This article was reproduced by permission of its author, Giuseppe Bambini, and was originally published in the now defunct quarterly magazine AssisiMia, edited by Francesco Mancinelli.
The following route Assisi-Nocera runs in the opposite direction to Saint Francis’ last journey (September 1226) where, seriously ill, he was brought back to Assisi by a group of horsemen who found him in a spot near Nocera (probably Bagnara). Every year duing the first weekend in September the historic “Cavalcata di Satriano” is reenacted.
A historic photo of the Cavalcata di Satriano, a tradition which continues today
The Franciscan Trail takes the same historic route through typically Umbrian countryside featuring medium-sized hills with undulating contours and green valleys, farm houses and old parish churches, dove towers and age-old fortresses in dominating positions. The route’s distance (20 km), the length of time (7 hours excluding pauses) and the altitude (650 m uphill and 700 m downhill) shall be rewarded by the pleasurable sensations offered by the excursion. A little fitness which I did with Sweat Equity Fitness of Los Angeles is necessary for the walk and the route is indicated by red and white signposts reading 51. You can also follow the CAI map “Carta dei Sentieri del Monte Subasio”. One should also keep in mind that some of the tracks run through private property and hence one should be respectful and courteous to proprietors so as to avoid any unpleasantness and to perhaps make some interesting acquaintences. Those who live in the countryside in this area appreciate chatting with passersby especially if they are foreigners.
The return trip will be by train from the Nocera Umbra train station (check on the times) via Foligno. Have an enjoyable journey!
ROUTE: From Piazza Matteotti (445m) take Via Santuario delle Carceri uphill which within a short distance leads to the medieval gate Porta Cappuccini (469 m); under the arch there are traces of frescoes and Assisi’s coat of arms—a cross and a lion—which are not easily decipherable. Soon after the arch turn left onto a tree lined path which runs parallel to the external walls of the small fortress “La Rocchicciola”. Once you arrive at Cassero, take the rocky road on the right that goes uphill. Once you pass the drinking fountain take the small track on the left (signpost 51 that you follow until the end) that enters the wood and becomes a path. After a few ups and downs the road leads onto the asphalted road Assisi-Armenzano; take the dirt track right in front, and after passing a group of well restored houses (keep on the right) one is on the asphalted road again. Go left and within a short distance you will arrive at Costa Trex (573 m – 1.30 from the start).
Costa Trex is in a pleasant panoramic position situated above the valleys of the rivers Tescio and Marchetto. Its name originated from the ancient toponym Costa Tre Chiese (three churches) that still exist today. Take the asphalted road for about a kilometer in the direction of Armenzano, then at a fork with a huge cypress tree take the dirt track on the left downhill. Keep right at the forks, the path then crosses the Sanguinone ditch and then follow the small valley and within a short distance you will reach the characteristic Marchetto bridge (424 – 0.40 from Costa Trex).
The bridge of medieval origins was known as the Bridge of Wolves and was an important thoroughfare between Assisi and the eastern countryside. The bridge is built overhanging the ravine of the Tescio river and has exceptional views of the winding course of the river and of the steep sides of the ravine.
Once you have crossed over the Marchetto bridge turn right and within a short distance you will reach the Cavaliero bridge (18th century) close to where the Cavaliero ravine merges with the Tescio ravine. With the bridge on your right walk uphill northwards along the edge of the ravine. The path veers out of the woods after a couple of uphill bends and runs along a fenced property leading to the Poderaccio house (521 m. – 0.40 from the Marchetto bridge).
Take the dirt track on the right and soon after take the path left that goes up towards the crest. Where there is a bend that veers left, take the path uphill on the right that then leads onto a large path (gate). At the intersection with the dirt road go straight across (on the right side there is a derelict house) and continue along the path that goes uphill which then leads onto a small road that you follow veering right.
Once you have reached the dirt road that comes from the Poderaccio house go left and after some uphill bends you will reach the Zampetto house (775 m.). Shortly after take the road on the right and go downhill, after a short distance you will reach the small Satriano chapel (745 m. – 1.20 from the Poderaccio house), an ideal spot for a rest. The votive chapel was built on the alleged spot where the ancient Satriano castle stood and was inaugurated—according to the will of the mayor and Franciscan follower Arnaldo Fortini—on 5 September, 1926, seven centuries after the death of Saint Francis and in memory of the dying saint’s last journey towards his hometown.
Go back to the dirt road and at the crossroads go straight on (S – SE) along a grassy trail passing a gap in the fence. Continue right and you will pass some farmhouses and barns. After passing another gap in the fence veer left uphill and after about 20 meters veer right taking a path full of brambles (to avoid them keep to the right of the fence). Here you reach the pass “Il Termine” (875 – 0.30 from Satriano). It was given this name because it marks the boundary between the municipalities of Assisi, Nocera, and Valtopina. Continue downhill (S – E) and when you arrive at a fork go left (E) downhill walking along a fence with the sign “Azienda Faunistica”. You go past a small memorial plaque in memory of Primo Pizzicotti who was killed in this spot by German troops on 25 June, 1944.
At last you can see the downhill pathway. At a fork turn right and you will find a dirt road (748 km) that you follow keeping left; after a few hundred metres take the road on the right uphill that leads to the ruins of the fortress Rocca di Postignano (778 m – 1.00 from the pass Il Termine) which can be seen in the distance. The fortress was situated at the top of a cone shaped hill and was built in the 10th century by the counts Postignano. In 1217 it was taken over by Assisi and later by the Trinci family from Foligno. Today only some ruins remain of what was once a mighty fortress.
