Spoleto, Italia – where I play tour guide

17 October 2024

 

Spoleto is one of my favorite towns in Umbria, and I’m always happy wandering this lovely town.  I visit my top places in town, walk around, and often end the half day with incredible gelato. 

 

Half our class, the dyeing group, organized their own visit to a woman nearby who raises and shears sheep, and spins yarn.  They rented a car and went off on their own jaunt, so that left the rest of us going on the planned field trip.

 

However, two students said they’d like to stay and work on their weaving.  Then Shelley thought perhaps she should stay to assist them if needed.  Plus she was weaving an image to be included in La Romita’s memory book, and wanted to try to get that finished.

 

Shelley asked me if I knew Spoleto, and I said yes.  She then explained she’d be staying at the school, but her mother was planning to go to Spoleto.  I asked if she wanted to keep an eye on her, and she replied yes, if I don’t mind.  Of course not, her mother was so cheerful and fun to be around.  (Edmund asked who would be keeping an eye on me – hah, he knows me well enough!)

 

So it ended up with just five of us going to Spoleto – me, my friends R and J, Shelley’s husband, and her mother.  Once we arrived, everyone asked what I like to do in Spoleto.  I explained that I usually wander by the old Roman arch, and head to the main shopping square, the Piazza di Mercado.  I stop in at a little local grocery shop (alimentaria) and buy some truffle items.  Truffle cheese, truffle sauce, and this year I bought some intense truffle stuff that I’ll mix with fig jam – they didn’t have any when I asked for “marmellata,” but my friendly grocer told me to mix this stuff with a large jar of jam and it’s “spettacolare.”  Close enough to understand this will be spectacular!  I like this alimentaria because it’s definitely not the super-posh fancy touristy kind of spot; it’s a neighborhood spot, where the owner doesn’t speak English and he jokes around in Italian with all customers, even the non-Italians like us.

 

Then my route is to head to the Duomo, the big church (or maybe cathedral?) with the frescoes by Filippo Lippi, which are just luminous.  SO gorgeous!  After soaking in the beauty and communing with Lippi (who is buried in the church, despite the scandals surrounding his history), there’s a little local park just around the corner from the church.  I always visit this less-known spot, sometimes sketching, sometimes just looking at the great overview of the entire town, full of earth-toned buildings, terra cotta tiled roofs, and cypress trees dotted around.

 

I usually get lost at this point, and wander.  I didn’t tell people that, but that’s what happened.  Always does.  We found a woman walking by, and I asked directions.  She said she spoke English – she was a US citizen living in Spoleto, so we chatted a bit.  She sent us in the right direction to get back to la Piazza di Mercado.

 

My final favorite thing is to return to la Piazza.  I spend some time admiring the fabulous clock with a blue face and curly golden hands mimicking the sun – such a wonderful clock!  I did a little watercolor sketch of the clock two years ago, but with me playing tour guide, well, that didn’t seem like the best thing to do.

 

The other reason to spend time in the plaza is the gelato shop.  They have “gelato al cioccolato fondente con arancia” – dark chocolate gelato that has orange peel in it!!!  OH so amazing!  I especially enjoy it with coffee gelato, it’s a fabulous combination.  (R and J had the dark chocolate orange with some raspberry sorbetto, which also sounds like a wonderful combination.)

So that’s exactly what we did.  Everyone agreed it sounded like a fun plan, I knew how to get to most of the places, and I can ask for basic direction in Italian.  Phebe the Tour Guide.  I could get a job leading people around Spoleto.  And J was great, he had a batch of 50 cent pieces and he kept feeding the light that shines on Lippi’s frescoes.  He and R could be my tour guide sidekicks.

 

On our way out, we stopped to look at the old Roman amphitheatre through the iron fence.  I’ve never been in Spoleto when the place is open, but it’s worth stopping for a quick look and some photos.

 

For people interested in the scandal about Lippi, or more information about the frescoes in the Duomo, here’s the blog post from 2022 which includes all the gossip and details: https://rollingluggagers.blogspot.com/2022/10/pandemic-diaries-italian-interlude-27.html

 

Perugia and Assisi 2024

16 October 2024

 

 

I was excited to visit Perugia, having not returned to this lovely city since 2007.  Perugia is home to one of the oldest universities in Italy (founded in 1308), and also is home to both Perugina, the chocolate company, as well as Eurochocolate, an international chocolate festival.  With that kind of background, who would not be thrilled?!?  And ready for (you guessed it) CHOCOLATE!

