Reading and Roaming
SETTING Cortona is a town in Tuscany built on a hillside at an elevation of 2,000 feet. Some of its original walls remain and the architecture is primarily medieval. It was an Etruscan kingdom, then a Roman colony, then independent, and in the 15th century part of the Medici holdings. When Italy was united into …
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FLOWERS Yesterday we spent most of the day in Spello, a short drive from Perugia. Spello is an old Etruscan town and one known for its annual religious flower festival, Infiorate di Spello, around Easter. There are many window boxes on buildings and walls, and folks collect and dry the blossoms to be used for …
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PARK SCENES Situated high up on the ramparts, Perugia has a small park with a view out over the buildings below and over the valley to the mountains. TOWN HALL In the historic center is an attractive town hall and museum with on one side sculptures of a griffin and a lion, both symbols of …
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DUOMO DI ORVIETO Yesterday we traveled from Rome to Perugia via Orvieto. It was a pretty ride and a combination of winding country roads and some time on the highway. We spent several hours in Orvieto, focusing mainly on the striking 14th century Duomo di Orvieto. This cathedral, unlike others of gray stone, has beautiful mosaics on the …
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