May 2016 – GoGrano

Deruta, Italy

The moment we learned we’d be staying near the little Italian town of Deruta, we knew we would want to shop for china (why is it called “china” and not “italy”?). In Deruta, there’s nearly 15 kilometers of ceramics factories and store fronts, one after the other.

My sister Lyn lives in pottery country in North Carolina and one of our favorite ways to spend a day is to mosey between pottery stores, picking up vases, dishes and cups while admiring the artistry of the potters. No matter how much pottery we bring home, we always find room for one more beautiful piece.

Things were a little different in Italy. Anything we bought would have to become part of the weight allowance in our luggage. We all wanted to shop in store after store but we were very limited by weight and shape. It was frustrating not being able to buy what we wanted, but it also meant we chose only our very favorite pieces to bring home.

Deruta

Deruta is located in central Italy in Umbria. The area is known for its refined maiolica manufacture which has been on-going since the early middle ages.

But Deruta is also a town where people live and work. While the top of the town is a small walled city (small because the population was ravaged by the Plague in the middle ages), the lower parts of the town are modern with compact apartment buildings, numerous shops, and well planned streets.

Maiolica

Pottery decorates the showrooms, front windows, and even the buildings of Deruta. At the Museum of Deruta Ceramics, some of the ceramics are used to tell stories. A signed work by Mancini hangs outside on a wall, telling the story of Ovidio’s 1541 Metamorfosi. The 15 books of Ovid’s Metamorphoses are a Latin narrative poem telling the history of the world, beginning with the creation. The ceramic piece hanging on the wall outside the museum is really this beautiful.

Ceramic wall art in Deruta, Italy 2016 — Wall art in ceramics in Deruta, Italy 2016

Our souvenirs

We met a delightful woman in one pottery store who painted a ceramic duck. My sisters knew I loved the duck and they bought it for me for my birthday. Here I am with my hand-wrapped duck and the lovely painter.

DSC01883 Deruta Duck Italy 2016 — This is the duck that was wrapped up in the large package in the photo, above. He now sits on my breakfront in my dining room as an ever-present memory of Deruta, Italy 2016.

DSC01881 Italy 2016 — These small pieces have a place of honor in my guest bath. From Italy 2016

DSC01882 Italy 2016 — This pretty planter sits on a window sill but try as I might, I can’t get anything to grow in the way of herb seeds. I’m going to try a small flower. Italy 2016

Dinner in Deruta

After a long day of sightseeing in the rain, we looked for a good local restaurant for dinner. This is what it looked like out our windshield:

Our dash through the rain was rewarded with an outstanding dinner when we found the Osteria il Borghetto as recommended by Trip Advisor. The tiny restaurant is easy to find, we parked right out front, and we were greeted by the owner as if we were his own family with hugs and kisses at the door.

We simply ordered the special of the day and were treated with a baked caserole as an appetizer – a delicious blend of vegetables and cheese. Our first plate was a combination pasta in a spicy sauce that was extraordinarily well flavored with perfectly cooked pasta. Pork loin made up our meat dish; it was accompanied with an zesty slaw and a flavorful polenta puff.

After dinner, the owner came to our table with 15-year-old balsamic vinegar. He poured out a small teaspoonful and offered it to each of his guests. POW! the flavor was rich, full and sweet. It was the perfect dessert after a heavy meal. He told us the vinegar is a gift from a friend and he shares it with his customers each night.

We left with more hugs all around. What an extraordinary dining pleasure in Deruta, Italy!

Civita – The town that is dying

The anciet town of Civita is dying smack in the middle of Italy. Civita is a 2,500-year-old Etruscan town built on stone that has slowly eroded or crumbled. An earthquake did in the only roadway leading into town. Once isolated by steep hills, Civita now has a long stone bridge that allows for foot traffic. With the bridge, tourism has picked up a bit.

That's Civita way in the distance surrounded by the Umbrian hills. Civita, Italy 2016. — That’s Civita way in the distance surrounded by the Umbrian hills. Civita, Italy 2016.

Civita is located next to the town of Bagnoregio, a nondescript town that offers parking near the foot bridge. We had a difficult time trying to figure out where to park. A few signs pointed towards Civita but the parking lots were just dirt lots with a machine for payment. My advice for parking is just drive as close as you can to Civita. When the roads stop but Civita is in sight, park there. I felt perfectly safe staying in the car alone and enjoyed the company of a wandering cat while my sisters hiked across the stoe bridge to Civita.

DSC00645 Civita, Italy 2016 — Catwalk – Civita, Italy 2016.