 

However, prior to visiting the city itself we had another stop, and wow, that was probably the most amazing place to visit!

 

In Perugia one can go to a traditional weaving studio, where artists create incredible fabrics using not only the same methods and designs but also the same looms used hundreds of years ago!  Really!  The Giuditta Brozzetti Museum Atelier
is both a museum and studio devoted to the art of weaving.

 

They are housed in an old church, aptly named the Church of St. Francis of the Women.  Current owner is Marta Cucchia, a fourth-generation master weaver and great granddaughter of the weaver for whom the studio is named.

 

The website: https://www.brozzetti.com/en/history/tradition/

 

And a video, in Italian, of Marta being interviewed for a documentary film about traditional arts in Italy (we think – my Italian is limited):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q7A-j71FME&ab_channel=Bellezzaepotereprogrammatelevisivo

 

The studio specializes in jacquard weaving.  Jacquard weaving is pictorial, usually in repeated patterns, but differs from tapestry weaving in several ways.  First, both the warp and weft threads (vertical and horizontal threads) are visible in the finished fabric; in tapestry weaving, the weft threads completely cover the warp threads.  Second, the design is visible from both the front and back of the cloth, while in tapestry weaving the back is usually covered and not made to be viewed.  And last, in jacquard weaving the weft threads are woven across the entire horizontal width of the fabric; in tapestry weaving uses multiple weft threads that cover only the section of fabric for each color that create the image.

 

Marta took us around the studio and showed us some of the looms, hand-carved in wood, and several hundred years old.  (I think the oldest loom was originally made in 1400-something, but that might have been 1500-something.)  Decoratively-carved end pieces and braces to help support uprights, because they were made in an era where even utilitarian items were beautiful!  Hand-carved wood gears and cogs!  The looms were works of art themselves!

 

She also demonstrated how jacquard is woven.  The patterns are based on a grid system, and each design needs certain warp threads to be lifted or lowered as the weft threads are drawn through.  Metal punch cards are created for each design, one per row of weave, and are attached to each other, making a long chain for the design – somewhat like a roll of music on a metal sheet for a player piano.  The long chain of cards runs through a device on the top of each loom, and the punch cards indicated which warp threads are lifted or lowered.  (This is the super simplified explanation, because the way the warp threads are lifted gets really complicated to describe.)

 

It was absolutely fascinating to watch Marta weave!  Some of the looms are a good six feet (two meters) wide, and there’s a special bobbin sort of thing (called a shuttle) for the weft thread – it just flies through the warp threads, then the beater sort of combs the weft back and makes a nice tight weave.  There are multiple parts in motion, from the treadle that lifts the heddles which control the warp threads, to the shuttle flying back and forth, to the beater – plus a button that advances the punch card chain – whew! 

 

PLUS!  That chain of punch cards can be run BACKWARDS, to create a mirror image of the design just woven!  So a weaver could create fabric with a line of lions, standing on a small row of flowers, with a second line of lions that are upside down, like a reflection!  Amazing!!!

 

We all were in weaving heaven!  People were asking questions, taking photos, asking more questions – and then shopping.  The finished products were SO gorgeous, and trying to decide whether or not to buy something, and then which one to buy, became a major decision!  When everything is beautiful, how do you pick just one item?

 

I solved it by not buying anything, since we don’t have a permanent home.  Makes it easier.  But oh, if I did have a permanent home, it would be so so tempting to buy, oh, a table runner.  Covers for throw pillows.  A wall hanging.  Everything truly was a work of art!

 

Also, I swear I have been here before!  I suspect it was during my first class at La Romita, in 2007.  We walked in and everything was suddenly so familiar, and I told R that I had been here before.  Even Marta seemed to be someone I had met previously.  (I sent her an email to confirm this, and will report back.)

[Sidebar added 11 December 2024 - This is the reply I received from the weaving studio:  "Dear Phebe,

"We were very curious about this mystery so we looked through our calendar of 2007 (yes, we keep everything ^^) and unfortunately we couldn't find track of a visit in August 2007. We're sorry we can't confirm your impression, although we're pretty sure if you remember our Atelier there must be a good reason ;-).

"We hope to see you again for a next tour with new students!

"All the best,

"Team Brozzetti "

 

So, maybe I worked there in a previous lifetime.  Maybe I stumbled on the place in 2007.  Who knows, it could be the most intense dejá vu episode I've ever experienced.  It was something.]

