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| Orphanage Rolls from 1585. I was allowed to handle this freely. |
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| Florence's school building; she had this view this morning! |
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| Consolazione shrouded in the mist |
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| Todi in a cloud! |
Alexandra
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness
Alexandra
Pregnant Mary and the Vineyards
The other day, we had occasion to go across to Assisi to visit my pregnant Mary. Truth to tell, we didn't go all the way to Assisi, but rather to the settlement at the bottom of the hill known as Santa Maria Degli Angeli. It was here that Saint Francis had his commune, and I had wanted to visit the basilica built essentially OVER his (renovated by him) church and the hut in which he lived.
But I get ahead of myself.
Those who have followed the blog since last year may recall that one of my delights at Christmas has to do with my presepe. Starting the first weekend of Advent (if I have my act together), we set up the stable scene and the people who dot the countryside around "Bethlehem" -- otherwise known as the landing -- and Mary and Joseph start their trek up the stairs with the donkey.
It has bothered me tremendously that the Mary statuette that I have is kneeling in adoration at the new-born babe who at this point in the story has not been born. I asked Vladimiro, the artist who did the initial presepe figurines, whether he'd be able to modify one to make a pregnant Mary who is on her travels. After a lot of optimism, he finally confessed that it would lead him to the verge of a nervous breakdown to have to take on that particular project. But. He has a friend who would be able to do it, no problem! Of course, I would have to negotiate separately with him.
Antonio and I have talked for several weeks now, and he has consulted with Vladimiro to make sure that she will be in scale with the rest of the set. And my pregnant Mary is currently drying preparatory to being fired! So it was obviously time to go for a visit.
Rather than being in Deruta, where Vladimiro is located, Antonio has his studio in Sta. Maria degli Angeli. So, off we set for a visit.
When we found his shop (via a phone call in which we were consulting about our respective locations, and my father-in-law happened to see him standing in the doorway of the studio talking on the phone; "Could that be his studio?"!!), we were warmly welcomed. It turns out that Antonio was a priest in Africa for five years, during which period he was in Rwanda at the time of the uprising, then a parish priest in Italy, and then back in Africa. After a long discernment, he determined that the priesthood was not for him, and he left the vocation. He later met the woman who was to become his wife, and he now has a 10-year-old child...and his profession is making sacred art in clay and bronze. Quite a story.
Next stop: Porzioncola, meaning "little patch of land." This was the location where a church dating possibly to the 300s (no, that is not a typo), but at least documented in the 1100s was falling into ruin at the time of Saint Francis. Part of his mission as he understood it was to rebuild the physical church buildings, as opposed to rebuilding the spiritual mission of the church--as he later learned. Among others, he rebuilt this darling little chapel which is maybe 8 feet by 14 feet. He also built a small cell in which he could take shelter; his spiritual brothers also had huts dotted around the campus which are no longer standing.
After Saint Francis died in this little cell, his body (minus the heart, which was left in a reliquary in his hut or something like that) was carted up the hill to Assisi. This was no little Sunday afternoon walk in the park, mind you. It's a good long way, and the hills are steep. They also went via Saint Clare's settlement which is somewhere in the area, extending the parade.
True to form, it was clear that a basilica must be erected OVER the little church and the cell. So that is what they did.
After a delicious lunch, it was time to get back to Todi. We took the cross-country route home and enjoyed spectacular colors for much of the way home. The vineyards around Todi have mostly dropped their leaves, but Assisi is in a slightly different area and so the vineyards were gorgeous. Oh, and we stopped in Bevagna on the way home.
Love,
Alexandra
p.s. My father-in-law took all the photos, so the credit goes to him!
But I get ahead of myself.
Those who have followed the blog since last year may recall that one of my delights at Christmas has to do with my presepe. Starting the first weekend of Advent (if I have my act together), we set up the stable scene and the people who dot the countryside around "Bethlehem" -- otherwise known as the landing -- and Mary and Joseph start their trek up the stairs with the donkey.
It has bothered me tremendously that the Mary statuette that I have is kneeling in adoration at the new-born babe who at this point in the story has not been born. I asked Vladimiro, the artist who did the initial presepe figurines, whether he'd be able to modify one to make a pregnant Mary who is on her travels. After a lot of optimism, he finally confessed that it would lead him to the verge of a nervous breakdown to have to take on that particular project. But. He has a friend who would be able to do it, no problem! Of course, I would have to negotiate separately with him.
Antonio and I have talked for several weeks now, and he has consulted with Vladimiro to make sure that she will be in scale with the rest of the set. And my pregnant Mary is currently drying preparatory to being fired! So it was obviously time to go for a visit.
Rather than being in Deruta, where Vladimiro is located, Antonio has his studio in Sta. Maria degli Angeli. So, off we set for a visit.