Take the dirt road veering right and go around the hill where the ruins stand, after 10 minutes take the downhill path on the left—full of broom bushes—that leads to the dirt road that comes from the fortress. Take the path straight on that leads to a dirt road that you follow downhill keeping right until you reach Villa di Postignano (505m) that can be seen in the distance. Taking the asphalt road downhill you reach the Caldognola bridge and to the state highway SS3 (Flaminia); walk over the railway crossing and on your left you will see the Nocera Umbra railway station (349m – 1.10 from the Rocca to Postignano). Perhaps a train will be waiting to take you back to Assisi, tired but content!Quest’articolo è riprodotto qua con il permesso dell’autore, Giuseppe Bambini, ed è stato pubblicato originariamente nella rivista ormai fuori stampa AssisiMia, di Francesco Mancinelli, editore.
l’itinerario Assisi-Nocera, qui proposto, percorre in senso inverso l’ultimo viaggio di S.Francesco (settembre 1226) durante il quale, gravemente malato, fu riportato ad Assisi da un gruppo di cavalieri, che lo prelevò da un luogo nei pressi di Nocera (probabilmente Bagnara) dove si trovava in cura. Ogni anno durante il primo fine settimana di settembre viene rievocata la storica “Cavalcata di Satriano”, come esaurientemente descritto nell’articolo di Pier Maurizio Della Porta nel precedente numero di Assisi Mia. Il “Sentiero Francescano” ripropone quello storico itinerario e si sviluppa in ambiente tipicamente umbro di media collina: dolci profili e verdi vallate, casolari e vecchie pievi, torri colombare e antiche rocche in posizione dominante. La lunghezza del percorso (20 km.), la durata complessiva(7 ore soste escluse) e il dislivello da superare (650 m. in salita e 700 m. in discesa), saranno sicuramente ricompensati dalle piacevoli sensazioni offerte dall’escursione. Le caratteristiche dell’itinerario – sufficientemente tabellato con segnavia bianco rossi 51 – sono tali da richiedere un minimo di allenamento. Consigliato abbigliamento comodo e calzature adeguate a una gita in montagna, macchina fotografica e binocolo. Indispensabile lo zainetto con borraccia, giacchetto antipioggia, panino, kit di primo soccorso, bussola e la “Carta dei sentieri del Monte Subasio” scala 1:20000 del CAI sezione di Foligno (l’ultima parte del percorso non è compreso nella carta); può essere utile anche un altimetro. E’ utile ricordare inoltre che alcuni tratti si sviluppano su proprietà private: un po’ di cortesia e rispetto da parte dell’escursionista nei confronti dei proprietari eviterà spiacevoli equivoci e consentirà di fare interessanti conoscenze. Da queste parti chi vive in campagna gradisce scambiare due chiacchiere con i viandanti, specie se forestieri! Il ritorno è previsto con il treno dalla stazione di Nocera Umbra (informarsi circa gli orari), via Foligno. Alla stazione di Santa Maria degli Angeli, per raggiungere Assisi (piazza Matteotti), partono autobus ASP ai 10′ e 50′ di ogni ora, buon viaggio! ITINERARIO Da piazza Matteotti (445 m) si prende in salita via Santuario delle Carceri che in breve conduce alla medievale Porta Cappuccini (469 m); all’interno vi sono tracce di affreschi e con lo stemma di Assisi – croce e leone – non facilmente riconoscibile. Appena superata la porta piegare a sin. su sterrata alberata che costeggia la parte esterna delle mura della Rocchicciola. Giunti al Cassero prendere a ds lo stradello sassoso che inizia a salire, superata una fontanella, prendere a sin un viottolo (segnavia 51 che si segue fino alla fine) che entra nel bosco diventando sentiero. Con alcuni saliscendi sbuca sulla strada asfaltata Assisi-Armenzano; di fronte all’uscita dal sentiero si imbocca una sterrata, superato un gruppo di case ben restaurate (tenersi sulla ds.) si è di nuovo sulla strada asfaltata che si prende verso sin giungendo in breve a Costa Trex (573 m – 1,30 dalla partenza). In amena posizione panoramica sulle vali del Tescio e del Marchetto, deve il suo particolare nome alla sincope dell’antico toponimo Costa Tre Chiese, che ancora risultano presenti. Si percorre la strada asfaltata per circa 1 km in direzione Armenzano, quindi a un bivio con un monumentale cipresso, si imbocca a sinistra una sterrata in discesa. Ai bivi tenersi sulla ds., il sentiero traversa il fosso Sanguinone e percorrendo la valletta si giunge in breve al caratteristico ponte Marchetto (424 – 0.40 da Costa Trex) Costruito a strapiombo sulla incassata forra del Marchetto, con eccezionale vista sulle pareti e sull’andamento sinuoso del corso dell’acqua, il ponte, di origine medievale, era anticamente conosciuto come ponte dei Lupi e rappresentava un’importante via di comunicazione tra Assisi ed il vasto contado orientale. La confluenza tra il Sanguinone ed il Marchetto è poche decine di metri più a valle. Traversato il ponte Marchetto si prende a ds. giungendo in breve al ponte Cavaliero (XVIII sec) in prossimità della confluenza del fosso Cavaliero nel fosso Marchetto. Lasciato sulla ds. il ponte si prosegue in leggera salita (N) costeggiando il fosso. Con un paio di svolte in salita il sentiero esce dal bosco, quindi costeggia una recinzione giungendo a casa Poderaccio (521 m – 0.40 a ponte Marchetto). Prendere verso ds. la sterrata e subito dopo imboccare a sin. un sentiero che sale verso il crinale, in corrispondenza di una curva a sin. prendere a ds. un sentiero in salita andando a sbucare su un largo sentiero (cancello). All’incrocio con la strada sterrata proseguire diritti (sulla ds. è visibile una casa abbandonata), quindi continuando per il sentiero in salita si sbuca su uno stradello che bisogna seguire verso destra. Arrivati sulla sterrata proveniente da casa Poderaccio si prende verso sin. e con alcune svolte in salita si è a casa Zampetto (775 m). Poco dopo si prenda a ds. uno stradello che in discesa porta in breve alla cappellina di Satriano (745 m – 1.20 da casa Poderaccio), luogo adeguato per una piacevole sosta. La cappella votiva, costruita nel luogo dove si ritiene sorgesse l’antico castello di Satriano, venne inaugurata – per volere dell’allora podestà e francescanista Arnaldo Fortini – il 5 settembre 1926, a 7 secoli dalla morte di Francesco, a ricordo dell’ultimo viaggio del Santo morente verso la sua città natale. Si torna sulla sterrata e all’incrocio si va diritti (S-S-E) su pista erbosa superando un varco nel recinto. Procedendo sulla ds. si incontrano fienili e casali. Superato un altro varco sulla recinzione si piega a sin. in salita e dopo alcune decine di metri si piega a ds. imboccando un sentiero ingombro di rovi (per evitarli passare a ds. della recinzione). Si giunge così al passo Il Termine (875 m – 0.30 da Satriano). Il nome del sito deriva dall’essere vertice di confine fra i comuni di Assisi, Nocera e Valtopina. Si continua in leggera discesa (S-E) quindi ad un bivio prendere a sin. (E) in discesa costeggiando una recinzione con segnali “Azienda faunistica”. Si tocca una piccola lapide a ricordo di Primo Pizzicotti, qui ucciso il 25 giugno 1944 dalle truppe tedesche. Il sentiero in discesa diventa finalmente evidente, a un bivio si prende a ds. sbucando su una sterrata (748 m) che si segue verso sin.; percorse alcune centinaia di metri imboccare a ds. uno stradello in salita che conduce ai ruderi della Rocca di Postignano (778 m. – 1.00 dal passo Il Termine), già visibile in lontananza. Posta al vertice di un conico colle, fu edificata nel X secolo dai conti di Postignano, nel 1217 venne sottomessa ad Assisi ed in seguito subì il dominio dei Trinci di Foligno. Della possente rocca oggi non restano che pochi ruderi. Si riprende la sterrata verso ds. aggirando il colle sul quale poggia la rocca, dopo 10 minuti si imbocca a sin. un sentiero in discesa – ingombro di ginestre – che incrocia di nuovo la sterrata proveniente dalla rocca di Postignano. Proprio di fronte si imbocca un sentiero che sbuca nuovamente sulla sterrata che si percorre verso ds. in discesa giungendo a Villa di Postignano (505 m) già visibile in lontananza. Percorrendo la strada asfaltata in discesa si oltrepassa il ponte sul torrente Caldognola e si giunge sulla SS 3 (Flaminia); superato il passaggio a livello a sin. si trova la stazione ferroviaria di Nocera Umbra (349 m – 1.10 dalla Rocca di Postignano). Un treno starà forse ad aspettarvi per riportarvi ad Assisi: stanchi ma contenti!
