Saturday, April 21, 2012
Day 17 (4/21) a little bit further from Sigillo
After breakfast (around 11 am as usual), the four of us embarked on another adventure. Lucy decided (after a thorough reading of a brochure about Umbria) that we should visit Foligno and Bo added Montefalco and Bevagna to the itinerary. In Foligno, which is quite a substantial city, we walk the mail street Corso Cavour and Lucy stopped by each Palazzo (and there were many) and read to us the history and description. At the main piazza we saw the catedrale and Palazzo Trenci, which is now a museum and houses the first edition of Dante’s La Divina Commedia, which was first published in Foligno.
From Foligno we drove to Montefalco, which is a lovely little town in a beautiful area full of vineyards and olive groves. The town is on a hill, with a magnificent view from the top. We got lucky because at 4 pm there was an official ceremony of returning a renovated fresco of Madonna to a little church of Santa Maria di Piazza so we followed the municipal officials draped in Italian flag sashes into the church for the ceremony.
From Montefalco we went to Bevagna. We visited Bevagna with Phil and Sybill, but at that time it was very clody and all the churches were closed. This time we got to Bevagna at the right time – the afternoon sun was hitting the main piazza and it was gorgeous. The churches were open and they were very impressive – from the 11th-12th century, Romanesque and very somber and stern. The town really felt alive with groups of young people walking around and old guys sitting and drinking by the bars.
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I believe the painting is of Borghesi in the Church of Saint Augustino, just before the Piazza on the left side as you approach the Piazza. The churches opened around the time of services only
ReplyDeleteRegarding the truffles, this time of year the truffles available are the weaker version, they call scorzoni. The season for truffles is primarily in the fall. I usually buy a box of 6 small jars to bring back. They are usually very good and I paid in the past 35 euros. At airport security they made me open the box because they detected fluid (oil). I was ok because the jars were less than 100 ml. The place where I buy them is just behind the cemetery continuing on that road and just to the left is a gated area where the is a building. If the gate is closed I ring the bell and go the building on the second floor is where I buy them. Theis is a whole sale house and they export to the US, various organic products, grains,etc.
Bevagna is a real jewel. I visited it two years ago with an engineer friend who lives in Laguna Beach and who originated from Foligno.
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