Visiting Orvieto, Umbria, by Deborah Taylor

As the funicular climbs vertically out of the station and the views open up you can see why Orvietoʼs spectacular location, high on a flat volcanic extrusion, ensured that it was defensible by the Etruscans.

We had chosen this Umbrian town from a picture book loaned by a friend because it is on the main railway line from Venice to Rome (just over an hour away by train), has one of the best Gothic cathedral in Italy and is known for its excellent regional food and wines. In addition everything is within walking distance and in October there are few tourists apart from Romans visiting on weekends. There are also many museums and galleries, some with Etruscan pottery and jewellery, there is a stunning Opera House with regular performances, two wells (pozzi) to visit, and a walking track around the base of the mountain. As Orvietoʼs enviable position made it vulnerable to siege two spectacular wells were dug to ensure access to water. The building of the Pozzo di San Patrizio began around 1527 at the behest of the Pope of the day. Popes regularly escaped Rome for this safe haven. You descend the well rather like you might ascend a lighthouse but via ramp(for donkey water carriers) rather than stairs, viewing others on the same journey by the light of low block windows in the internal circular wall. If you are game you can lean out and peer down to the water 60 meters below you. Due to the finite area of land for producing food and the risk of siege, most houses had a series of chambers and tunnels beneath them. They were used for keeping food cool, growing fungi, raising pigeons (with openings in the cliff faces for entry), making wine, cheese and olive oil, and for burying waste in long narrow vaults. 

We read that pigeon was still a specialty and featured on some of the local menus. Despite asking around, we didnʼt find any but did find wonderful and inexpensive restaurants offering regional dishes and the famous Orvieto Classico white wines. Our pick of places to eat were Osteria Numero Uno, Trattoria del Moro-Aronne and Ristorante Zeppelin that also has a cooking school. We returned home with preserved truffles and vacuum-packed wild boar prosciutto, and managed to fit two beautiful ceramic wine jugs and various leather bags and belts into our swollen cases. All were wonderfully crafted and inexpensive.

The best view of the town rooftops, cathedral and surrounding countryside is from the top of the Torre del Moro. From here you can appreciate the Gothic features of the cathedral with its black and white marble banding and highly coloured façade.

We stayed at the San Lodovico monastery established in the1300s, where the charming ensuite rooms have views over the gardens and the tariff is very reasonable. An added bonus was the opportunity to practice Italian, as the very friendly sisters spoke almost no English. (Segretaria Casa di Accoglienza Religiosa San Lodovico: Istituto San Lodovico s.lodovico@orvienet.it)

 

EYE ON CENTRAL ITALY – 2.The village of Castiglione Garfagnana - Toscana

Castiglione (the name derives from the Latin "Castrum Leonis", the "Lions' Camp") is considered  the ancient capital of Garfagnana and is a magnificent fortress. The town is surrounded by well-kept medieval walls and splendid towers.
The ancient fortress dates back to the year 723 A.D. and is open to visitors. The walls of Castiglione were built in the fourteenth century but have undergone a full restoration. Garfagnana is rich in history and tradition and is located in the northern part of Tuscany close to the enchanting towns of Lucca and Pisa.   

The town lies on a hill, from which it dominates the valley set between the Appennines and the more imposing Alpi Apuane (Apuans Alps).                                                                                                                               In the high part of the village, the imposing fortress rises on a rocky spur. It is a defensive structure with an irregular perimeter and three towers on a semi-circular plan. Near the entrance are the remains of a square tower that was the defence for the entrance. The height of the walls varies between 11 - 17 meters according to the gradient of the land. From the fortress there is a wonderful view of the surrounding valley.
Inside the fortress there have been modifications because of the change from a fortified town to a residential village.   It began as an ancient “castrum” built by the Romans, located in a strategic position in the valley that, in Roman times, was crossed by an important road between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna.                                                                                                                                                                           Due to its strategic position it had a stormy past and it suffered many sieges.  The first one, by Lucca,  in 1170 caused a lot of damage. The surrender to Lucca led to the reconstruction and the elevation to the Center of Vicaria. But fights and onerous taxes caused new wars.  In 1227 it was besieged and suffered more destruction at the hands of Lucca’s soldiers. The Peace Treaty of 1371 delivered the fortress permanently to Lucca which installed a permanent commissioner and the town walls were reinforced (the walls that can still be seen today).

