Umbrian Pilgrimage

Neighbouring Umbria seems to twist and turn beside Tuscany and we dip in and out of each region for the next week. Our chosen accommodation turned out to be rather isolated and was very much in the Umbrian countryside. The water wheel  for two was delightful and charmingly renovated. The kitchen, living room and bedroom sat one on top of each other over 3 floors and included the most gorgeous round swimming pool. We were in tobacco country and I suppose it has to be grown somewhere for all those dirty smokers out there.

Heading to Sansepolcro to view the art of Piero Della Francesca we stopped at two enchanting medieval towns. They are always perched on top of a hill for strategic purposes and safety for their inhabitants and visiting is a matter of winding your way up the hill, finding the allocated parking site and walking through the cobbled narrow alleys to the church or castle at the top and for many towns several churches all surrounding the central Piazza.  Poppi had a wonderful fortress which commanded excellent views but I think the most beautiful medieval village was Anghiari. It seemed  perfectly preserved and looked so ancient in the midday sun. The main road from the village  took us directly from the medieval town straight down the valley to Sansepolcro. Sunday meant the Italians were all out for a midday family lunch and the roads were very busy especially with groups of huge motor bikes.  I was thrilled to revisit the art of Piero della Francesca and wish I had a better knowledge and understanding of Art History. In the next few days we immersed ourselves in the 12th -15^thcentury and early renaissance art and will  definitely be going home to reread George Varsari’s book ‘ Lives of the Artists’  Fabulous frescoes, church alter pieces, paintings, mosaics, and sculptures filled the religious sites from hundreds of influential artists like Cimabue, Giotto, Luca Signorelli, and there was an awful lot of Maddonna’s with a very strange-looking Christ child.

Days visiting Cortona and Arezzo, Umbertide and Gubbio were always off the motorways and through little villages. The roads in Italy are shocking and it was constantly bumpy with terribly uneven surfaces needing repair. Finding a trattoria for lunch offering local food was imperative and the old rule of walking out of the main piazza always works. The selection is always from the local region and most are serving wonderful air-dried meats, pecorino cheeses, the ripest flavoursome tomatoes and of course pasta. I can never get away from Caprese salad and you have to have melon and prosciutto at least once or twice!!!

We can appreciate but not really understand the medieval town. How everyone must have virtually lived on top of one another and in such close proximity. Narrow alleys, lots and lots of steps and acres of terracotta tiles.

Umbria has the most gorgeous Medieval villages to choose from : Gubbio, Spello, Trevi, Spoleto, Bevagna, Montefalco, Todi and many more. They all have a lot of churches full of fabulous art and very narrow streets – On one occasion we ended up in the middle of Todi and had to pull in the wing mirrors to slowly edge down a street ( very Stressful ). The basilicas and local churches are huge buildings that are mighty impressive and none more so than the pink travertine on the Basilica St Francis Assisi which is filled with the sublime Giotto frescoes. We have learnt that by arriving late in the afternoon ensures you miss most of the crowds and provides a quiet time to enjoy an aperol spritz in the sun.

Contrasts blended together, from the intricate glazed terracotta of Deruta that decorate the beautiful porticoes above doorways, to ancient wooden doors probably never opened for many years to the colourful and beautiful pot plants  lined in every doorway in Spello. Life is busy, modern and vibrant in a medieval village and what a treat to explore, appreciate and glimpse into daily activities here, where the past is such a vital and integral part of living in a heritage site but, also coping with thousands of tourists 24/7.

In the middle Ages people were tourists because of their religion, whereas now they are tourists because tourism is their religion