May 28 - June 12, 2006 (16 days)
Day-To-Day Itinerary
Note: This journal may seem rather disjointed because the content is dictated by the sequence on the videotape. Factual information from Google.
DAY 1 Depart U.S.
Minneapolis/St Paul, MN at 12:20 PM on United Sun May 28, 2006
Arrive Washington Dulles, at 03:48 PM United Airlines #7536
Depart Washington Dulles, at 06:10 PM
Frankfurt Intl, Germany at 07:55 AM Mon Lufthansa Airlines #419
Depart Frankfurt Intl, Germany at 10:45 AM for Florence Peretola, Italy at 12:15 PM
Lufthansa German Airlines #4060
DAY 2 Florence, Italy
Arrival this afternoon in Florence (map). We were met at the airport and transferred to our hotel.
The balance of the day was at leisure to relax after our flight or do some exploring on our own. After picking up our room keys, we gathered in the hotel this evening to meet our Program Director Pilar and traveling companions (Giulanos and Eatons) over a 7 pm Welcome Drink, followed by a 7”30 pm Welcome Dinner.
Hotel Londra Florence, Italy The First-Class Hotel Londra was constructed in modern design, and was within walking distance of many museums. It had one restaurant and a lounge. My room featured air-conditioning, coffee maker, minibar, refrigerator, safe, telephone, color satellite television, and a private bath. Adouble set of wooden doors opened to a tile balcony, which offered a nice view of nearby gothic bell tower and tiled roofs.
DAY 3 Florence/Chianciano
After breakfast, we had an Orientation Briefing. We then departed for the Piazzale Michelangelo (map), which offered a panoramic vista of Florence, the capital of Tuscany, which still reflects the glory of the Renaissance. This is the same site where my DMLC tour of Florence had begun. From this famous perch, we saw spread out before us one of the most dramatic city views in the world, as we took in the whole of Florence in a single, vivid glance. Before us were the major landmarks: the Arno River, Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi, the Palazzo Della Signoria, the Bargello, Santa Croce, etc.
From here we visited the World War II Florence American Military Cemetery and Memorial, located on a serene and verdant hillside a few miles south of the city.
The site is the resting place of 4,402 American soldiers, most of who died in the fighting following the capture of Rome in June 1944, at the Battle of the Gothic Line. Grand Circle boasts that this feature is not offered by other tours. The rain contributed to the somber mood as we looked over the rows of graves, some unmarked, and read the names of 1,409 Americans in unknown graves listed on a large memorial wall (Tablets of the Missing). A map of Italy made from varying shades of marble pointed out the American campaigns -- starting with the invasion at the toe of the boot and the drive up toward Rome and beyond.
After lunch on our own, we transferred by motor coach to our 115-room hotel in Chianciano, our home for the next six nights. Hotel Ambasciatori is located in the center of Chianciano’s spa district. I videoed a shot of the countryside from the balcony of my room. Chianciano is located in southern Tuscany, near Umbria, a region of incomparable, peaceful beauty. This is the heart of Italy, a landscape rich in natural and architectural power and poignancy, where rolling, wooded hills, lush vineyards, and medieval towns combine with a timeless grace unique to the country.
Pilar led us on a walking tour to discover Chianciano. Chianciano has two separate identities. There is the thermal Chianciano, with parks and avenues, hotels and shops. Famous since the times of the ancient Etruscans for its thermal mineral waters, Chianciano still draws visitors who benefit from its natural spa treatments; but there also exists the original core of the town, the so called "paese" (village). Della Libertà Avenue links the antique Chianciano. We entered the delightful Old Town by passing through Rivellini Gate. On the left, just after the small Mercy church, there was the massive structure of the Manenti Counts Castle, which is called the Monastery, while the Clock Tower stands out at the end of the road. From the wall below one can admire a unique and wide panorama, with the peaks of the Cetona and Amiata Mounts overlooking in the distance; in the valley, mingling with one another, the three lakes of Chiusi, Montepulciano and the Trasimeno.
We had the opportunity to walk through the delightful Old Town with its narrow streets and homes with flowered court-yards.
At the end of the main street stood the historic Collegiata Church. Grand Circle had arranged for us to hear an organ recital here. The organ dated to 1437 and had, according to our guide, 2,000 pipes. While the organist provided beautiful background music, I scanned the altar, the dome, organ pipes, and the organist himself. As we retraced our steps back towards the town gateway, we paused briefly at a14th century chapel that had been reopened as a mission in 1954. Before loading into our bus, we made a shopping stop at a conviently located grocery store just outside the old walls.
Our busy day was capped off with wine from the Hotel Ambasciatori and a welcome dinner. The first course of our elaborate meal meant a walk through an immense offering of appetizers along a buffet table. The meal included Chianti red wine and a tasty pasta dish with tomatoes.