The village, which is now an important summer resort, is in a splendid position and has a particularly charming atmosphere. In fact the centre of the little town lies inside the fortified ring of walls built by the Lucchesi. Castiglione developed around the fortress and for protection it was surrounded by walls and towers. The walls extend for 750 metres and were equipped with loop holes and a watch walk. On two of the towers we find the bell towers of the principal churches – St. Pietro and of course St. Michele, the most important monument in Castiglione dating back to the XV century. Its unfinished facade is decorated with little arches and columns and a porch from the XVIII century.

Inside there are remarkable works of art: a canvas representing the Virgin with child painted by Giuliano di Simone in 1389, a black wooden Crucifix dating back to the XV century, a fine marble tabernacle for the Holy Oils of the XVI century and in the vestry, a beautiful silver thurible, made in the XV century representing a medieval castle.  Today one can enter the town through three doors, but in the past there was only one access with a drawbridge because around the walls there was a deep moat. The other two doors were created in the XVIII century to make entry to the village easier. The fortified complex of Castiglione could be considered one of the most important examples of a “living Castle”.

                            Accommodation – Toscana - We recommend  

                                                 Casale le selve, Castiglione di Garfagnana

Casale Le Selve is located near the medieval town of Castiglione di Garfagnana, in the province of Lucca. It is entirely made of stone and dates back to the late 1700s - the date being obtained from an estimate made by the Church. To the South and West of the Farmhouse there is a spacious garden with a comfortable gazebo and a stone barbecue.                            

Entering the Farmhouse there is a large living room with a mosaic stone floor and an oak beamed ceiling. The room has large comfortable sofas and satellite TV. Adjacent to the living room is the kitchen with a full size cooker and fan forced oven. It is complete with all the necessary appliances. There is also a table which comfortably sits 7 people. There is a small storeroom, a bathroom with a Jacuzzi shower and at the rear, a laundry.                       

Upstairs there are three bedrooms with parquet flooring. One bedroom is larger with a double cast iron bed and can if necessary accommodate an additional single bed or a baby's cot. The second bedroom also has a double bed and the last bedroom contains two single beds. On the same floor there is a large bathroom tiled in baroque style, with a corner bath tub.                    

By the side of the house stone steps lead to the terraced swimming pool. There are spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. All in all a very comfortable, well-appointed home away from home!                                                                                                                                                                     

Casale Le Selve, Loc. Le Selve,21
55033 Castiglione Garfagnana,
Lucca, Toscana. Italia
 T: + 39 0583 689963; E: info@casaleleselve.it
                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                 

Eye on Central Italy- Le Infiorate di Spello by Jill Moir

 The religious solemnity of Corpus Domini falls sixty days after Easter and in Spello, Umbria it is marked by a wondrous display of floral carpeting on the tiny, meandering, cobbled streets of this charming hilltop town.  Le Infiorate di Spello culminate with a majestic procession leaving the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore and travelling on foot over the colourful creations throughout the town.                        

I was invited to join one of the groups participating and I hope to capture and convey the very special moments leading up to and during the construction of our carpet.

First, a little background …..  
                                                                                                   
This practice is recorded in the 17th century as part of Baroque festivals in Rome. Its origins are believed to result from experimentation by the florists of the Vatican using crushed flowers to recreate the mosaic artworks contained within. However in Spello, it seems to have developed a little more poignantly.   