We spent to entire morning at the studio.  This left us time to wander first through the underground fortress (spooky!), then through the center of Perugia to the main piazza, and have lunch.  It was a bit rainy, but most of us found the bakery and sandwich shop that Edmund had recommended.   We sat at the outside tables under umbrellas, and enjoyed our lunch – I had a grilled eggplant and veg panini, one of my favorites.  Dessert was a delightful chocolate cake/cream/ganache layered thing, with a cup of coffee.  (One needs chocolate to fight the chill from the rain.  Of
course!)

 

As we walked back to meet our bus, I bought several bars of milk chocolate for Richard.  When in Perugia, it’s the thing to buy.  My friends bought some super tasty little treats, and everyone was basically enjoying this specialty of Perugia.

 

I should add that Perugia’s symbol is the griffon, just like Narni(a).  I don’t know when or why various towns adopted symbols, often magical beings.  But I like the tradition, and personally think these magic creatures are

guardians of the cities.  I’d like knowing griffons or unicorns or dragons were keeping my home safe!

 

We also passed a carousel, with very normal looking horses, no griffons or dragons to be seen.  It was closed, unfortunately.  No rides for me!

 

Onward to Assisi, home to the well-known St. Francis, he of Brother Sun and Sister Moon, friend of animals, all creatures great and small.  There’s a huge cathedral there with frescoes – the lower level, the original Medieval church, has frescoes by Cimabue, a friend of St. Francis.  The upper level is a bit newer, and has frescoes from artists such as Giotto and Lorenzetti.

 

I visited the cathedral here on my first visit.  And….that feels like enough for me.  Some churches, such as the little one in Todi, are open and airy, and I enjoy the peace and quiet and spiritual quality of them.  Or the duomo of Spoleto, with Lippi's glowing and realistic frescoes in the apse only – I will go there every visit.  But others, such as the cathedral in Assisi, is just visually overwhelming.  There are so many frescoes, from the walls to the vaulted ceilings, that my eyes and brain and soul just go into visual overload.

 

I’m not saying don’t visit the cathedral.  It’s worth a visit, especially if you like churches and Medieval art.  But, one visit is enough for me.  I skipped the cathedral in Assisi. 

 

We had a nice walk up and down the streets and through the various piazzas.  We visited the fabulous hand-made watercolor store, where I had bought a pocket-sized watercolor set two years ago and used for painted sketches on this trip.  Also dropped in at the paper and book store, and I bought myself a beautiful set of stationary with traditional illuminated designs.

 

We managed to find the outer gate that took us to the parking lot where we would meet our bus.  The walk took us outside the walls of Assisi, so we were overlooking the very verdant fields of Umbria on our downhill walk, with grey clouds and bits of fog hanging overhead.  Beautifully scenic.  Also rather damp.

It was a very full day, and we returned to the school and our rooms after dark.  Full of images of weaving, color, frescoes, and also full of food (and chocolate!).   

 

Another great day!

 

 

 

Roman Bridge and the Town of Narnia (now Narni)

15 October 2024

 

The Augustus Bridge, a Roman bridge built in roughly 27 BCE, crossed the Nera River and was part of the Via Flaminia, one of many roads leading to Rome.  The original bridge was wide enough for two carriage ways as well as footpaths or sidewalks.  The bridge stood for roughly 1000 years before part of it collapsed, but one huge arch still remains, still standing strong.

 

It really is a wonderful Roman artifact, and has been memorialized in sketches and paintings by artists such as J.M.W. Turner, and Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot.   This one remaining arch was also a destination on the Grand Tour that many aristocratic young men from England took through Europe during the late 17th to early 19th century.

 

We had a gorgeous sunny day to view the arch.  I especially like standing under the arch and looking up, it's such an amazing feat of engineering to create an arch of stone using nothing more than physics and gravity to keep the shaped rocks from falling!

 

I also found a view of the monastery that Turner included in his drawing.  His sketch shows the monastery framed by the arch, although in reality it really isn't possible to see it that way, at least now.  It's possible Turner didn't see it that way either.  Artists do tend to "improve" the composition of paintings by subtracting part of their view, or creating a new view by including/adding components of a different view.

We also wandered down to the river and footbridge.  It was funny, several of the people doing the yarn dyeing were picking more leaves and such.  The mother of Shelley (our instructor) had an app on her phone, so she'd aim her phone at a tree or bush and get the name of the plant.  The app gave the scientific name, common name, all kinds of info - including whether this looked like a healthy plant.