DAY 4 Chianciano/Radicofani/Farmhouse Agriturismo Lunch
After a comprehensive breakfast in our hotel, I took some video shots of the gorgeous Tuscany countryside from my hotel balcony and beautiful flowers that graced the hotel grounds. We boarded our bus, took our assigned seats, and headed off to the local Museum Civico Archeologico delle Acque, a museum packed with Etruscan objects from excavations undertaken in the area. Especially striking were the Canopic vases, the largest and most valuable in the world, and the subject of a recent National Geographic article. Our tour began in the basement around a glass-enclosed bucchero Greek vase of the 6th century before Christ. A thief had stolen this particular vase, but it showed up in NYC when an attempt was made to sell it. Many vases were decorated with scenes from Homer. We proceeded down a hallway lined with burial exhibits. Many vases were used as burial urns. One exhibit had the skeletal remains of a woman weaver. Some sites contained funeral banquet items and sacrificed animals. We walked up to the higher levels of the museum.
One floor had a large lateral acroterion border of a temple with a sculpture of a female spirit about to take flight. Much of the thrust of the information captions stressed the (politically correct) central role of women in the Etruscan world.
Mission accomplished at the museum, our bus driver George took us out of the city on a highway that gave us a beautiful view of the old village of Chianciano and the surrounding countryside.
The next town to the south had an interesting castle structure and church along the main drag in Sarteano, and worthy of a photo shoot.
After a considerable drive (map), we arrived at Radicofani (sign marker) where we made a hamlet stop (to wee or not to wee) and a walking tour of the old city. The
San Pietro church which houses splendid terra-cotta panels by the Florentine master Luca Della Robbia provided a site to visit while relaxing here.
Towering above the city was the 10th century Radicofani castle.
We walked along a narrow street to meet George and the bus on the other side of the small town.
This afternoon, we were introduced to some of Tuscany's culinary charms during an agriturismo lunch at a countryside farmhouse. Extremely popular with Italians, agriturismo are family-owned farmhouses that offer bed and breakfast, and sometimes are open to the general public for lunch and dinner. Our bus pulled off the main highway onto a gravel road that led to a remote area. Our hostess met us at the door. We assembled at long tables and sat done for sample vintages from the family's vineyard- Here we enjoyed a typical agriturismo farmhouse lunch. We devoured traditional Italian cured ham, tomatoes on bread, mushroom soup w/ croutons, chicken sausage, pork, salad, and rib meat. The traditional Tuscan homemade meal blended together all the ingredients of this fabled land.. We returned to our hotel in the late afternoon, and the remainder of the afternoon was free time.
DAY 5 Chianciano/Optional Assisi & Deruta Tour
I signed up for an optional tour of Assisi and Deruta (map), two gems of Umbria. Beautifully situated on the side of Mount Subasio, the white and pink marble buildings of Assisi seem to glow as we approached. The town remains forever linked with St. Francis of Assisi (picture), who was born here in 1182 and renounced his family’s wealth to found an order of preaching monks who lived simply and begged to survive. His peaceful yet determined character, his love of nature and animals, and his repudiation of worldliness and church hypocrisy earned him an astounding following in medieval Italy. More than any other saint of the RCC, Francis crosses ecumenical boundaries. In 1987, when Pope John Paul II invited representatives of all the world’s religions to pray together, he chose Assisi as the host city. But Assisi is not only Italy’s greatest pilgrimage shrine after Rome, it is a beautiful medieval town as well, built high on a spur of Monte Subasio.
We started with the high ground of Assisi and the Basilica di Santa Chiata (St. Claire),a cavernous 1260
church. St. Claire (picture), canonized in 1255, had left her family, and worldly possessions to follow Francis. She came to be known as the patron saint of TV.
The exterior of the Basilica, with its buttresses was pleasing, but the interior with vaulted ceiling and the famous crucifix venerated by St. Francis at Daminiano was more so impressive. The chapel off to the right contained garments belonging to St. Francis. Claire’s gown was part of the same overall exhibit. Nearby in a crypt was the life-like preserved (waxed) body of St. Claire stretched out as if sleeping.
The Plazza St. Claire in front of the Basilica sported a working fountain. From this vantage point we could view the
Rocca Maggiore, Assisi’s well-preserved castle (built in 1174 by the papacy when it subdued Assisi). We walked along the Corso Mazzini to a pastry shop where Pilar purchased Italian cookies for us as a treat. Next-door was a decorated archway that led to the stable where Francis was born and to the cell where his father had imprisoned him.
Here was the Chiesa Nuova, built by Philip III of Spain in 1615 on property owned by St. Francis’s father. The Oratorio di San Francisco Piccolina is believed to be the saint’s birthplace. Note the stained glass windows and a shrine housing the habit of Francis. The nearby plazza had a statue of St. Francis being placed in chains.
Next we concentrated on the long attractive Plazza del Comune, which was built after the barbarians destroyed the forum. The square is embellished with the 13th century buildings of the old commune (the Torre and Palazzo del Commune and the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo), Renaissance fountains, and the Temple of Minerva (with six Corinthian columns). Later Christians converted the temple into a church. We visited the highly decorated church with an ornate altar.