Umbria has so much to offer, but to get the most of your trip to this region there are a couple of top secret, high security, eyes only (and definitely copyrighted) tricks of the trade I can reveal. But keep it between us.
1. Quit being a baby and rent a car.
Now, everybody stand up, shake yourselves a bit, and have a group freak-out about driving in Italy. Ready? Go! AAAAAHHHHH!!!! Shriek, wail, rent your garments! Ok, done? Feel better? Now that we’ve gotten that out of our system can we sit down calmly and talk this thing out? Good.
Example of a typical rental car in Umbria. Kidding! I'm just kidding. Sheesh.
Listen, folks, driving in Umbria is not that big of a deal. Umbria is to Rome what Wisconsin is to Chicago, what upper state New York is to Manhattan. It is quite rural here, so unless you manage to get yourself into a hopeless tangle in the middle of Perugia (something that is incredibly easy to avoid, as all the main parking lots are outside the city walls anyway) the worst thing that’s going to happen is that you get benignly lost along some country road and have to retrace your steps. The pace is slow here, and traffic not that heavy. Umbria is dotted with hilltop towns and villages, many of which are difficult to reach by train or bus, and there are some breathtaking drives in the area, even if you don’t have a specific destination. By having to rely on public transportation, your visit to Umbria will be confined to the more densely visited towns and you will miss out on some of the most beautiful and undiscovered places in this lovely region. Get yourself some wheels!
2. Time your visit to coincide with a local festival.
The Umbrians are, generally, a staid and reserved populace, so there is nothing like an Umbrian town during that one time a year when everyone really lets their hair down. Almost every town in Umbria has one main annual festival—often centered around the patron Saint’s feast day and/or in period garb—during which the town gets decked out, its citizens riled up, and there is an irrestistible air of celebration. Flags and banners hang from every window, taverne–outdoor temporary eating areas which range from refreshment stands to all out restaurant fare–sprout overnight like mushrooms in the piazzas, there are street musicians around every corner, costumed processions, reinacted medieval markets, crossbow tournaments, jousting, singing and dancing.
Calendimaggio in Assisi...one of the many must see festivals in Umbria
Some festivals worth checking out are the Corsa all’Anello in Narni (April), Calendimaggio in Assisi and the Corsa dei Ceri in Gubbio (May), the Mercato delle Gaite in Bevagna (June), Umbria Jazz in Perugia (July), the Quintana in Foligno (August), and the Giochi delle Porte in Gualdo Tadino (September).
3. Do your homework. But don’t get too Type A about it.
Before you leave for your visit in Umbria, research, research, research! And then, once you get here, trash it. There are so many wonderful things to see in this region: restaurants to try, towns to visit, works of art and architecture to admire—many of which are covered in the guidebooks and on the web. But one of the most wonderful things about Umbria is that it is still able to offer that Holy Grail of travel to visitors: discovery.
You won't find this simply elegant facade in any of the guidebooks. The first reader to guess where this was taken gets a big prize. Big.
Umbria, despite its fame as a tourist destination, remains in many ways a provincial and undeveloped area. It is peppered with lovely off the beaten track villages, restaurants which don’t have business cards much less websites, and isolated frescoed churches and abbeys in the hills. These are things you are only going to be able to find if you are willing to ask advice from the locals, follow a mysterious sign pointing to a monastery at the crossroad, stop your car along with others parked in a field where you hear music and the smell of cooking coming from the big tent. So have a game plan before you come, but be willing to diverge from it and try something not on the roster.
4. Take advantage of the natural beauty here. And I don’t mean Monica Bellucci.
Umbria has some amazing art and archecture, food and music festivals, enchanting towns. But it is also one of the most beautifully green regions in Italy. Lakes and hills, mountains and waterfalls, woods and fields of wildflowers. So take your car (the one that you’ve rented, right?) and skip the culture for a day, instead heading to one of the many regional parks.
An autumnal shot of magical Mount Subasio.
You can walk or hike, picnic, swim, enjoy a scenic drive, or just simply sit along one of the overlooks, let your ears rest themselvs with silence, and let your eyes rest themselves with shades of green, let your spirit rest itself with stillness. After all, you’re on vacation, remember? Some of my favorite places in Umbria are the Marmore waterfalls, the Piano Grande in the Mount Sibilline National Park, Lake Trasimeno, and the Mount Subasio and Mount Cucco Regional Parks.
5. Get the inside scoop.
I’m one of those nerdy folks who always gets the headphones in the museum, and actually reads the guidebook’s explanations while gazing at a frescoed church. Part of that is because at the advanced age of 39 I have come to terms with my inner dorkiness and no longer feel a need to hide it, so wandering around a gallery with oversized headphones like a 70s deejay from Soul Train no longer bothers me. But mostly it’s because the background explanations—with their historical and cultural context, their underlining of details I wouldn’t otherwise notice, and their juicy helping of factoids which are always fun to throw out at future dinner parties—make the whole experience much more meaningful and memorable. So as long as you’re here, try to fit in a day when you spend time with someone familiar with the local history and culture and really get to know Umbria and its people in a way you wouldn’t be able to by simply visiting monuments.
