Thursday April 27, 2023
First things first, Carol starts us off with an egg with peppers breakfast and Italian coffee. She is wonderful. Today we are heading to the small town of Spello which dates back to Roman times and has a city wall built by order o Augustus. We walk to the mini metro and are able to take the elevator we found yesterday down close to it. Then we get on a train for a 30 minute ride to Spello. Dave and Gwen were supposed to be on the same train to Assisi but apparently there was a big party below their place last night until 0400. They are trying to possibly move places and dealing with the owner. We try to stay out of it as we want to focus on our day in Spello.
When we get off the train, a girl asks us if we know the way to the town center and I show her my map and say it should get us there. She joins us in our walk. She lives in Italy and is on vacation in Assisi and came here for the morning. We pass the Tega Chapel which was on my list but you can’t go inside. They have a glass wall so you can see in but it makes pictures very difficult. Pietro Tega was turning the small chapel into a workshop when he discovered magnificent frescoes under the plaster. They depict the crucifixion, Purgatory, and Hell.
We follow the road and it ends into the Main Street of town. The first stop is the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore which was originally a temple to honor Juno. Most of its chapels have been walled up and only two remain. One of them, the Baglioni Chapel contains frescoes (1500-1501) by the famous painter, Pinturicchio. He painted scenes of the Annunciation, Adoration of the Shepards, and Dispute of Jesus with the Doctors. For a reference on how good a painter he was, Pinturruchio painted the side walls in the Sistine Chapel. We get to see his work without the throngs of tourists in the Vatican. There are also some frescoes in a side chapel by Perugino, another well known painter.
While we walk, we learn the girls name we are with is Chiara (Clare in English) and she is from near Piacenza. We both thought she was in her mid to late 20s but when I ask her age, I guess 28, it turns out that she is 42. We are having fun talking with her as she said he wants to practice her English. We had mentioned that we were thinking about coming to live in Italy or 6 months or a little longer but would have to get a visa. She tells us we should get citizenship instead. She tells us that because my grandparents were from Italy, it would be very easy to obtain. Carol, as my wife could get it too. She says if Carol was not married to me, it would be very difficult. The Italian government does not make it easy for people who are not of Italian descent to become citizens. It is very interesting and something I will look into. She is the second person to tell me I should do this.
Next stop is the Church of Sant Andrea (St Andrew) built in 1120, after the end of the siege by Emporer Henry IV. It was later destroyed by Frederick of Swabia, then rebuilt and enlarged in 1281. There is another painting by Pinturicchio here. Of Madonna and Child. There is a very nice wooden cross and a beautiful four post alter, as well as some nice stained glass. The last church is the Church of San Lorenzo. It is also very nice with more frescoes and paintings to view. Now it is time to just stroll. We pass a restaurant I had picked to eat lunch at and although not open yet, someone is there, so I make a reservation for 1245, just after they open. We climb up a street with plenty of side street and alley views. Many have arches from the Roman times. There are also flower pots showing up everywhere as in May Spello has a month long contest for the best alleyway and balcony display. Looks like they are starting to gear up. We reach a viewpoint from where you can see sissies across the valley. There is also a small monastery here and a Roman Arch. In the viewing area is a bronze sculpture called the circle of life which is very interesting and nice. Our new Italian friend says her goodbye here as she wants to catch a train to get back to Assisi for the afternoon. We exchange information and hopefully we stay in touch and our paths will cross again.
Carol and I sit and enjoy the view, eventually making a slow walk to the resturant for lunch. We sit outside at Il Pinturicchio (where have we seen this name before?) enjoying the beautiful weather we have been blessed with. We order an appetizer of melanzanie beccafico a baked rolled eggplant with breadcrumbs and pine nuts , strangozzi with bacon, pecorino cheese with pistachios, and a tagliatelle with bolognese. A liter of hose white wine to wash it all down with. The eggplant is very good and both pastas are really good but the strangozzi pasta with the pistachio is the winner for pasta of the day. It is excellent. After lunch, we stroll some more trying to work off the meal. We get some nice views of the surrounding countryside and then slowly meander back toward the train station,, thoroughly satisfied and happy about our choice to see this Umbrian town. It has been a very relaxing day.
Back in Perugia, we relax in our apartment for the afternoon and then decide it is time for another Torta so we go out for a walk and the order a couple more sandwiches. We both get the same as the first day as Carol is now a full fledged Nduja addict. I talk more with the owner who is very nice and who we found out yesterday is from Calabria. He knew where my Grandfathers town of Bocchiegliero is as he came from a town down the mountain near there. He is the first Calabrian I have met that heard of this town. When we visited it in 2015, it is really small and remote in the mountains of Calabria. I tell him we could be cousins as my great grandfather was quite prolific with different woman from Bocchigliero and a few surrounding towns. He say oh a lion lover. Pretty funny. Then I ask if some girls in a picture with him are his daughters and the young girl working says he has no daughters, girlfriends so I say to him oh you are Latin lover. Fun times and he is the Torta sandwich master. When we are done with our sandwiches, we say goodbye and return home for the night. We do make a stop for some pastries to take with us for dessert. Life here is very good. Expenses Mini Metro RT 6E Train from Perugia to Spello RT 17.40E Baglioni Chapel 6E Cash Lunch at Il Pinturrichio 45E excellent Torta Al Testo Sandwiches at Piada e Delizia 11.50E Dessert Pastries 3E La Casina di Perugia Apartment 63E Walked 7.4 Miles
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