Of course, that made me wonder if the app would tell us if a plant was unhealthy.  So we found a broken branch with dead leaves, and she aimed the phone at that.  Yes, the app wrote "this is a very unhealthy plant!"  Complete with exclamation point!  We got a good laugh out of that.

 

We headed up to the town of Narni, which was originally named Narnia.  The name was shortened but the town is trying to rebrand themselves with the old name.  (Yes, C.S. Lewis found the name of Narnia on a map, and used it for his famous novels.)

Narni sits atop a steep hill, surrounded by walls built on steep cliffs that drop precipitously on three sides of the city.  There is one road in and out, again that ancient Via Flaminia.  I became quite lost wandering the side streets of Narni two years ago, so I've learned to stick with the main streets - walk up and down the main street, take a few side streets but get right back to that main road!

Narnia was first established by the Umbrians, then the Romans inhabited the town.  People came and went, more and more buildings were erected, and now it's an interesting town full of Medieval architecture with the occasional Roman arch or column reminding us of the history.

There's a large church or cathedral in town which most people visit.  I've been there, and it just emanates some kind of bad karma to me.  Not sure what happened there, but I no longer will visit that place.  

 

So I wandered up the main street with my friends, taking photos, looking in shops, and focusing on the town's emblem, the griffon.  There are griffons on the flag, carved on buildings, created in metal and affixed to walls.  I know, the usual English spelling is "griffin," but the Italian word is "grifone," so I'm going with one of the alternate English spellings of "griffon."

 

Eventually I needed a restroom - most of these old town don't have public restrooms, so the easiest thing to do is find a café, buy something small, use the restroom.  Narni is a long narrow town, and the "business district" is mainly near the entrance to the city.  I told my friends I was heading back toward the piazza where we had been dropped off by the bus, knowing there was a nice coffee and gelato bar there, complete with outdoor tables.

 

My trip back included wandering through the Roman tunnel, and back to Piazza Garibaldi.  Took care of the necessities, ordered a cappuccino and a single cookie (for under two Euros - gotta love small town prices!), and set outside in the sunshine.  We only had maybe 45 minutes before the bus was due, so I slowly sipped my coffee and sketched a griffon from one of the photos I had taken.  He's a bit top-heavy, but given the huge wings plus the lion's mane, well, I suppose griffons are naturally top-heavy.  I did like the curling fur on the legs and tail of the flag's griffon, though, and had fun with those embellishments. 

People from our class slowly showed up, buying a coffee or cup of gelato, and joining me in the piazza.  Our bus drove by and had to continue on several blocks before the driver could change directions to come back - the old Via Flaminia is fairly narrow through town, I guess.  

Our afternoon studio time included more weaving.  I forgot to mention yesterday that I ended up with a major color consultation and, well, almost an intervention!

 

We were using natural dyes, and our dyeing masters were focusing on plant materials they were able to forage everywhere we went.  Natural dyes from vegetation tend to produce colors that are decidedly earthy.  Makes perfect sense.

Shelley had brought a number of natural dyes with her, concentrating on dye matter that had been used during the Medieval era.  (She studied tapestry weaving at the traditional Gobelins factory in Paris, France.  The other big French weaving is the Aubusson - the actual techniques are just a bit different, though I'm not sure exactly how much of a difference there is.) 

 

Anyway, the natural dyes from foraged stuff wouldn't produce a blue, nor a true bright red.  Making dye from indigo is a very long and involved process.  And the blue dye stuff Shelley brought would produce a very pretty blue with aqua tones, but that wasn't the color I wanted.  My design was based on the Rione La Rocca flags in San Gemini, and their colors are bright red, white, and a deep cobalt or ultramarine blue.

One of the natural dye women brought two balls of wool dyed with indigo with her, and she very kindly gave me one of the balls.  Our yarn was already white, so I was set with that.  Shelley had cochineal, a weird little beetle that lives on cactus - it makes a gorgeous red dye, however creepy it is to kill and boil beetles.  It requires tin as a mordant, which is a bit more dangerous to use than some of the milder mordants.  Well, after dinner Shelley boiled up those cochineal beetles, added the tin, and made two batches of red red yarn!  One was slightly deeper, a red that was thinking about turning toward violet.  The other was a deep scarlet, almost a lacquer red, and that was perfect.

So with the kindness of two very helpful women, I had my yarns all set!