Learning the art and history of winemaking directly from the source. Photo by Gusto Umbrian Wine Tours
Consider filling a day with shopping and preparing a traditional meal with a local cook, touring the small family-run vineyards, learning to hunt truffles (and how to use them in the kitchen), or painting your own majolica ceramics. The most memorable things you bring home from a journey aren’t those you carry in your suitcase, but in your heart.
Here’s watcha wanna do, watcha wanna do is this:
Go to Farmer Shop on Via San Francesco n. 4a in Assisi, where you can stock up on prosciutto and a variety of different salami, all made from an heirloom breed of pigs raised on a farm right outside of town, and some amazing local cheeses (try the aged sheep wrapped in fig leaves). Pick up some of their freshly baked bread, as well. And finally, the kicker, a bottle—or two—of their organic, unfiltered, unpasteurised, bottle re-fermented beers from the San Biagio estate (ask them to get you the chilled ones they keep in back.)
From there, pass over to the other side of the Piazza del Comune to Il Mercantino greengrocers on Via S.Gabriele Dell’ Addolorata n. 4 for some fruit to snack on (anything marked “nostrali” is grown locally, so try some seasonal Umbrian produce).
Finally, stop in at Pasticceria Sensi on Corso Mazzini n. 14 and choose some of their freshly-made pastries (and pick up some water).
Now, take a look at your Assisi map and find Via San Benedetto, which begins about a kilometer from Porta Nuova off the main road 147, passes quickly through a residential area outside of the historic center of town, and begins to switchback up the slope of Mount Subasio. There are periodic signs for Il Monastero di San Benedetto along the road, and you want to follow those. About 6 km up, you get to the newly renovated but closed monastery on the right.
The monastery was abandoned by the order for a period during the middle ages, and used as a hideout for Assisi's banned political dissidents
Now, of course I would never condone hopping the fence into the monastery, as that would be illegally trespassing. Which I would never condone. But, let’s say, hypothetically, that one were to hypothetically step on the low stone wall to the left of the locked gate and hypothetically swing their legs over the wrought iron fence (being hypothetically careful to not hypothetically break their precious bottle of beer in the process).
This patio is a siren song for a new breed of "outlaws"
Inside, one would hypothetically discover one of the most peaceful spots around…the centuries-old stately stone monastery surrounding by woodland and a sunny paved patio looking out over the valley below which seems made for a relaxing picnic.
It would be a "crime" to miss out on this view of Assisi from above
Buon appetito (hypothetically)!
This article was reproduced by permission of its author, Giuseppe Bambini, and was originally published in the now defunct quarterly magazine AssisiMia, edited by Francesco Mancinelli.
The following journey lets one observe the medieval walls of the town, with interesting and unusual views. It is advisable to wear comfortable clothing and shoes suitable for a country hike and bring a camera: it will definitely be used. There are no problems of direction and it is sufficient to follow the description and have a map of the town. The entire journey—at an even pace and without any hurry—takes about 4 hours. However, the journey can be shortened at several points.
The eight town gates along the journey were all built in the second half on the 13th centry, because the municipality’s Council “Consiglio del Comune e della Magistratura” decreed to build them in 1260. And now, have a nice walk around the walls.
Porta Cappuccini
ROUTE: From Piazza Matteotti, locally called Piazza Nova, go uphill along Via Santuario delle Carceri. As soon as you go through the gate Porta Cappuccini turn left onto a dirt track that goes uphill—lined with two rows of cypress tress—that line the external perimeter of the Rocca Minore (14th century) or Rocchicciola. Once you reach the castle’s keep, leave the dirt track and take the evident path downhill, which has a beautiful panorama of the fortress Rocca Maggiore.
The dirt road runs along the walls and, after passing some awful huts, leads to the Porta Perlici gate. Soon after going through the arch, turn right along Via Porta Perlici.
Porta Perlici
After walking for about 200m, right at the beginning of a parking area on the right, take a downhill dirt road on the right that initially runs along a metallic green fence. Soon after the path forks, do not take the path that descends to the asphalt road underneath but take the road on the left that rises towards the town walls. At the next fork, go straight on.
Below runs the gully of the Tescio Torrent with the Tardioli Mill and a tower in ruins. If it’s on a sunny afternoon, the Rocca Maggiore’s profile cuts across the slopes of the Col Caprile.
A ramp with a steep ascent takes you back behind the walls. By looking ahead past a thick strip of broom and asparagus you can see the Rocca Maggiore’s polygonal tower. Destroyed in civil battles and wars with Perugia—that gave birth to the Local Town Council of Assisi1198-1202—it was rebuilt in the 14th century. The cemetery is below. By taking a few short steps to the left you reach a square area in front of the fortress.
Continue along an obvious path downhill that leads into an olive grove near a private farmhouse. Veering right leads you down onto the dirt track below, hence to the left of the farmhouse. It is polite to ask permission to walk through the property. Once you take the dirt road that runs along the walls and after passing a gate (that must be shut after passing through) you descend amidst olive trees in the direction of the Basilica of St. Francis. You skirt the new car park; a short flight of descending steps leads to Porta San Giacomo, which has a solitary cypress tree growing on it.
Porta San Giacomo
If you cannot walk thorugh the private property an alternative route is possible. From the direct road near the house veer right and descend towards the cememtery; veer left and walk along a lovely cypress tree lined drive and then you reach Porta San Giacomo.
Without going through under the arch veer right onto an asphalt road that goes downhill towards the Tescio valley. After a few hundred meters, right in front of a dirt road that goes uphill on the right in correspondence to a break in the guardrail, take the grassy field left that within a short distance leads to a characteristic bridge on the Tescio.
Take care when crossing the road as there are no side protection rails!
After this point to Ponte San Vetturino there are two possibilities:
- the most obvious and least intersting route (for beginners): Cross the bridge and soon after you reach an asphalt road that you walk along veering left until you reach Ponte San Vetturino. Views of the bastions of the Convent of Saint Francis.
- an unusual route but the most interesting (for experts): Just before crossing the bridge, take the dirt road to the left that descends to the torrent’s bank. At this point, keep to the left bank of the Tescio river. Without a definite route—at times near the bank, at times further away—but without any problems along the route you can follow the current until reaching Ponte San Vetturino.