When we found his shop (via a phone call in which we were consulting about our respective locations, and my father-in-law happened to see him standing in the doorway of the studio talking on the phone; "Could that be his studio?"!!), we were warmly welcomed. It turns out that Antonio was a priest in Africa for five years, during which period he was in Rwanda at the time of the uprising, then a parish priest in Italy, and then back in Africa. After a long discernment, he determined that the priesthood was not for him, and he left the vocation. He later met the woman who was to become his wife, and he now has a 10-year-old child...and his profession is making sacred art in clay and bronze. Quite a story. |
| Looking up in the portico of the basilica |
Next stop: Porzioncola, meaning "little patch of land." This was the location where a church dating possibly to the 300s (no, that is not a typo), but at least documented in the 1100s was falling into ruin at the time of Saint Francis. Part of his mission as he understood it was to rebuild the physical church buildings, as opposed to rebuilding the spiritual mission of the church--as he later learned. Among others, he rebuilt this darling little chapel which is maybe 8 feet by 14 feet. He also built a small cell in which he could take shelter; his spiritual brothers also had huts dotted around the campus which are no longer standing.After Saint Francis died in this little cell, his body (minus the heart, which was left in a reliquary in his hut or something like that) was carted up the hill to Assisi. This was no little Sunday afternoon walk in the park, mind you. It's a good long way, and the hills are steep. They also went via Saint Clare's settlement which is somewhere in the area, extending the parade.
True to form, it was clear that a basilica must be erected OVER the little church and the cell. So that is what they did.
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| A long and unwinding road |
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| Spello in the distance...great zoom lens, Jim! |
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| Bevagna |
Alexandra
p.s. My father-in-law took all the photos, so the credit goes to him!
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Green with Envy?
It's OIL SEASON! That means that everyone around who has a little "terreno" (plot of land) is harvesting olives like nobody's business. The word on the street is that the oil production this year has been marvelous.
Tonight, our neighbors brought us some oil for bruschetta. It's hard to get much fresher than this: the olives were on the tree this morning.
Can't wait for tomorrow's fire!!
Love,
Alexandra
Tonight, our neighbors brought us some oil for bruschetta. It's hard to get much fresher than this: the olives were on the tree this morning.
Can't wait for tomorrow's fire!!
Love,
Alexandra
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Notes about town
There are miscellaneous shots that highlight some of the interest around town that don't warrant a full post, so here they are!
Love,
Alexandra
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| Summer sunflowers |
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| Consolazione at night |
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| My car can make it around the corner! |
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| It's starting to be fall! I love the combo of mist and the yellow vines. |
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| A regular item in the freezer section: mixed mushrooms! |
Alexandra
Wheelies in the Air
While Michael and I were having coffee down by the Porta Romana, we were struck by the practicality of the builders across the street. They delivered bricks to the upper floor in a wheelbarrow attached to a winch:
Love,
Alexandra
Love,
Alexandra
Gone to see a man about a dog
This past weekend, I took advantage of proximity and low-cost airfares to come to England! The pretext was that my aunt, Camille, was getting a new puppy! Any more excuse needed? Nah...
I arrived Thursday afternoon, and we went just after lunch on Friday to the farm where the puppy was born. He is a "red fox" lab, which means he has the most lovely coppery tint to his coat, and he is aptly named Teddy: he looks just like a little teddy bear!
We have had a lovely time playing (and we consider Camille to have been extraordinarily lucky with the pup's temperament, as he is quite mellow and gets along beautifully with her older golden lab, Otter).
Tomorrow I leave for a visit with Ann and James (James was Jeremy's friend who kindly escorted him to Darlington s very few weeks ago). On Wedensday, I return home!
Love, Alexandra
I arrived Thursday afternoon, and we went just after lunch on Friday to the farm where the puppy was born. He is a "red fox" lab, which means he has the most lovely coppery tint to his coat, and he is aptly named Teddy: he looks just like a little teddy bear!
We have had a lovely time playing (and we consider Camille to have been extraordinarily lucky with the pup's temperament, as he is quite mellow and gets along beautifully with her older golden lab, Otter).
Tomorrow I leave for a visit with Ann and James (James was Jeremy's friend who kindly escorted him to Darlington s very few weeks ago). On Wedensday, I return home!
Love, Alexandra
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| Teddy with his mother |
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| Teddy (center) with friend Rosie (l) and new uncle Otter (r) |
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| Teddy and Otter during a break in action |
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| I think they get along well! |
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| It's a dog's life |
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Winch by the Inch
It's never a dull moment around here, and I have learned to expect the unexpected. Most recently, Michael and I went into the Piazza del Popolo to be treated with the sight of one grown man winching up another through a small hole in the paving. The man being winched out of (presumably) the cisterns that are not accessible to the public was wearing normal clothes, hard hat, light, hiking boots, and...flippers.Enjoy!
Love,
Alexandra
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