Umbria in English: visit

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zaterdag 25 januari 2014

A piece of Paradise in Perugia

Without neglecting the many other lovely spots in the city of Perugia, I would like to tell you about one in particular. Hidden behind the San Pietro Church there´s - very well kept by the Agricultural College of the University of Perugia – the Orto Medievale (medieval garden).

Typical for those times, the design of the garden is based upon a lot of symbols. I am not going to reveal all of them, but you can ask for a map 1, available in several languages, that explains them so you can completely understand them and make sure you won´t miss anything.

The first, oval shaped part of the garden represents Paradise. In the oval are three circles, each with a tree. The first tree is the Albero della Vita (tree of life), in the middle, on a `mountain` stands the Albero della Luce e della Scienza (tree of light and knowledge).

Four little wells spring forth from the mountain, called water, wine, milk and honey.

The last circle contains the Albero della Conoscenza del Bene e del Male (tree of knowledge of good and bad). You won´t be suprised that this last tree is a fig.

The centre of this Paradise is divided in twelve equal parts symbolizing the Zodiac. Each part contains the herbal plant that belongs to its zodiac sign.

Outside of Eden, you reach the Dark Forest that represents the Bad, the Sin. Yet, it´s is also the Holy Forest, with a.o. The Tree of Perfection, Tree of Spirit and the Tree of The Cross.

In the tower next to the Dark Forest you can see a reconstruction of an alchemist´s laboratory, before entering the second zone of the holy forest where the Tree of Justice, the Tree of Youth and many many others reign.

Leaving the forest you step into the Garden of Health that hosts many medical herbs, followed by the Holistic garden with its aromatic herbs. There, seven little round basins symbolize the influence of the stars. Below the so called Podium, a small cave contains purifying water running from two little falls.

Descending again you will reach the Theatrum that is built on the remains of an ancient fountain and a patio which is covered by vines and roses.

Passing an ancient sarcophagus you will return to the entrance. I would not be surprised if the only thing on your mind, like it was on mine, will be `I want to walk back in again.`

1 The explanation is based upon `Il Giardino dello Spirito` (Alessandro Menghini)

EVOO 2013

I wrote about the frantoi aperti before but being here in Umbria in fall means being immersed in olives, oil, catching nets, trees, rastrelli (rakes), coffins and more often than not you´ll see people in stained working clothes. There´s simply no way to avoid it.

Almost every village has its frantoio, the mill, where the local famers have their olives pressed and while waiting, have a bruschetta from the fire to taste the olio novello.

Once a year, to show the less fortunate how the process from growing olives to picking them and turn them into this liquid gold proceeds, the frantoi aperti (open mills) are organized. You can visit olive groves, see the inside of the mills, taste and buy the new oil and related products.

The easiest way is to subscribe to an organized guided tour by bus and get a completely organized tour, but you can also make your own choice and pick one or two frantoi. For the last three years, I went to Trevi and visited the Frantoio Olio di Trevi, for they really know how to throw a party.

Inside you can visit the factory, see and hear how the machines run and how the oil is canned or bottled.

There´s also a video running to show you the whole aforementioned process and some impressive, ancient used tools can be admired.

There´s a small trattoria to have a wine or a small dish at really acceptable prizes and think about the purchases you´ll make because the new oil is sold in the small shop in the front. You can buy different types of oil, olio famiglia, filtered or not, seasoned oil, olio delicato, several products made with olive oil, you name it. I wrote about that before.

Outside it´s always fun. I had a bruschetta again and admired the cheese and sausages that were sold.

I talked to some people who also enjoyed the atmosphere and the music played by Alter Ego and had a lot to say about olives, but we agreed on one thing: this is EVOO* and it deserves all four capitals.

When you have the opportunity: you can still go there today, or at least grab the chance next year.

Like I said, there's simply no way to avoid it...... because this is what we do in Umbria.

* Extra Vergine Olio di Oliva

Assisi and its arts and craftsmuseum

Do you know this sensational, exited feeling when you discover a completely new spot located where you never expected it? This happened to me. I visit Assisi a few times each year for the past twenty years, showing the city to my guests or sometimes just to have a quick look at the Santo Stefano and its small garden (my favourite church in Assisi).

Assisi of course is a `no-to-be-missed` city when you are lucky enough to be in Umbria. This time though, I particularly enjoyed it because I found the

Museo Arti e Mestieri dell´Umbria.

Founded by Davide Costantini and inaugurated in 2012, the museum tells the story of the Umbrian citizens´ daily lives, rich or poor, and the every day objects they used.

The museum is situated half way the Corso Mazzini, right next to the San Francesco Piccolino in the eponymous square. It´s a unique spot, not only because Assisi´s worldfamous saint San Francesco was born there, but also because inside the museum you will find the remains of a medieval house.

In the middle of it, there´s a medieval well, it shows an aquaduct and it has medieval walls as well as remains of the original pavement.

I could think of no better location to show the tools that were used in the kitchen at those times, covering not only the Middle Ages but a larger period as well, or the furniture people used in their homes, like a table dated at 1400, but one can also admired the toys used to keep the children busy.

Some of the exhibited possessions are really rare and shall not easily be found anywhere else.

Which means that even now, I felt jealous of a few objects shown, like the fabrics that must have been of an excellent quality, considering de state they´re in ages later.

An especially nice gesture you become when leaving the museum: an attest, signed by both the founder, Assisi´s mayor and the Regionn of Umbria on which you can fill your own name.

