Mark Dong Photography

Umbria

I started my visit to Umbria in Spello, an old walled town  that lies in the absolute center of  Italy.  This densely inhabited town, built mainly of stone , feels very medieval, enclosed as it is in a circuit of medieval walls on Roman foundations.

My hotel was the Palazzo Bocci and it was  very nice and  conviently located.   You can see the hand painted parlor in which I took my own photograph.

I have added a short clip of video below that was taken from looking outside the window of my room.  It truly shows what a quaint town this is.

I have to say that over this entire trip the food was never better than in Spello.  Spello was my home base.  That means that I only took day trips to Assisi and Orvieto.  Spello was  where I lived and ate.  And the food was fabulous!  So were the restaurants and the decor as you can see below.  Exceptionally beautiful and exceptionally tasty!

The stone walls and stone steps throughout the town had a fortress quality.  It felt safe and protected.  And medieval.  But, that was part of it’s charm!

Here is the local grocery store and directions to the railway station.  

Off to Assisi! 

This is the downtown centre of Assisi.  All of these towns in Umbria were built in medieval times.  Buildings, as well as streets, were made out of stone.  I think the buildings were even smaller then, they certainly seemed smaller.  The streets are quite narrow and no cars are allowed in the town proper.

This is the church of St. Francis of Assisi.  It is located at one end of the town.  The fountain above marks the center of the town.

Under the church, in the basement, is the lower nave that contains the body of St. Francis of Assisi.  I snapped this photograph with my iPhone before we were told that no photographs were allowed in here.

The pastries here were so colorful and delicious!  The best thing about Italian pastries is that they are not as sweet as American pastries.  The white rounds above are actually solid baked meringue, if you can believe that!  On the left below is a pistachio meringue.  They were definitely beautiful!

This is the local market with all local products, such as olive oil, wine, olives, cheese, pasta and fresh garlic and vegetables.  Below are savory pastries which are meat based and not sugary sweet.

Hills and stairs were all over Assisi!  These were known as “Hill Towns” so that the residents could climb to the top and see the enemy coming and throw stones at down them at every level of the town they tried to invade.

Then, it was off to the Hermitage.  This is where St. Francis of Assisi would go off to pray and meditate.  It is known as the "Eremo Delle Carceri" and is only  4 kilometers from Assisi.  “Carceri” is latin for “isolated places." 

It takes about an hour to walk up from Assisi and I took some photographs of what I came upon along the way.

The cross is in the hallway leading to the sanctuary of the small church at the Hermitage.  The room to the left is the refectory.  Below that, is the small table outside the church, that is placed in a small mediation and communion space.  Franciscan monks or friars were allowed an hour or so a day to have some fellowship with each other beyond eating meals together.

This is an example of how small all the doors were at the Hermitage.  Imagine how short these friars must have been.  I am 5’11” and not standing up totally in this photo, but once I would step up on the door frame, I have to duck to go through it.  All the doors were lower like that!

So it was back to my home base, Spello, for dinner and a good night’s sleep before I left the next day for Orvieto.

Next it is off to Orvieto!  The train station was only a 5 minute walk from my hotel and the ride to Orvieto was only about an hour and a half.

This is Orvieto.  I took this photograph from the town proper, so most of the town is up on the hill where I’m standing.

Walking through this town is much like walking through the other small towns in Umbria.  All medieval, all with stone walls and stone streets and lots and lots and lots of steps!

But, Orvieto is a beautiful old town!

Finally, I wanted to show you the most famous landmark in Orvieto -  the Cathedral of Orvieto.  The construction of the cathedral, dedicated to the assumption of Mary, lasted almost three centuries, with the design and style ranging  from Romanesque to Gothic.  It is famous for the stripped sides of the church, made from alternative rows of alabaster and travertine stone, leading up to the huge Gothic front facade.  No photographs were allowed inside.

That’s all for Umbria.