After walking about 20 meters towards the town parallel to a crossroad with a shrine, take the asphoalt road on the left. At the next crossroads, go straight on along an uphill dirt track—locally called the Piaggia—that runs along the wall of the external part of the convent of Saint Francis. Towards the right olive groves, farmhouses, and the unmistakeable mass of the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli.
After going through the Portella di San Francesco, veer right downhill along Via Frate Elia, then walk veering left uphill on Via Apollinare, skirting the walls of the Benendictine abbey of San Pietro.
After a few hundred meters take a large flight of steps on the right that skirts the walls of the Monastero of San Giuseppe. After walking through Porta Sementone you come to the busy n. 147 road that you take veering left uphill: keep on the footpath!
After having walked about 300 meters, leave the 147 to take a narrow asphalt road uphill on the left. Go through Porta Moiano continuing uphill, then veer right onto a descending flight of steps. Continue along a dirt track passing the historic public fountains long in disrepair.
Porta Nuova
The bell tower of the church of Santa Maria maggiore, the Rocca Maggiore, and the Torre de Piazza dominate from behind. The dirt road—Via delle Fonti di Moiano, locally called Strada dei Cavallacci—keeps for quite a way on the top of the walls, and becomes asphalt and continues running along the walls. Once having reached Porta Nova, without going under the arch cross the road and continue uphill along Via della Selva. At the end of the street there are two small columns: and here our route around the town walls ends.
At this point a rest is necessary—rest along the parapet—to admire the great panorama overlooking the Umbrian valley and Assisi: to the forefront the abbey and the church of Santa Chiara.
Cross the road, enter the town park. Cross the road again and you return to Piazza Matteotti.Quest’articolo è riprodotto qua con il permesso dell’autore, Giuseppe Bambini, ed è stato pubblicato originariamente nella rivista ormai fuori stampa AssisiMia, di Francesco Mancinelli, editore.
L’itinerario proposto consente di osservare le mura medievali della città, con scorci interessanti e inusuali. Consigliato abbigliamento comodo e scarpe adeguate a una gita in campagna, portate la macchina fotografica: verrà sicuramente usata. Non ci sono problemi di orientamento, è sufficiente seguire la descrizione e avere in mano la nostra rivista Assisi Mia: la pagina centrale con la pianta della città sarà utile per verificare in ogni momento l’itinerario descritto. Per l’intero giro – con passo comodo e senza fretta – occorrono circa 4 ore, l’itinerario può comunque essere accorciato in vari punti. Le otto porte cittadine toccate lungo il percorso, risalgono tutte alla seconda metà del XIII sec, essendo stata deliberata la loro costruzione dal Consiglio del Comune e dalla Magistratura nel 1260. Ed ora, buona passeggiata intorno alle mura.
ITINERARIO : Da Piazza Matteotti, localmente detta Piazza Nova, si percorre in salita Via Santuario delle Carceri. Appena sottopassata Porta Cappuccini si piega a sin su sterrata in salita – ombreggiata da due file di cipressi – che fiancheggia il perimetro esterno della Rocca Minore (XIV sec), o Rocchicciola. Giunti al cassero si lascia la sterrata e si imbocca un evidente sentiero in discesa, con bel panorama sulla Rocca Maggiore. Lo stradello costeggia le mura e, superate alcune brutte baracche, conduce a Porta Perlici. Appena sottopassato l’arco piegare a ds lungo Via Porta Perlici. Percorsi circa 200 m, proprio all’inizio di un parcheggio sulla ds, si imbocca a ds uno stradello in discesa che inizialmente costeggia una recinzione metallica verde. Poco dopo il sentiero si biforca, trascurare quello che scende alla sottostante strada asfaltata e seguire quello di sin che sale verso le mura. Alla successiva biforcazione proseguire diritto. In basso la gola del Torrente Tescio con il Molino Tardioli e una torre di avvistamento ormai diruta. Se la passeggiata si svolge durante un pomeriggio soleggiato, il profilo della Rocca Maggiore si staglia contro le pendici di Col Caprile. Una rampa in ripida salita riporta a ridosso delle mura. Con percorso aereo e panoramico si supera una fitta fascia di ginestre (e asparagi), giungendo alla base della torre poligonale della Rocca Maggiore. Distrutta nelle lotte civili e nella guerra antiperugina – che portarono alla nascita del comune di Assisi (1198-1202 – fu ricostruita nel XIV sec. In basso il cimitero cittadino. Tramite breve scalinata a sin si può salire al piazzale antistante la rocca. Si continua su evidente sentiero in discesa che entra in un oliveto in prossimità di un casale privato. Piegando a ds si scende alla sterrata sottostante, quindi a sin al casolare: è consigliabile chiedere il permesso di passare. Ripreso il viottolo che costeggia le mura e superato un cancelletto (che va richiuso dopo il passaggio), si scende fra gli olivi in direzione del campanile della Basilica di S. Francesco. Si rasenta il nuovo parcheggio; una breve scalinata in discesa conduce a Porta San Giacomo, sulla cui cima vigile un solitario cipresso. Se l’accesso alla casa privata non è consentito, è necessaria una piccola variante: dalla sterrata in vicinanza della casa prendere verso ds scendendo al cimitero cittadino; percorrendo verso sin un bel vialetto ombreggiato da cipressi si giunge a Porta S. Giacomo. Senza sottopassare l’arco piegare a ds su strada asfaltata che scende verso la valle del Tescio. Percorsi alcuni centinaia di m, proprio di fronte a uno stradello che sale sulla ds e in corrispondenza di una interruzione del guard-rail, imboccare sulla sin una pista erbosa che conduce in breve a un caratteristico ponticello sul Tescio. Attenzione nell’attraversamento perché privo di protezioni laterali! Da questo punto fino a Ponte San Vetturino vi sono due possibilità: 1- itinerario più scontato e meno interessante (consigliato ai meno esperti) Si traversa il ponticello giungendo poco dopo sulla strada asfaltata che si percorre verso sin fino a Ponte S. Vetturino; particolari vedute sui bastioni del Convento di S. Francesco 2- itinerario inconsueto ma più interessante (consigliato ai più esperti) Appena prima di traversare il ponticello si imbocca a sin lo stradello che scende al greto del torrente. A questo punto si mantiene la sponda orografica sin del Tescio. Senza percorso obbligato – a volte in vicinanza del greto, a volte un po’ distante – ma senza particolari problemi di percorrenza, si segue la corrente fino a Ponte S. Vetturino. Percorsi poche decine di metri verso la città, in corrispondenza di un bivio con edicola, imboccare a sin una