A woman of the village decorated the entrance to her house with a small, simple floral carpet to welcome the passage of the religious procession of Corpus Domini. The flowers were picked from the fields surrounding the town. The other townsfolk appreciated this gesture and it became a competitive practice. This ethos remains today and brings an infectious communal energy, magnificent floral works and many visitors to Spello.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             It began for me one warm afternoon. We met in a piazzetta where we were issued with a well-worn, custom made shoulder bag and some buckets.   In small, aged cars we wound our way up ever diminishing roads to indescribable scenic beauty and fields of daisies. The chatter was constant, in Italian of course, smattered with laughter and obvious warm camaraderie. In the four weeks or so of almost daily excursions, my language skills took on an osmotic nature. 
                                                                                                                                                                                             The leader of the ‘group’ was a young solicitor, Paolo, a passionate Spellano, who cajoled his team to brave the heat and distances to collect the vast amounts of material in all the colours needed for his design.                                                                   

His team consisted of an itinerant trio of ‘stranieri’  (foreigners - in their late 50’s) and a dedicated local group of all ages with years of experience.   

How did he know where to go for the blue cornflowers or the white daisies or the yellow broom? Years of secrets were held fast so other teams did not poach ideas or precious flowers! This clandestine tone built an air of excitement as the weeks passed.    

If we were not picking flowers we joined a hardy group in the piazzetta to ‘process’ the flowers…removing petals, drying some in the oven...sorting them in boxes and putting them in a home-made rack especially for dry storage. Lots more chatter and camaraderie!

One hot afternoon I was invited to the kitchen of Giuliana. She taught me to make pasta…with freshly ground flour and eggs so fresh they were still warm! The special board was well worn from the biweekly ritual. We cut ‘tagliatelle, tagliatini’ and various nameless shapes for soup. Of course, it was the best pasta I have ever tasted!                                                                                                                                                         

As I was returning to my apartment, the various ‘cantine’ along the way were filled with similar groups preparing their flowers. Wafting down along the alleys the smell of simmering ‘pomodoro, pasta and pancetta’ filled the air.  People were spilling out onto the streets, strolling and chatting… taking their ‘passegiatta’- the evening social practice all over Italy. A friendly ‘buona sera’ was received all along my route home.  ‘Favoloso!’                                                                                                                        

The big day arrived...a beautiful balmy day. A group of twelve assembled early and drove into the mountains to do the last picking of the blue cornflowers… we needed the fresh blue for intensity of colour.  The air of excitement was palpable. We had a sumptuous morning tea of ‘mortadella e pane’ and various ‘dolci’ sitting amongst the flowers.                                                                                                                                      

On return, Spello was closed to traffic. The village streets and ‘piazzas’ became strewn with small and large temporary shelters with boxes of multiple coloured flower petals gathered beneath. Large stencils carefully labelled and coded were stuck to the pavements in readiness.                                                                                    

Our allotted area was in a long, narrow thoroughfare and the evening breeze was proving to be a problem…flower petals blowing away was not desirable!                 The ‘White Night’ had begun, so called because the town does not sleep. Shops stay open and activity is intense!  It is truly a long, fascinating night. 

Our design was commenced at 1 am. A group of about six people began placing the various colours as the stencil indicated. We all had a turn …some with sturdier knees lasted all night!                                                                                                                        

There were calls for more fresh green material for the borders…this created a flurry in the ‘cantina’ where we sat with chopping boards on our knees and chopped up wild fennel very finely.  The smell was intoxicating! Visitors and friends filed past and chatted, offered advice and joined in for short shifts of activity!  All quietly and stress free the carpet grew…only Paolo worried about the deadline of 9 am for the judging.                                                                                                                                      

Coffee flowed as the night progressed and wonderful ‘pizzas’ cooked by the same hard workers were passed around.                                                                                         

As the sun rose, a scene of wonderment unfolded as I strolled around the village. Shelters were being dismantled and many weary people were frantically adding the finishing touches. It was hard to believe so many perfect, intricate and colourful creations had been constructed in just twelve hours. Tiredness was evident but pride filled the air. Crowds of onlookers peered over and under for the best view. Cameras clicked incessantly!                                                                                                  

The air filled with the sounds of brass and percussion music ...the procession of sumptuous pageantry approached. The bishop and his entourage processed over the floral carpets as the climax to the Corpus Domini celebrations.                                                                                                                   

In the evening, after sleeping a few precious hours, we met in the ‘piazza’. The results were announced….it seemed almost everyone had won a prize! This was followed by a celebratory dinner at a local ‘Trattoria’.  A typical Umbrian feast of ‘antipasto, pasta and dolci’ was ‘buonissimo’!.    
                                                                                                                                                                                     As we walked home, the street sweepers had almost disposed of all the petals and other debris…...so much work for just a few hours but such a glorious experience!

