Ciao ancora! ( Hello again!)

Having just completed five weeks of travel, Steve and I spent the past 6 nights in an agriturismo in the Umbrian countryside! (Believe it or not, we are almost to the half way mark of our trip)

An agriturismo is a very common accommodation in the Italian heartland, as the Italian government encouraged rural entrepreneurs with financial support some years back. That is at least what we understood from Rosaria, our host, whose English is a million times better than my Italian, but still sometimes misses the mark.

The Santa Maria Agriturismo is a working farm with goats, sheep, chickens, olive groves, and 13 guest rooms. Actually, there are two areas; the posher guesthouse, and the bit more "rustic" farmhouse accommodations. Guess which we were in? That's right, the less posh one. But, it turned out to be fantastic!

As the low season had begun,we would have been alone in our swanky surroundings. So Rosaria decided to bring us up to where she, the workers and the volunteers live. It takes a lot of hands to run this large operation, and one of the ways she manages is by bringing in help using a program called "Work Away". We met lovely people from around the globe who are doing short term jobs in order to embrace a life of travel and adventure.

People like Titu from Hungary and Alejandra from Miami, among others, greatly enhanced our experience. (See photos)

When we weren't sleeping in, or having dinner with Rosaria and the volunteers, we were off seeing Umbria! First up was Civita di Bagnoreggio, an amazing city in the sky, frozen in time, and slowly dying. It is, in fact, known as the dying city, "La città che muore", as the terra firma it is built upon (a narrow plateau) is eroding. (See photos)

The town was founded by the Etruscans 2500 years ago, and was quite a happening place in 1695 when a HUGE earthquake hit. After that, the erosion process was noted to be accelerating, the residents fled, 'Civita' became a virtual ghost town. For 300 years, Civita has been untouched by the rapid changes of civilization and gives one the distinct feeling of walking back in time. There are only about 10 permanent residents currently living the village. Of course the main business at hand is a thriving tourist trade.

Our next stop was the hill town of Orvieto, which had relatively little to offer, with the major exception being the Orvieto Duomo. The Duomo's jaw-dropping facade glimmers in the sun and evokes a sense of awe. The huge bronze doors were made by the famous Italian sculptor, Emilio Greco, in 1964, but were not attached to the hinges for another six years due to public outcry. The outrage was directed at the Papacy for attempting to replace the original doors, which the public felt had historic value.

And now dear readers, our guest commentator, Steve Judy, will share his remarks about three other Umbrian Hill towns we had the pleasure of visiting:)

Todi:

A small but historic Roman settlement with minimal tourism. Another hilltop beauty. (See photo backlit by a sunset.) Remarkable for it's Roman cisterns accidentally discovered in 1993 underneath a tabachi shop. 10 interconnected cisterns stored water during Roman times, The cisterns can be visited with a 2 Euro fee and a mandatory hardhat. The cisterns are located well beneath the city streets. We visited the lowest point and the highest points in Todi, climbing to the top of the tower at the Tempio di San Fortunato.

Assisi:

Assisi also impresses with a spectacular view upon approach from the road. The Roman name was 'Assisum' and the Temple of Minerva (long since made a catholic church) still stands in the the piazza communale. We signed up for a museum pass that first took us to the underground Roman piazza exactly underneath the current piazza. Archaelogists uncovered the original Roman city plan complete with market stalls for bread, wine, ceramics, and excavated the entire piazza to reveal the underground Roman forum. The piazza was then restored to a functional modern piazza while the lower area is a museum.The next visit was to the Basilica of St. Francis. Three churches comprise the St. Francis compound. The huge upper church, the lower church and the crypt of St. Francis resting below. As one descends the three levels, the beauty and simplicity magnifies. The crypt is a genuinely holy place worthy of visiting.

From the lower church we climbed up the town to the top of the hill for a visit to the fortezza. We covered a second ancient hill town from bottom to top with a climb to the tower for a view of the surrounding hills.

Spoleto:

Too much time smelling sheep required a visit to Spoleto on our final day in Umbria. Renowned for a huge Roman aqueduct spanning a gorge next to the village, it did not fail to impress. A medieval hermit enclave resides across the aqueduct in the "sacred forest." This is a place where St. Francis himself reclused for a period in the 12th Century. This 2000 year old aqueduct is an amazing site to witness. Still standing solid. (see photo)

We explored the fortress museum "rocca Albornoziana," above the town, similar to Assisi's but with a better restoration into a full museum with historical artworks and religious artefacts. Our second visit was down to the town's authentic Roman home dating between 0-100 A.D. The home was miraculously uncovered and excavated revealing beautiful mosaic tile floors, a water well and original painted walls. (see photos) Note the arched walls and ceilings are not of the Roman period, but utilized to support a 4-story building above the Roman home. Definitely worth the 2 Euro admission fee.

Our Take: Umbria has much to offer, with the highlights being Civita di Bagnoreggio, Assisi, and the Santa Maria Agriturismo. Bello Umbria. Ciao 4 now.

Love, K and S