Umbria… Assisi and Spello

The theme of the day is bikes, nuns and churches.  We see many of each.

Young nun with a bag of flour

The sun is shining as we pedal onward toward Assisi.  A few kilometers before we reach the town we stop by the sky-blue domed Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli.   The basilica was built around the Porziuncola, the original church where Saint Francis founded the Order of the Friars Minor in 1209.  Lots of churches are built on the foundations of older buildings, or they incorporate the old building into the new structure.  This is different.  The entire original chapel is intact, distinct, sitting in the middle of the open interior of the basilica.  Think ship-in-a-bottle, except with Franciscans.  Stunning frescoes inside the Porziuncola illustrate events from the life of Saint Francis.  I want to include a picture, but cameras are forbidden.  You can take a peek at the mystery here: http://www.porziuncola.org/en/index.html.

Santa Maria degli Angeli

Bike Riders at Santa Maria degli Angeli…Dan, Kay, Jim, Vernon, Jackie, Ron and Kathy

Up, up, up we climb to Assisi, but it is absolutely worth the effort.

Resting troops… Susan, Jackie, Dan, Ron… just can’t kick the technology habit

We visit the Basilica di San Francesco, home of the tomb of Saint Francis of Assisi, and the center of the Franciscan order.  Giuseppe, the best tour guide ever, whispers wonderful stories about St. Francis and the Basilica through our earphones.   The basilica is contains two churches, upper and lower.  Their locations mirror their presentation.  The lower one sits beneath an awe-inspiring series of frescoed arches (remember all those 8th-grade illustrations of groined vaults?).  The upper church is a grander, more formal affair, with sunlight streaming through gorgeous stained-glass windows.

Giuseppe

Giuseppe points out that the lower frescoes look faded because visitors over the centuries have scraped off the precious minerals that were used to create the vivid blues and golds.  He shows us the first examples of perspective drawing on the frescoed walls.  And he tells us that although Saint Francis is known as the patron saint of animals, he is really the patron saint of the environment and lived a life devoted to serving the poor.  Even after only a short lesson about Saint Francis, it’s impossible not to be awed by his work, and by the brown-robed Franciscan friars and nuns we see who continue his work today.

Giuseppe tells us about the hiding space between the upper and lower churches, used to secret Jewish refugees during the Second World War.  Although there is no record of any Jews ever living in Assisi before the war, 200 Jews were hidden in the town’s various convents and monasteries, sometimes dressed as monks and nuns.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Franciscan nuns

At the end of the tour we feast on typical Assisi sweets.

Spello, another amazingly beautiful stone-walled city.

In Spello we disperse to wander the town, but Chip and Keith discover the winner for lunch, Enoteca Properzio a wine store and Umbrian specialty shop with a cafe.  Spello is so small that within 30 minutes, everyone touring the town on foot manages to pass by their table—and decide this is where we ought to be, join them, sharing wine and bruschette.  Roberto Angelini, the manager, wears blue jeans.  He never stops talking or moving.  “Come! Come!  You must see my tasting rooms complete with kitchens.”  According to Roberto we have arrived at the source for the best wine, the best olive oil, the best beans and meats in Italy.  We taste and buy everything in sight.  Roberto is happy.

Spello street

Hanging at the Enoteca… Collen, Jody, Kathy, BA and Lena

Roberto

Dinner at our hotel, Tre Vaselle, is elegant, truly delicious and afterwards I have a chance to thank the chef personally.

The menu reflects a modern interpretation of traditional Umbrian cooking.  Squash blossoms stuffed with a mixture of lake shrimp and ricotta, the whole thing on a zucchini emulsion; black celery soup, a specialty of Umbria; truffled ravioli; roast squab.  We end with pears poached in Sagrantino wine.

Ravioli

Squab

Message from Saint Francis