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Do you know who is behind Valentine’s Day? Yes, the flower and gift industry nowadays, but did you know that there is actually a person and a story behind this day? San Valentino who was bishop in Terni (southern Umbria) in 3rd century. He was executed for his catholic belief and because he wedded couples. And it is said that he gave flowers to newlyweds. His day of death (said execution) was February 14, 269. So it is most logical that Terni has a big festival to his honour, and of course on Valentine’s Day.
And that’s only one of the very many festivals which are celebrated in Umbria today. Most of them have Medieval or even pagan backgrounds, and often these origins are mixed.
Maybe the most famous one is Corsa dei Ceri (Gubbio), where 3 groups of different Gubbio districts carry a huge wooden candle (ceri) uphill to a church (see my tip about Gubbio in the to-do section).
Another one is Mercato delle Gaite (Bevagna), a festival of 10 days with market stalls, performances and local food of Medieval origin. This is maybe the most interesting one, as I don’t believe that many (foreign) tourists visit this one already, so it will certainly have a much more original touch than others.
It won’t help to list all festivals here in this tip, so I include only 2 websites which list many of them. As I plan to come back again and again I might even prepare an album with links to each individual festival one day (so watch my album section below).
festivals in Umbria (long list and descriptions),
festivals in Umbria (listed per month).
Read also what Rebecca Winke wrote on the Slowtrav website - if this does not water your mouth and makes you want to go visit this fascinating part of Italy then.. you might be immune to the magnificence of this region.
Umbria is also home to many famous musical events, for example
Umbria Jazz in Perugia and Spoleto and
Il Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto.
My list wouldn’t be complete without the very famous Eurochocolate, an exhibition totally devoted to chocolate. And there cannot be any better place for this than Perugia, home to the famous Bací di Perugina. Leave a Comment
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I must admit beforehand that I didn’t notice this “recycling” anywhere else before Umbria, but I wasn’t paying attention to this before or it was not as obvious as in Umbria. So I cannot say if it is a local custom specific to this region. Erecting buildings on top of each other was common, yes. But in Bevagna for example I found it very fascinating to see how old material was reused in “new” buildings like in the one on photo 1 and 2. It must have been a Roman temple of some kind, given the round pillars, which seem to have been covered with “newer” bricks, but on older ones, as it would not make sense to build pillars into a wall like this. The other wall (main photo) was clearly built between straight pillars, just filling the holes.
Another case of recycling in Bevagna is the old Roman theatre. Whatever was left of it, it was used to build houses on top of the remains later. It is already visible when you walk through the northern part of Bevagna (photo 3) but in Google Earth it becomes even more obvious (photo 4). And this most marvellous restaurant Redibis is located in parts of the theatre.
I am wondering how many more of old temples have been transformed into houses or how the landscape would look like if this wouldn’t have been done. Maybe linek Greece and icily, where the remains of temples still stand? Leave a Comment
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During all the time when I drove or wandered through Umbria, its villages and landscape, I had this special feeling which I even cannot describe properly. There is something in the air, no matter if it was raining or if the sun shone. It is something holy in a way, as if someone would very much watch over this part of the world. Already in my first tip I wrote about the magic moments after rain or when the sun finds a little hole in the clouds and illuminates the landscape or villages and towns. But is more than that. It is almost as if San Francesco is still alive and walks around in Umbria, protects animals, landscape and people and sings the canticle of the sun. I am not a very religious person, but all the time while I was in Umbria I felt that this is a holy country. Almost on every corner you will find signs, plates, little or bigger monuments dedicated to San Francesco or other saints (San Benedetto, Santa Clara, Santa Rita, etc) like the talk to the birds in my main photo, which is at the entrance of Il Poggio dei Pettirossi premises. Or the monument where San Francesco talks to the wolf and tames him, which is in Gubbio’s outskirts.
I haven't been to Assisi yet, but I am sure that there are parts of the city which also reflect San Francesco's spirit. However, I am sure that his real spirit can be found anywhere in Umbria. Just be prepared that there is something that catches you.
Franciscan Order
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San Francesco is not the only famous Umbrian saint who founded an order. San Benedetto di Nursia lived even earlier and and is considered to have founded the Benedictine order, at least the principle of monk community. He was born in Nursia, today’s Norcia, end of 5th century. After having lived in Rome for a while, he left and lived in a cave near Subiaco, where leventually monastery Sacro Speco was built above the cave. Later, in 529, Benedetto moved to Monte Cassino with a group of followers and founded Montecassino Monastery where he wrote his Regula Benedicti, a 73 chapter long book which are base of Benedict Order.
In Norcia, San Benedetto’s impact is very much visible, although it is definitely less visited than famous San Francesco’s Assisi.
Benedictine Order Leave a Comment
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When I was in Gubbio, walking in the higher parts of town, I sunndely heard drums. Of course I was curious and followed the sound until I found myself on the piazza where obviously a demonstration of Gubbio’s sbandieratori’s (flag throwers) skills was given. I was very much fascinated by this all and didn’t even realised how cold it was (only later when I was in desperate need to fill my stomach with the heat of a perfect café).
Flag throwing is quite old and dates back to Medieval times. Flags were colourful and characteristic for the different districts of towns or guilds.
The ones in Gubbio seem to be very famous. According to their website, they travel to several international festivals. Their flags have a special characteristic, as some of them are bearing Etruscan letters (this is only partly visible in my 5 photos here, but once I’ve set up my Gubbio account, it will be easier to see).
It was fascinating to watch these guys (guys only, as far as I saw) with their throwing skills. Most magic was their last performance, when they jump and remain lying on the ground to form a block (main photo). The last one jumped over 11 guys on the ground! This flag throwing tradition is quite pouplar in Gubbio. Kids start early to learn it and during the performance also 2 kids were showing their skills (photo 5).
I have made a small video, as words and photos alone do not put across the enormous body control and fitness these guys have. Unfortunately, it did not yet found a way to properly display on my video section :-(
But flag throwing is not unique to Gubbio only. When I checked which festivals are held in Umbria, I came across this very often. So whenever you will see or attend one of the (Medieval) festivals, you will most likely see them. In Italian, they are called sbandieratore. Leave a Comment
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It alreay fascinated me in Venezia to see differently designed pinnacles at walls or towers (as in photo 4: pinnacle on Arsenale wall). Obviously, my history lessons didn’t went that deep so I only learned about the terms Guelphs and Ghibellines after my Venezia trip. But as soon as I knew the difference, I almost saw them everywhere in Italy since then.
This all is part of the Holy Roman Empire history: Ghibellines were the supporters of the empire while Guelphs were supporting the pope. And it over the time ghibellines’ buildings had the characteristic swallow-tail pinnacles or merlons, while the guelphs had rectangular ones. It wasn’t that easy however, as the swallow-tailed pinnacles are older than the guelph-ghibelline conflicts and often towns had both supporting groups living there. But at least it is a start to understand why there are different shapes existing :-) Leave a Comment
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 Living nativity in
Orvieto, Pozzo della Cava by Trekki
In Orvieto I saw photos of their nativity scene in Pozzo della Cava and this one was even more fascinating, as it was set up in the caves with special illumination.
Living nativities are called presepe viventi and the website below lists some of the ones for Umbria. But there are more, as the one in Orvieto is not listed.
So be prepared, when you are travelling in Umbria during Christmas season, and ask if there is one near your destination(s). Leave a Comment
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