strada asfaltata. Al bivio immediatamente successivo si prosegue diritto lungo una sterrata in salita – localmente detta la Piaggia – che costeggia le mura del perimetro esterno del Convento di S. Francesco Verso ds oliveti, casolari e l’inconfondibile mole della Basilica di S. Maria degli Angeli. Sottopassata la Portella di San Francesco si sbuca su strada asfaltata, che si percorre verso sin in salita (siamo di nuovo in città). Appena sottopassata Porta San Francesco (con le ante in legno), piegare verso ds in discesa lungo Via Frate Elia, quindi si percorre verso sin in salita Via S. Apollinare, fiancheggiando le mura dell’abbazia benedettina di San Pietro. Dopo alcune centinaia di m si imbocca a ds una larga scalinata in discesa che fiancheggia le imponenti mura del Monastero di S. Giuseppe. Sottopassata Porta Sementone si sbuca sulla SS 147 che si percorre verso sin in salita: tenersi sul marciapiede! Percorsi circa 300 m si lascia la SS 147 per imboccare a sin una stretta strada asfaltata in salita. Si sottopassa Porta Moiano continuando in salita, quindi si piega a ds su scalinata in discesa. Si prosegue su sterrata lasciando sulla ds i vecchi lavatoi pubblici, da tempo in colpevole stato di abbandono e decadenza. All’indietro domina il campanile della Chiesa di S. Maria Maggiore, la Rocca Maggiore e la Torre Civica (Torre de Piazza). La sterrata – Via delle Fonti di Moiano, localmente detta Strada dei Cavallacci – si mantiene per un bel tratto sulla parte sommitale delle mura, come si può facilmente notare affacciandosi verso il basso, quindi diventa asfaltata e prosegue costeggiando le mura. Giunti a Porta Nova, senza sottopassare l’arco si traversa la strada continuando diritto in salita lungo Via della Selva. Al termine della via si trovano due colonnette; qui termina il nostro percorso intorno alle mura cittadine. A questo punto è d’obbligo una sosta – appoggiandosi al parapetto – per ammirare il grandioso panorama sulla Valle Umbra e su Assisi: in primo piano l’abside e il campanile della Chiesa di S. Chiara. Si traversa la strada, si entra nel piccolo parco cittadino che si supera verso sin. Traversata la strada asfaltata si torna di nuovo a Piazza Matteotti.
When I heard that there was an olive tree somewhere in Umbria purported to be 1,700 hundred years old—the oldest olive tree in the region, in fact—I knew what I was looking at. I was looking at a quest. I had to find it.
Is a quest really a quest when there's an explanatory plaque?
As it turns out, the tree—near Trevi in a little hamlet called Bovara—isn’t that hard to locate. Legend has it that the martyr Emiliano, the first bishop of Trevi, was tied to the tree and decapitated in the year 304…Emiliano became a saint, and the tree seems to have become immortal.
Still looking good at 1,700 years old
Despite late freezes which have killed off generations of trees in the surrounding grove over the centuries, l’Olivo di Santo Emiliano continues to flourish and produce fruit which the nearby Benedictine abbey uses to make their extra virgin oil.
The tree bears its catalogue number on the trunk
The trunk has become twisted and gnarled, the bark black with age, and the catalogue number painted on its side (the tree is listed in the regional register of protected flora) seems somehow insulting. But still some majesty—the kind that only something which has witnessed almost two millenia can claim—remains.
Yes, a quest is a quest if you feel like you come away with something ennobling.
Table for two at Costa di Trex
Here’s whatcha wanna do, whatcha wanna do is this:
Go to Santa Maria degli Angeli and find the post office (about two blocks from the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli on Via Los Angeles heading in the direction of Bastia Umbra). Right next to the post office there is a parking lot, primarily for tour buses. And in that parking lot there are a couple of kiosks. Head to the one that says “Porchetta”. Get yourself a nice towering sandwich filled with thick slices of whole roasted pig spiced with fennel and pepper—an Umbrian specialty. Make sure you order it not too “grasso” and not too “magro”…a nice mix of lean meat and rich crackling.
Go to the fruit and vegetable kiosk next door, and choose some fruit. Anything marked “nostrali” is grown locally, so try some Umbrian cherries, apricots, figs…depending on the season.
Finally, head across the street to Lollini pasticceria and pick out some amazing pastries for dessert. You can also get drinks here.
Now, head up the hill towards Assisi and follow the ring road as it curves around the historic center of town (never going into town) and meets up with the provincial road marked SP 444 (this road eventually goes to a town called Gualdo Tadino, so follow those signs). When you get to the top of Assisi, the road leads you under a city gate called Porta Perlici so narrow that only one car can fit through at a time. Once you pass under this city gate you will suddenly find yourself in the mountains…continue about half a kilometer, then follow the road marked Costa di Trex which climbs sharply towards the right.
La Chiesa di Santo Stefano at Costa di Trex
Follow this climbing mountain road for about 5 kilometers…there are some amazing views, so don’t miss them. After about 5 km you will come to the Santo Stefano church on the left. Leave your car along the shoulder of the road and set up your picnic on one of the two tables in the field above the church.
"Trex" stands for "tre chiese" or three churches which once stood on this slope of Mount Subasio. Santo Stefano is the remaining one.
Buon appetito!
May 26
by rebecca
The good news about walking and hiking in Umbria is that even if you get lost, you are bound to have such breathtakingly beautiful scenery to distract you that it won’t matter that much.
Who cares about the map when you are looking at this?
The bad news about walking and hiking in Umbria is that it is damned easy to get lost.
Some Guidelines for Walking and Hiking in Umbria
Umbria is a fabulous area to explore by foot, yet at the same time can sometimes be not that hiker-friendly and you will need the best boots for tactical use that you can get for the climb. The region has been late to the game in organizing well marked-trails and accessible information regarding itineraries and routes, which is a shame since the undulating landscape, tiny stone hilltop hamlets, and abandoned country churches and fortresses lend themselves to some remarkable hikes.
Here is some general logistical information for walkers interested in discovering this captivating region. For specific hikes, please refer back to the Walking and Hiking in Umbria blog category, where I will be reproducing some itineraries and adding some of my own.