Language Connections – New Courses for 2012.

TERM I STARTS 30TH JANUARY -
We are very excited to be able to introduce a number of new courses for this year - Some for adults and some for children.
Firstly, there is a new Japanese Beginner’s Group on Mondays from 6 - 7.30 pm. Book early as places are filling quickly!                                    There will also be an introductory Young Children’s French Group (4-7yrs) Wednesdays from 4 – 4.50 pm.        
For other new courses, check under the language you are interested in:

ENGLish grammar for foreign language students

Mondays at 6pm or Tuesdays at 11 am. 10 x 1 hour sessions - dealing mainly with verb tenses but also use of prepositions, pronouns and other trouble areas. Maximum 8 people per group.                                                                Course cost $200.00

french courses

There are several different types of lessons to choose from. You can do individual lessons, which you can book to suit your own time schedule, small group courses following a set time each week or family group lessons which again can be a little more flexible depending on availability of teachers.

Group lessons will be as follows for Term I:

French Beginners  - Wednesdays from 3.45 - 5.15 pm.

French Level II – Wednesdays from 5.30 - 7 pm.             

Young Children’s French  - Wednesdays 4 – 4.50 pm.   

French for Tourists, level basic -Thursdays 5.30 –7 pm.

Advanced French  - Mondays 5.30 – 7 pm    or                                      

                                       Thursdays 3.45 - 5.15 pm.

For private sessions or family lessons please contact Jenny to organise a suitable time.

Italian courses

Again, there are several types of lessons to choose from.  Individual lessons, which you can book to suit your own time schedule, small group courses following a set time each week or family group lessons which can be a little more flexible depending on availability.

Group courses for Term I will be as follows:

Beginner’s Italian  - Tuesdays 5.30 – 7 pm                                                    

                                       Thursdays 10.30 – 12 am.

Italian Level I (book 1) – Thursdays 5.30 – 7 pm.

Italian Level II (book 1) – Tuesdays 9 – 10.30 am.

Italian Level III (book 2) - Wednesdays 5.30 -7 pm.

Italian Level IV (book 2) – Fridays 10 – 11.30 am.

Italian Level V – Wednesdays 9.30 – 11 am.

Advanced Italian - Mondays  2.30 – 4 pm.

For private sessions or family lessons please contact Jenny to organise a suitable time.

Japanese courses

If you are interested in studying Japanese in 2012 we’d love to hear from you. At this stage we have organised the following:

Beginner’s Japanese – Mondays from 6 – 7.30 pm.

If there are enough requests, we would also introduce a level II group, so please let us know if you are interested and if you have some previous knowledge of the language.

There is also the possibility to do individual lessons or family group sessions at a time to suit both student and teacher.

Spanish courses

Group Courses in 2012 will be as follows:

Beginner’s Spanish – Mondays 9 – 10.30 am.

Spanish Level II Mondays 10.30 – 12 am.

Spanish Level II for Young students – Mondays 3.45 – 4.45 pm.

It is also possible to organise individual or family lessons - just contact Jenny to make a time.

German

We are still looking for a German teacher and would like to hear from anyone who is available.

Also if you are interested in studying German, please let us know (indicating day or evening preference) because as soon as we find a teacher, courses will begin!

Accommodation – Le massif Central

Château de Gerbe.
     
Bed & Breakfast Saint Remy en Rollat.
Former seigniory, Bourbonnais’ Castle of  the 16^th & 19^th Centuries, 9 kms from Vichy.    
+ 5 comfortable rooms for up to 15 people.    
+ Swimming Pool.  
+ Good daily and weekly rates.
   

T:0033  06 24 98 0716        

                                   

Altamica - Bed & Breakfast Cournon D’Auvergne.             + Near clermont  ferrand & le puy de sancy.                    + 3 rooms for up to 6 people.                                                    + Approximately € 70 per night.

T: 0033   0473 84 34 29                                                                      www.altamica.fr