We say arrivederci to Pienza and its wonderful small hotel, the Piccolo Hotel la Valle. Tonight we begin our tour of Umbria and stay in Trevi. I enjoy my last cup of cappuccino from one of the hotel’s beautiful cups.
Our first stop is Assisi, home of St Francis, to see its magnificent 13th century basilica built in his honor. As you can imagine, this is a big tourist stop, especially for pilgrims. We had a local guide explain some of the frescos by Giotto. We also went into the crypt to see the tomb of St Francis. There are actually two houses of worship, one on top of the other. The frescos in the lower church are more plentiful but more subtle in colors. I preferred it to the upper church, though it was also magnificent.
Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos inside the building, but it was composed of floor-to-ceiling frescos depicting the life of Christ. The interior is spectacular. Try googling to see interior shots. The Umbrian landscape around the city is spectacular and the city itself is filled with tourist shops, not all of a religious nature.
We departed for Cantina Dionigi, a family-owned winery producing white as well as red wine. We enjoyed delicious bread with olive oil, coldcuts, and delicious lentil soup for lunch, along with three tastings. This winery architecture was ultra modern, out in the vineyards with lovely views.
Our last stop was to the unique and charming medieval village of Bevagna. There is a yearly fair where, for the weekend of the fair, the residents use none of the conveniences of modern times. They live without TV, internet, electricity – what we consider necessary modern conveniences. There are many craftsmen who have set up their ateliers making products the way they used to be made. We visited a fabric maker and a paper maker.
Our new home for three nights was the hilltop village of Trevi, with architecture spanning Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods. We were staying at a hotel at the top of the village. The luggage had to be brought up by small cars. As we trudged up the winding cobblestone roads to the hotel and got our key, we were delighted to discover that we had not only a room with a view, but two views, with an extra light-filled reading room, complete with a chair and table. Nice! I am going to like it here. We also discovered that a Palio, or medieval competition, was to be held over the weekend. Oh, my. More adventures!
Next stop: Spoleto!