some of the best, an olive oil…
There’s usually a life-sized creche scene on the lawn in front of Assisi’s majestic Basilica di San Francesco, right across the street from the Bar San Francesco of the Angeletti family. Since…
Glorious Naples is not only the Italian capital of pizza but also of espresso; in fact, here in Umbria if we wish to compliment the coffee of a local coffee bar, we…
Perched on a porous volcanic rock plateau, the geology of Orvieto is characterized by layers of volcanic materials, such as lava, ash, and pumice, permitting the easy creation of caves, cisterns, tunnels…
As you enter the Cappella di San Brizio in the Orvieto Duomo (cathedral), the venerated Madonna di San Brizio will be facing you, reigning over the altar. Constructed in the 15th-century in the place of…
What has always uniquely characterized Orvieto is the harmony of the surrounding countryside with the tufaceous rock plateau on which this medieval gem sits: The thunderous action of an ancient volcano…