I was tired after a long day of exploring but my sisters chose to hike down the long stone staircase and across the bridge into town. It took them about 15 minutes of walking to reach Civita, take a quick glance into the city center, and then another 15 minutes to walk back.

This is the start of the long stairway that leads to the footbridge to Civita. Civita, Italy 2016.

Without taking the long hike, I still enjoyed the feeling of remote Italy. Civita is surrounded by hills that roll into a wilderness that is not expected in Italy. The serenity of the setting was peaceful and provided the perfect ending to a long and busy day.

That's me with my back to Civita. Civita, Italy 2016. — That’s me with my back to Civita. Civita, Italy 2016.

If you’re looking for an interesting hill town that is low on crowds, Civita may be the town for you. Rick Steves has also written a charming story with a lot more detail about Civita that you may enjoy.

Here’s a live webcam if you’d like to see the “action” in Civita for yourself.

The Papal Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

The Papal Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi is so much more than the mother church of the Franciscan Order. It’s really a living memorial to the teachings of St. Francis plus an accessible gallery to the extraordinary paintings by Giotto and Cimabue.

Note: I’ve written a separate blog about the hill town of Assissi.

Basilica of St. Francis. Assissi, Italy 2016 — Basilica of St. Francis. circa 13th century. Assissi, Italy 2016

As we approached the Basilica after a rain-drenched walk through Assissi, we were surprised to see soldiers guarding the church. We had felt protected as we strolled through the town, never realizing that soldiers guaranteed our safety. The soldiers were carrying out Operazione “Strade Sicure” (Operation Safe Streets) as part of activities in place throughout Italy.

Operation Safe Streets. Assissi, Italy 2016

DSC00452 Assissi 2016 — Operation Safe Streets. Assissi, Italy 2016

The irony of soldiers guarding this area just steps fom a statue of St. Francis, spiritually exhausted, returning from war was not lost on us. We are grateful for these soldiers and all the men and women who protect us during our travels. Thank you!

Italian soldier in front of Francis, returning from war before he was a monk. Assissi, Italy 2016

We were advised to tour the Basilica late in the day in order to avoid crowds. But we arrived so late that guards were slowly closing down the church. We started in the top level — apparently, we should have started in the lower level — and had to make a mad dash to the lower level before it was closed. We had allowed for 30 minutes in each of the levels but that was just not enough time to take in everything. The exhausting run from the upper to the lower level in the pouring rain was absolutely, 100% worth the sprint: when we arrived in the lower Basilica, mass with a full choir was being sung in Latin! It was absolutely gorgeous.

But let me start with the Upper Basilica. As we entered the upper level, a monk in a small booth to the right sold us entrance tickets. A haphazard scatter of crowds walked up and down roped-off aisles, eyes aloft, admiring the frescoes that covered the walls of the church.

basilica_superiore_220 — Photo from assisionline.com

When we visited Giotto’s works in Padua, we entered a sealed chamber to normalize our breath, then we were admitted to the Scrovegni Chapel in small groups for just 15 minutes. This was done to protect the Giotto frescos. But large crowds wandered at will around the St. Francis Basilica frescos and no measures were taken to protect the art. The feeling seemed to continue the themes of St. Francis that people were more important than stuff. Nevertheless, there is a controversy about the protection, and even the restoration efforts, of the Basilica’s wall paintings.

Giotto, Renunciation of Wordly Goods Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Upper Church Photo via: Wikimedia Commons — Giotto, Renunciation of Wordly Goods
Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Upper Church
Photo via: Wikimedia Commons

There was also controversy for many years about whether or not the paintings in the Basilica were by Giotto or by a variety of other painters. During the restoration process in 2012, however, restorers discovered a signature of Giotto proving that at least some of the frescos were part of Giotto’s early body of work.

Despite the controversy, it was a thrill to see the cycle of 28 frescos up close. They depict the life of St. Francis – the cathedral was started the day after Francis was named a saint so the stories of Francis were vivid. I was not permitted to photograph the cycle; I think it was more because of crowd control than fear of damaging the paintings. So I refer you to wikimedia for a full telling with photos of the cycle.

When we arrived breathless to the Lower Basilica (guards closed the church for the day right after we raced through the doors), the guards put their fingers to their lips to indicate silence. We tiptoed into the Lower Basilica and we were greeted by a mass featuring a full choir with music. It was glorious!

Every surface of the Lower Basilica is painted with scenes from the Bible. The body of St. Francis is buried down a stairway discovered nearly 600 years after his death. We relaxed into the calm of mass, satisfied with a full day of peace and beauty thanks to St. Francis of Assissi.

“Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing that you have received…but only what you have given; a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.”
— St. Francis of Assissi