Spoleto and Spello April 29

 Two destinations today, just a few km apart. The old city of Spoleto is on top of a tall hill which we walked up via many many steps! On our way down we discovered there were escalators tat went up the whole way from where our car was parked- but think of all that cardiac exercise we would have missed out on! The Duomo at the top of the city is beautifully decorated and well preserved as you can see from the photos below. Mary is front and centre as in most churches we’ve visited, but the proclamation of salvation through Christ was present as well.

Church of San Gregorio in the main city square 

 Duomo di Spoleto reredos and dome

Duomo di Spoleto Sanctuary dome

Duomo di Spoleto

From Spoleto went drove to Spello, one of the most beautiful towns we’ve visited. There were lots of flowers decorating walls and door openings and the streets were full of well maintained medieval buildings. Again the streets wound up the hill past shops and squares and restaurants. We ate one of the best lunches here as well- followed by the compulsory gelati of course!

Entrance to Spello - old ruins mixed with renovated apartments.

Flowers decorating the walls and door openings

Perugia April 28

 Another beautiful walled city. Perugia is the regional capital so quite large with the old city at the top of the hill of course. The Basilica di San Dominico is the largest church in Umbria. Next to the  cathedral is the Archeological Museum where we had a quick look but didn’t go inside the museum. A short walk up the hill took us, Visa coffee and cake stop, to the city square, the Piazza IV November, and the Fontana Maggiore.

Perugia is the home of Baci chocolates so we saw lots of shops selling them by the kg in all sorts of flavour varieties.  

Basilica di San Dominico

Basilica di San Dominico

Inside the Archeological museum - possible the original cloister for the basilica.

Geometric mosaic from first century BCE

View from the city

Fontana Maggiore

Fountain in a small square near the city square.

Castigliano di Lago April 27

 Lake Trasimeno is the fourth largest lake in Italy, just a few kilometres west of Perugia. We visited the main city on the lake, Castigliano di Lago, a walled city, set on a hill with panoramic views of the lake and with the ruins of a large palace inside. Again, medieval buildings, churches, quiet streets and delicious pastries. 

Lake Trasimeno 

Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena

Palazzo della Corona

Inside Palazzo della Corona

After we left there we went to the other side of the lake to catch the ferry to the island of Isola Magione. On the way we noticed a sign to a winery offering wine tasting so we felt we should support the local economy. The wines were superb, both red and white; up to the standards of any we’ve tasted in Australia and reasonably priced. Then it was on to the island where there are, reputedly, lace weavers, though we failed to find them. Still, it was a beautiful day and a pleasant island to walk around and sit and rest for a while.

Gubbio April 26

Today we visited Gubbio, the “most beautiful medieval city” according to their signs. It was quite beautiful. Old buildings, churches and castles with a stream running through the town.

After lunch we visited Citta di Castello and its City Art Gallery, which contains art work from the region from the 14th century to the present day. Most of it was medieval religious art.

Assisi April 25

Being Anzac Day we were pleased to see red poppies growing wild along the roadside as we drove towards Assisi.

 Assisi is amazingly well preserved. Because of its association with St Francis and several others saints there are something like 15 churches and basilicas within its walls. It’s also a tourist magnet with bus loads of tourists along with school children on excursions. We saw and heard some of these in the Basilica of St Chiara singing modern hymns.

     

Narrow paths and steps are common.

The Basilica of San Chiara

The Basilica of St Francis is at the end of the city looking down onto the fields and hills below. The grassed area in front of the cathedral is the home to an installation called Germination of Peace. The individual items are olives with the central element being an olive branch - complete with olives.

Basilica of St Francis

“Germination of Peace” installation

On our way back to our BnB we stopped at Bettona, a medieval hill town. It was siesta time so there were almost no people about and all the shops were shut. Still it was a pleasant change from the bustling crowds in Assisi. 

Bettona Church

Umbrian countryside, Bettona