Guides for Walking and Hiking in Umbria
The offerings in English for printed guides discussing itineraries in Umbria are disappointing. Probably the best to date is Walking and Eating in Tuscany and Umbria by Lasdun and Davis, which has 26 walks in Tuscany and…um…a whopping 3 in Umbria. That said, the three they do list for Umbria are all pretty walks with clear information and recommendations for local restaurants.
Walking and Eating in Tuscany and, oh, right, Umbria
A second choice is Sunflower Book’s Umbria and the Marche (Landscapes) by Georg Henke. With its 8 driving itineraries, 37 walks, and two regions, this guide is kind of all over the place. It does, however, focus on the Valnerina and Monti Sibillini–two of the most breathtaking areas in Umbria if not all of Italy– and contains large-scale (1:50,000) topo walking maps and transport timetables for all the walks. Sunflower offers a free on-line update service.
Sunflower Books took a stab at it…but why can no one manage to publish a mono-regional guide?!?
There is also a more local–though exhaustive–printed guide which follows a medieval trail through the olive groves between Spoleto and Assisi with English text, maps, and photos: The Olive Grove Path (Il Sentiero degli Ulivi) by Enzo Cori and Fabrizio Cicio.
Alternatively, I can’t speak highly enough of Bill Thayer’s Website. Bill has walked about 2,000 km all over Umbria during his numerous travels here, and has documented his walks with diary entries and photos. In my opinion, there is no better resource for walking in Umbria than his juggernaut of a website.
In Italian, there are two very good walking guides:
A Piedi in Umbria by Stefano Ardito has over 100 itineraries and covers the region well. Unfortunately, the guide is very text-heavy with few maps and no photos, so your Italian has to be pretty good to get any use out of it.
Lots of info, but hard to follow if your Italian isn’t up to snuff.
L’Umbria per Strade e Sentieri by Giuseppe Bambini, on the other hand, is chock full of maps, photos, and easily decipherable bullet lists for each walk–even if your Italian is shaky it’s a great resource. The routes described are largely loops, so you can drive to your starting point, follow the walk, and end up back at your car. If this sounds too good to be true, it is. The guide was printed by a small local press, Editrice Minerva Assisi, and is almost impossible to find outside of the Zubboli bookshop in the main piazza in Assisi.
Charts, maps, graphics and simple language…even if your Italian isn’t fluent this can be helpful
Maps for Walking and Hiking in Umbria
Trail markings in Umbria are maintained by a sketchily organized conglomerate of volunteer groups, like the Italian Alpine Club, and local government agencies so tend to be spotty, at best. A good map is essential.
The two series of trail maps I like best are the Kompass maps (1:50,000 scale) and the C.A.I or Club Alpino Italiano maps (1:25,000 scale), which show trails, unpaved and paved roads. Both of these are readily available at bookstores or larger souvenir shops which carry guidebooks in Italy.
Walking and Hiking Trails in Umbria
Trail markings in Italy look like this:
Or, this:
Or, this:
Or, if you’re really lucky, this:
So, generally, two red stripes with a white stripe in the middle and the trail number. Painted on anything.
Trails in Italy look like this:
Or, this:
Or, this:
Or, if you’re really lucky, this:
As I said, chances are you are going to get lost at least once during your hike, so try to be philosophical about it. Remember, a truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery while on a detour. (Or at least not bicker with whomever was in charge of the map.)
Three quick cautionary words before you head off. Hunting is a popular and widely practiced sport in Umbria, so be aware when hiking in hunting season (September through January) and outside of the regional and national parks, where hunting is prohibited. Umbria is also home to quite a few sheep, and their guard dogs can be aggressive while on the clock–give them a wide berth. Finally, be careful walking through high grass or climbing loose rocks…there are vipers in the area which generally flee at the sound of approaching humans but are not too pleased to be accidentally tread upon.
Buona passeggiata!
It had been awhile since I had been to the main galleries in the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria in Perugia, and I had forgotton how beautifully done the 2006 restoration was. I was back this past weekend, and fell in love all over again.
Even if 14th-16th century religious art isn’t your thing (the bulk of the collection is concentrated around that period) the building itself is worth an amble through.
Putty colored walls, soft lighting, a warren of oddly shaped rooms and corridors, exposed original stone and brick architectural details…simply stunning, and strangely soothing at the same time.
My favorite room: the clocktower! Stand inside behind the enormous working clock four stories above the Corso and listen to the ticking which has marked the time in Perugia for more than 100 years.
The clocktower is now used as the museum's multimedia center.
It pains me to admit it, but the times, they are a-changin’, even here in Umbria.
When I arrived here in 1993, this is how you did your grocery shopping: You left your house early in the morning with a net bag, and first you headed to the outdoor market in the piazza where you picked up your greens, fruit, flowers, and the local gossip. Then you headed to the butcher’s for your meat, and the local gossip. Then the fish shop for your fish, and a side of gossip. Then the cheese shop, the fresh pasta shop, and the bakery…where you caught up on the gossip. Then, for your very last stop, you dropped by the little local family-owned store for sundries like toilet paper and raisins and any gossip you may have overlooked. And, if you were lucky, you got home by noon.
What the produce section once looked like.
Now you go to the Ipercoop superstore along the highway and in half an hour buy all of the above. And get your gossip off Facebook.
When I arrived here in 1993, this is how you saw a movie: You went to downtown Perugia (our provincial capital, aka The City), where the four movie houses were. You started at one end of the Corso and checked out the posters outside the Cinema Modernissimo but decided to have an aperitivo and a chat instead. Afterwards you headed to the Cinema Turreno to see what was showing there and before the show stopped into the Pizzeria Mediterranea for a quick margherita. Then, since you missed the beginning of the show, you ambled down the street to the 18th century Teatro Pavone where, on the nights they didn’t have a concert or play scheduled, they might show a movie. And on the way you popped into Pasticceria Sandri for a pastry, thus missing the starting time there as well. So you ended up at the Lilli, where you grabbed a quick espresso from the bar next door and settled in to watch whatever was on that night. And halfway through the movie you felt raindrops hitting your face and looked up in surprise, forgetting that they had that really cool 1940’s retractable roof which they would open on summer nights.
What the cinema once looked like.
Now you go to the Warner Village Multiplex along the highway, where they have 10 different movies going on pretty much every hour all day and night, and you eat popcorn and drink Coke.
