Ah, Italy, land of the endless discoveries. And although we’ve lived in the glorious region of Umbria, “Italy’s green heart,” for over fifty years, Pino and I are still continually discovering new…
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Floral tapestries carpet the winding medieval streets of more than one Umbrian town for the Feast of Corpus Domini (60 days after Easter – and June 2nd this year.,) but Spello, Umbrian…
For four days in early May (May 8 – 11 in 2024), the assisani unite in grande passione in their festival celebrating the arrival of spring, Calendimaggio. Work goes on for months…
My Perugia/Deruta tour is a favorite…and a rural feast with dear Giuseppa at her farmhouse near Deruta is always a highight of that day. Recent tour guests, Scott and Sheryl can confirm…
Madonna Primavera – Lady Spring – will reign in glory over Assisi’s early May festival, Calendimaggio. On April 30th, five damigelle (damsels) from “Upper” Assisi, La Nobilissima Parte di Sopra (“The Most Noble…
In the Umbria countryside, our rural neighbors still bake even more than a dozen cheesebreads in their outdoor bread ovens…or nowadays, in their indoor gas ovens. Our dear rural friend, Peppa –…
As you enter the 13th-c. Cathedral of San Rufino in Assisi, head to the right to see the baptismal font where St. Francis and St. Clare were both baptized; following this tradition,…
In mid-March, the Umbrian city of Foligno becomes an open market – il Mercato Europeo – as over 80 vendors offer cuilinary goodness and artisan creations from their booths lining the Foligno…
After over a year’s work by skilled young fresco restoration experts in Assisi’s stunning Basilica di San Francesco, the late 13th-c. fresco Cimabue fresco la Maesta’ has returned to splendor: The unveiling…
For the past thirty years in late December, the Umbria Jazz Winter festival livens up the medieval hill town of Orvieto, bringing in the New Year with a musical blast of jazz,…