2018 Italy Vacation, Day 9 Asissi

 We left Cortona with the setting mid-afternoon sun on our backs.  On our way through Umbria towards Assisi, we passed through tiny little Torreone.  Here is the lovely Chiesa di San Carlo al Torreone at the crossroads.

After about 45 minutes we arrived in the foothills below the Basilica di San Francesco d'Assisi - one of the most important Christian pilgrimage sites in all Italy and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along with Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Francis was designated as the Patron Saint of Italy and is one of the most venerated religious figures in history.  The Basilica is built on a site, the "Hill of Hell" where, formerly, criminals were put to death, but now it's called the "Hill of Paradise".

 After parking in the underground Parcheggio Saba Gionanni Paolo II lot we entered the city through the Porta San Francesco and made our way up the Via Frate Elia.

 Almost immediately, we found ourselves in the massive courtyard that lead to the Basilica of Saint Francis.

We only had about an hour before the Basilica closed so we made our way quickly inside and down into the Lower Church and the crypt where Saint Francis' remains are buried in a stone coffin with iron ties enshrined above an open alter.  An urn holding the remains of a his most faithful friend, a Roman woman of nobility referred to as Brother Jacoba, marks the entrance to the crypt.  Francis' most faithful brothers were entombed in the corners of the wall around the alter.  No photographs are allowed in this sacred space, so you'll just need to go there to see it.

The upper Basilica is somewhat inconsistent with St. Francis legacy.  Francis renounced his life of wealth and privilege to take on the life of a pilgrim and penitent; he and his followers venerated poverty.  And yet the Basilica that honors him is massive, opulently decorated, and filled with the best art, furnishings, and finishes money could buy.

The nave is decorated on both sides with scenes from the Old and New Testaments - again a reminder how frescoes were used to teach an illiterate population about the biblical stories and instill a sense of devotion to Christendom.

The ceiling is decorated with frescoes of "the Four Doctors of the Church" - Jerome, Augustine, Gregory, and Ambrose and four heart-shaped medallions of Christ, Mary, John the Baptist, and Francis. 

As closing time approached, we hustled off to the gift shop to purchase some religious medals from the friars and then made our way outside to the large green lawn separating the Basilica from the town.

 We took our time making our way up the Via S. Francesco.

 

Again marveling at the ancient stone construction and arches connecting and bolstering adjacent buildings.

 We arrived at the Piazza del Comune Assisi.  The Romans took control from the Etruscans in 295 BC and remnants of their civilization persist today, like this forum.

 Canopies provide shade in the Piazza and a nice place for a refreshing drink or meal.

We continued to stop to admire doors and windowsills decorated with flowers.  There seemed to be a national pride in the aesthetic of the home that was so charming.

Starting to think about dinner Kathi and I were attracted to this lovely little terrace setting until I inquired about a table and was told the entire restaurant was sold out to a big party.

Instead, we decided to return to our agriturismo, and cook pasta we had purchased previously on the trip.  Tomorrow we were leaving Tuscany and we had to pack up and prepare for the next part of our Italian journey.

Walking back down the hill we arrived at the Basilica of Saint Francis along with the setting sun.  It cast a halo over the Basilica which seemed fitting.

The setting sun was now lighting up buildings with the most magnificent glow!

Taking leave of Assisi, we made one stop to admire the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter - the Museo di San Pietro e cripta di San Vittirino (built in 1029) - bathed in light.

 On the grounds was this statue of Pope John Paul II

 Looking SW over the Instituto Serafico Per Sordomuti Ciechi.

Meeting back up with Kathi on the Via Borgo S. Pietro, we found another cat to pet.

The setting sun was beaming through the Porta San Pietro as we left.

 And made our way out of Assisi, down the hill ...

 ... and into the Umbrian countryside...

  ... and its sea of sunflowers.

 We drove back to the Agriturismo Paradiso.  Kathi made pasta with grated Parmesan and we washed it down with some Vino Nobile from Montepulciano.  We washed clothes and repacked our suitcases for tomorrow we were leaving Tuscany for Lucca and then Levanto - the gateway to Cinque Terre and the Ligurian Sea.

2018 Italy Vacation, Day 9: Cortona

On day nine of our Italian vacation, we rose, got dressed and ambled across the terrace and down the stairs for another sumptuous breakfast.  All the wiser, we first ordered our cappuccino and it arrived before we even returned with our plates full of cheese, pastry and cakes, bacon, and other delights.

For our fifth day in Tuscany, we decided to visit the town of Cortona.  From Asciano, we headed east, through San Gimignanello, and then onto the autostradale (highway) to the SP32 exit, through the village of Appalto, through the countryside to Le Fosse, through Camucia and into the foothills below Cortona.

Along the way we stopped to admire the Italian country estates.

 Views of the fertile valleys of Tuscany...

... and the fields of sunflowers.

Climbing up towards Cortona, we parked the VW near the Porta Colonia entrance.  In addition to the standard daypack with raincoat, water bottle, sunscreen, and other items, we also brought a picnic lunch in the handy sack LR made from a Keep Norfolk Beautiful t-shirt. 

The ancient Etruscan walls that surround Cortona, looking towards the Piazza Del Duomo.

 We entered through the city walls and into the Piazza Mazzini. 

and Kathi immediately made a new friend.

I'm, enchanted by Italian windows and doors - so welcoming.

 Walking along the city wall and the Via delle Mura del Duomo, we arrived at the Piazza Del Duomo and were struck by this bronze statue of a man and a woman intertwined, arms outstretched, branches emerging and leafed out.

 

We entered the Catholic Church - the Duomo di Cortona.  Looking down the length of the nave, with it's beautiful white columns, arches, and decorated ceiling - the interior was quite stunning!