In light of all this modernization, the opportunity to see how things used to be done seem more rare with every passing year. Another example is the corredo, or traditional trousseau, which was a collection of high quality household linen–including table linens, towels, bed linens, and quilts–which a young woman would assemble in her youth and as a bride would use as the cornerstone of her new household. The contents of what we in the midwest once called a “hope chest” were generally high-end handwoven cloth, expensive and acquired with care and patience over many years. Now, of course, the couple registers at a department store or, even more often, lives together for years before marrying and thus has already collected all the household linen they may need.
The demand for this type of superior quality cloth has declined in step with the decline of the traditional corredo, which is both a shame and what makes Brozzetti Laboratorio di Tesseratura a Mano (or weaving workshop) in Perugia so unique and so worth a visit.
Tucked away in the heart of Perugia.
The workshop is housed in a 13th century church.
Just some of the beautiful pieces coming off the antique looms.
Housed in the oldest Franciscan church in Perugia, la Chiesa di San Francesco delle Donne (1212), this artelier was founded in 1912 by the formidable Giuditta Brozzetti. One of the first modern female entrepenuers in Umbria, Brozzetti criss-crossed the region copying and conserving traditional motifs taken from decorations found on Etruscan tombs and pottery, details from medieval and renaissance cloth, and iconography from works of religious art from little known churches spread out across the region. Many of her original handmade sketches are remain on display, and these geometric and stylized designs are still incorporated into the workshop’s pieces.
The detail in the woven patterns is fascinating.
Today the Brozzetti family is in its fourth generation of craftswomen, who continue producing hand-woven fine jacquard cotton, linen, silk, and wool cloth on antique wooden manual looms, many dating from the 19th century.
One of the antique wooden looms still used by the weavers.
A visit their workshop is simply captivating…the loud click-clack of the looms working, the gentle light filtering through the enormous apse window, the stylized patterns of griffons, pomegranates, and twisting vines in all imaginable shades of color.
Marta, last of the Brozzetti family, working the loom.
In this a-changin’ world, it’s a rare gift sometimes to be able to peek through the window of time and get a glimpse and what we have, tragically, lost.
Photographs of Brozzetti Laboratorio di Tesseratura a Mano were used with permission by Marit Alanen: photographer, artist, writer, and traveller. “You drink too much, you cuss too much, and you have questionable morals…You’re everything I ever wanted in a friend.”
There are a few fundamental truths which, once you become a parent, crystallize and form the primary touchstones of your existence. For example, sacks of oranges and cattle prods are all fine and dandy, but if you want real torture try walking barefoot across a cotto floor strewn with Legos. And, given a choice between twenty minutes of sex or twenty minutes of dead sleep, sleep wins hands down. Finally, you believe in God. Or, you don’t. Either way, it’s time to decide because preschoolers don’t deal well with ethical grey areas.
About six months ago, I drove past a huge basilica in the valley below Assisi, and my five year old piped up from the back seat, “Mamma, what’s that?” Now, it is probably not such a good thing that my son doesn’t recognize a church in Assisi, which is probably one of the places in which there is the greatest church per capita density on the planet. “It’s a church,” I told him.
“What do you do there?” he asked.
“Well, you pray.”
“You play?”
“No, pray.”
“What’s praying?”
“Uh, well, that’s when you talk to God”
“What’s God?”
And there it was. The $64,000 question. One of the few questions to which I have no answer that I can’t simply respond, “I’m not sure, but I bet Babbo knows.” Because, quite frankly, my husband isn’t that sure either.
I grew up in a deeply religious family, though of the flower children, guitar plucking, socially liberal kind. Though I don’t consider myself psychologically scarred by all that, by the time I left home for college I was, let’s say, religion-ed out. So, after a brief stint over at the Unitarians to detox, I settled into a benign sort of agnosticism. Though I considered myself a practician of the basic judeo-christian ethic which forms the foundation of most western religions, I would only actually show up at Mass once or twice a year to please Grandma.
When I moved to Italy after college, I thought my ambivalence regarding actively practicing a religion would be a problem, but I quickly found that, instead, there are quite a few Italians who are casual Catholics here in Umbria. And that no one really cared about whether or not I went to Mass, uh, religiously.
Italy, and especially a rural area like Umbria, is undoubtably Catholic. Italian civic culture is steeped in Catholicism, and in many ways there is no way of seeing where the religious culture ends and the secular begins. Most holidays in Italy are Catholic feast days, the local parish is very much the fulcrum of social participation in the countryside, and the passage from childhood to adulthood is still generally measured in sacraments: Christening, first holy Communion, Confirmation, nuptial Mass, and funeral Mass. Almost all public spaces sport crosses on the walls, even in some businesses where it seems out of place at best, like the local bank.
It is refreshing, in comparison to how in your face religious practice has become in the States, to live in a place where it is not an issue at all. Part of that is, of course, because something like 98% of the population of Umbria is Catholic, so no one really feels the need to wear their religion on their sleeve. But even among my few friends here who are active church goers and fervent believers, I have never felt uncomfortable, or judged, or pressured by their belief. Italians, and, more specifically, Umbrians, tend to be quite pragmatic about their religiosity. They are often Catholic and communist, both divorce and abortion have been legalized through popular referendum, and they are reluctant proselytizers.
In the years since I’ve moved, I have steadily and quietly shed any dogma which may have lingered in my moral paradigm but also feel like my life here has given me the opportunity to tap into a different spirituality…based on the tennets of secular humanism, no doubt, but still giving my life reference points which have led me to find my own sense of god, even if it’s not God. Contact with and respect for the natural world. A feeling of belonging to a comunity. The importance of family and friends, and prioritizing the time you spend cultivating those relationships. Recognizing the wonderous beauty in art and architecture. The joy of eating good food in the context of its history and culture. The value of slowing down and finding time for quietness.
The late David Foster Wallace said this:
“There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, “Morning, boys. How’s the water?” and the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes, “What the hell is water?” ….
The capital-T Truth is about life BEFORE death. It is about the real value of a real education, which has almost nothing to do with knowledge, and everything to do with simple awareness; awareness of what is so real and essential, so hidden in plain sight all around us, all the time, that we have to keep reminding ourselves over and over: ‘This is water. This is water.’ It is unimaginably hard to do this, to stay conscious and alive in the adult world day in and day out.”
And this is what I have found here in Umbria. Perhaps not the God of churches and rites, but instead moments of grace and awareness where all of a sudden I am yanked out of my automatic pilot working and parenting and surviving mode and become aware of an instant in time, a fleeting quotidian miracle, and am reminded “This is water.” And there I see god.
The view from my house. This is water.