If you want to learn more and see a lot better pictures:

The museum´s entrance is free. It´s open every day from 9-13.00 and 13.00-18.00.

Its website is very informative.

Narni underground

This time in march I finally got the opportunity to do something that had been on my wishlist for years: visit Narni Underground.

It is, of course, always some kind of an adventure to descend below the earth and see what lies beneath. I mean, who has not dreamed about discovering lost caves and hidden treasures?

But Narni Sotterranea – the Italian name – attracted me in particular for I had been reading about its history before an therefor already knew that the area has been well kept and the research had been thorough. It promised to become a very interesting visit.

It did. As soon as I met our guide, Aroti Meloni, in personal, I could tell she was enthousiastic and passionate about the ins and outs of these underground spaces and obviously well experienced.

Narni Underground reveals the remains of an original monastery, the San Domenico, that became destroyed in World War II, forgotten and overgrown with vegetation after that, until in 1978, a group of young speleologists – they were all minors – discovered the entrance, with some help of an old man who had a vegetable garden on that spot.

In 1994 it was possible to make the areas accessible to the public. The first room reveals a former church from the 12^th century, decorated with beautiful religious fresco´s. It´s original name, as discoverd in a document, was Sant´Angelo, after the Archangel Michael, whose image is shown in a fresco at the left.

The second area contains an ancient cistern in good state, used to collect the rainwater. Two instruments exposed in the room show us how, in the Roman epoque, land distances and differences in earth level were measured in order to construct linear roads and aquaducts. The aquaduct Formina di Narni, with a length of 13. km, was built this way.

After these two rooms the history became more obscure. The next room possessed a collection of torture instruments that were used by the Inquisition. Documents that were accidentally found at Trinity College in Dublin and further research in the Vatican archives confirm that the room had indeed been used by the Inquisition. One of the documents found was the complete report of the trial of Domenico Ciabbocchi, a man from Todi who was condemned for bigamy (learn more about this story here).

The last room had been the prison. Its walls and ceiling represent the interesting but sad story of a prisoner locked up there for months, biding his time by scratching insciptions in the walls. He created different colours by mixing stone powder with urine. The poor prisoner used many symbols, like the numbers 4, 3 and 7 respectively to signify the Earth, a triangle to indicate Elevation and the last to describe God. Other frequent symbols are pigeons, representing Peace but yet held captive a by a thin wire tied to a tree.

And.. there´s a row of numbers, 7-24-42-70. There are theories about the meaning of them, but not one is proven certain. May you can solve this mystery?

It may be obvious that all my great expectations came true with this visit. I strongly recommend you to go and see for yourself, for there is a lot more to experience and relive at Narni Underground.. (and I haven´t even told you about Narni-Above-Ground) .

Narni Underground is accessable the whole year around. For schedules, bookings, routedescription and more information: www.narnisotterranea.it

Narni, beautiful both above and underground

Though my love for Todi and its amazing surroundings will be obvious, it is not as if I ignore the rest of Umbria. To be honest, I am a country girl and even when I have enjoyed beautiful and impressive buildings, churches and squares in one of Umbria´s lovely cities I am always relieved to return to my country house in the rolling green hills.

Yet it is impossible not to love the cities. They all have special spots and a cultural heritage that is best described as overwhelming. For example, I don´t remember one church, even small and insignificant as it may seem compared to the famous cathedrals, that has no fresco or statue to warm your heart and mind.

It is simply great to discover a small piazza somewhere outside the city center and discover that it has a cute Romain fountain too, or find a centuries old vine in a tiny alley. And it is even more satisfactory to meet a resident who has live there his whole life and is willing to tell you all the stories and where to go to get the best pictures.

Having written about NarniUnderground it feels incomplete not to write about the parts in broad daylight. Narni is literally the center of the Universe...I mean of Italy. It is situated above the clough of the Nera river that made it a strategic spot in ancient times. You get a good idea of this looking down from the Giardini di San Bernardo. By the way, the entrance to Narni Sotterranea is located there too.

Narni has an impressive Cathedral from the 12^th century, as imposing at the outside facing the Piazza Garibaldi, as on the inside, containing various masterpieces divided over several beautiful chapels.

The Piazza Garibaldi itself is a bit irregular and crowdy, but it´s really fun to have a coffee on one of its terraces and watch the people come and go. And if not, there´s always the Roman cistern to admire.

Walking on you will witness the beauty of a well kept Medieval city.

Narni has the typical picturesque angles that seem to be untouched for ages.

ThePalazzo dei Priori on the square by the same name, was constructed in 1273. The square itself is said to have been the Forum in the Roman epoque.

Narni, of course, has several beautiful churches, of which I will mention The Santa Maria Impensole. The name means `hanging church` but no adequate explanation has been given yet, though multiple speculations can be found. The church dates from 1000 and is constructed on the remains of an earlier one (8-9^th century) that now forms the crypt.

At this point, my Narni visit continued with the Sotterranea adventure. So let me end this blog by an anecdote from my first time in Narni. I visited the Santa Maria Impensole and left my youngest son (7 then) outside for he had been working on my nerves all morning by `hating churches, walking, heat, old paintings and everything else.` He sat on the Lion at the churches facade and I told him not to move or else.

After ten minutes I thought it had become too crowded at the church door so suspiciously I went to check... and there was my son, standing on the lion, roaring an aria from `Figaro,` not restricted by any textual knowledge, collecting coins and sweets from the more than amused spectators.

Since then, The Santa Maria Impensole goes by the name of Figaro Church in our family.

NARNI - view (c) Monteolivo