 A close up of the alter...

 Kathi, wrapped in her "shawl skirt" out of respect, paid a tribute and said a prayer at this devotional to the Mother Mary and baby Jesus.

Each of the devotionals was quite striking.  This is the Crucifix by Andrea Sellari.

The Madonna del Pianto

Across the Piazza, we toured the Diocesan Museum.  It contains some of the best artwork from the town's churches including the Annunciation (1430) by Fra Angelico.

The angel asks if Mary will bear God's son.  The angel's words are in the top and bottom lines, Mary's response, consenting yes, are upside down (logically, since it's directed to God who would be reading while looking down from heaven.

In the same room lies this triptych (1436) of the Madonna and Child also painted by Fra Angelico. 

This alterpiece is from the thirteenth century church of Santa Margherita and portrays Santa Margherita da Cortona with scenes from her life (dated 1298-99) made only a year after her death.  The panel was made for the Monastery of Santa Chiara, and is the oldest known representation of the Blessed Margherita.  

Heading downstairs to the lower refectory...

There is a vault with frescoes (1545) by Giorgio Casari, the architect and painter who designed the Uffizi in Florence.  On the alter is a circa 1500 painted terracotta pieta.

Leaving the Diocesan Museum, we continued up through the Piazza Franciolini and into the Piazza Luca Signorelli.  Since we had toured the Etruscan Museum in Volterra, we skipped the Etruscan Museum in Cortona (even though Cortona was a large Etruscan center), and proceeded on to the Piazza della Republica.

The shopkeepers knew where to put the boxes and baskets of pasta to entice us inside...

 The town square since Etruscan times, the piazza is dominated by its City Hall and grand staircase.


It seemed like as good a spot as any, so we unpacked our provisions and enjoyed our picnic on the steps of City Hall.

This is the way lunch is supposed to happen, eaten slowly, savoring the the cheese, the meat, the fruit, the bread, with a good wine buzz and a splash of frizzante!  After the meal, we lazily ambled up the Via Nazionale and poked our heads into the narrow alleyways to catch a glimpse of life off the beaten tourist path.

With an ever watchful eye, I discovered more creative street art, even in the ancient Etruscan city of Cortona.

Here is a poster advertising hikes sponsored by the Etruscan Museum.  The middle offering advertises a hike along the city walls of Cortona with stops to taste Etruscan cuisine.  Next time for sure!

The streets of Cortona were less populated with tourists and we enjoyed the freedom the light traffic afforded.

We arrived at the Piazza Garibaldi where Kathi stopped to relax under the trees while I explored about.

Looking down the Via Gino Severini and onto the Tuscan countryside beyond.  Cortona lies at the edge of Tuscany, the last town in Charlemagne's empire and the last under the Medici rule; Umbria is just about one mile away.

We were outside the city walls, now peaceful and manicured, you could get an appreciation of how formidable they must have appeared during Etruscan times 2,500 years ago.

 Along the wall was a tribute to Leonardo da Vinci and his ideas that led to flight.

Within a few steps, I arrived at the Catholic Church - Chiesa di San Domenico, completed in 1438.

It was built outside the city walls near where the Porta Peccioverardi once stood.  The stone brick lacks the customary plaster veneer, but the peaked portal and single small oculus brighten the interior nave with elaborate side alters.

The main alter piece is a triptych by Lorenzo di Niccolo depicting the Coronation of the Virgin, the Annunciation, and the Crucifixion donated by Cosomo I de'Medici in 1440.

Here's an example of one of the many exquisite lateral alter pieces - Madonna with Angels by Luca Signorelli.

Just behind the church is the public park Parterre, with its fountain with twin dolphin riders.

The park was a lovely space and I could image spending quiet afternoons here reading, sharing a picnic, and enjoying the company of friends.

I must get more rectangular clay pots!

At the entrance to the park is a monument for all the Cortonese ho had fallen in war.  Such a beautiful sculpture and image.

Rejoining Kathi, we made our way back through the untrammeled streets of Cortona ...

... and retrieved the car for the short drive to the Church of Santa Margherita, dedicated to a Franciscan nun and canonized saint (in 1728) of Cortona.

The interior, columns, and ceiling were all exquisitely decorated.  The main alter displays her "incorrupt" embalmed body.

 A nun maintaining the candles for the devotionals inside the church.

 The church's beautiful dome.

One of the side alters...

 The shroud of Turin on display?!!!!

 A quiet bench sits outside the transept. 

Behind the church is a bell tower and monastery of the Franciscan Order overlooking the beautiful Tuscan farms, fields, and orchards below.

I love the clay pots.

We hopped in the car and drove up the winding road above the Basilica to the Fortezza del Girifalco.

Kathi waited under the shade of the trees while I climbed the tower to walk the ramparts of the fort walls.

Looking out at the countryside as I go...

 Climbing higher and looking down at the Basilica di Santa Margherita below.

Climbing up several floors, I was able to gain access to the fortress' ramparts for sweeping views of the surrounding Valdichiana (Chiana valley).

The fortress was built between the fifth and sixth century BC and commissioned by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosomo I de'Medici.  The castle sits on the ruins of a similar fortress from the Etruscan, Roman, and medieval periods, but it was repeatedly looted and sacked during the wars with Arezzo (prior to Italy's unification).

The Valdichiana...

Looking back to the south...

Looking to the east along the ancient wall of the city and into the Valdichiana.

It was mid afternoon and Kathi wanted me to see Assisi, so we made a hasty retreat from Cortona although I got the feeling we only scratched the surface of this lovely town.  I would definitely come back to enjoy it at a slower pace.