From the Plazza del Commune we continued walking downward on the narrow steep Via Pobtica, where nuns were climbing towards us. To the right was the Roman Lavatorium where women had done their community washing. Archway over Via S. Francesco en route to the frescoed Oratorio del Pellegrini, a 15th century pilgrim’s hospice.
Finally, we reached the 13th-century Basilica of St. Francis and the front view of the facade, campanile (built 1239) bell, rose window and upper entrance. Once inside I videoed the stain glass windows above the altar area. We met Edwardo, our local guide, near the entrance of the Lower Church. He took us inside to the Cloister, the Lower Church and the crypt that contains the tomb of St. Francis. Before Francis died he asked to be buried with the criminals on “Infernal Hill” outside the city walls. His lieutenant, Brother Elia, was not about to go against his wishes, but he waited until Francis was canonized in April 1228, and the next day began work on an ambitious two-story basilica on the hill, now re-christened the Hill of Paradise.
Our guides‘s forte seemed to be the famous frescoes within the Basilica. The 1997 earthquake and multiple aftershocks that rocked Umbria had tragic consequences for Assisi. The Basilica was severely damaged. Frescoes that fell from a great height were completely pulverized and beyond repair. All that was left were small chips of colored dust. Other frescoes crumbled into pieces the size of a dime, which had to be painstakingly catalogued and reassembled over full-size copies of the frescoes or scanned and input into a computer and then positioned.
The Upper Church contains Cimabue’s Crucifixion and Giotto’s celebrated frescoes on the life of St. Francis. Among the Giotto’s frescoes we saw were Francis’ Encounter with the Sultan, The Sermon to the birds, Francis’ Vocation. The Lateran Basilica Falling to Ruins and Casting Out the Demons from Arezzo. Unfortunately, videotaping was not allowed of his works.
With lunchtime approaching, we took the Via Giorgetti towards Hotel Windsor Savola where Grand Circle had reserved tables as indicated by the sign on Skipper Wood’s table. We had a commanding view of the valley below. White wine went over well. Waiters with black vests served chicken -- and for dessert, lemon cream puffs.
Our bus driver George then took us to the nearby
Basilica di S. Maria Degli Angeli (1659-1679). It encloses the Ponziuncola, the nucleus of the first Franciscan monastery and the place where St Claire received the cowl from Francis in 1211.
Pilar called it a church within a church. The Benedictines gave the chapel to St. Francis in return for a yearly basket of carp from the River Trescio, still faithfully paid by the Franciscans. To our right was the Cappela del Transito where Francis died on October 3rd, 1226. Just outside the Basilica was a statue depicting the expiring Francis.
With all the possible sites to Francis having been visited, we now concentrated on our next object -- a ceramic factory and showroom in Deruta (map). Deruta is world famous for its ceramics, especially its Majolica, earthenware with a distinctive colorful tin glaze. It was the local clay in the hillsides here that gave rise to the industry, which grew rapidly in the early Middle Ages and reached its artistic peak in the Renaissance. We watched how craftsmen continue this artistic tradition. Artists carefully decorated the ware. Afterwards we browsed through the showroom to admire the beautiful (and expensive) finished products.
DAY 6 Chianciano/Cortona
After breakfast this morning, we visited the UnoAerrE gold factory in Arezzo, (map) the leading gold manufacturer in the world. The factory and museum are a testimony to Italy’s centuries-long leading role in the production of exquisite gold jewelry. The Discovery Series visit brought us to the factory workshops where the craftsmen forge their creations, while the museum’s jewelry collections document the striking range of design and price. Grand Circlers like Skipper and Edith looked over merchandise in the showroom.
Then we visited nearby Cortona (map), possibly the loveliest of Tuscany’s many hillside villages, serenely situated at an elevation of 1,800 feet on the crest of Mont Sant’Egidio. Cortona offers unforgettable views of the Valdichiana Plain, the mountains of Siena, and the expansive Lake Trasimeno—one of the widest and most harmonious vistas in all of Italy.
The Medicis built the Medici Fortress overlooking the town in 1549, and it was home to noted artists Signorelli and Severini. Ancient tradition holds that the legendary Ulysses was buried here. Closer to our own forms of storytelling, it was here in Cortona that author Frances Mayes bought the home she restored in Under the Tuscan Sun, and the motion picture was filmed here, too, as was Life is Beautiful. Annette and I saw the play Under the Tuscan Sun at the University of Minnesota, Mankato. One of the twelve Etruscan cities, Cortona’s central neighborhoods look just as they did when it was a medieval city-state.
George dropped us off at the
Plazza Garibaldi (bottom of map, by information symbol) where we were to meet again at 2:30 pm.
We walked up (left on the map)the Via Nazionale to the Plazza Della Republic Some of these old streets have brick or stuccoed houses with the upper floors propped out over the street on timers. Also picturesque alley ways. Cortona retains one superb medieval square, the Piazza Della Repubblica, an asymmetrical masterpiece of urban design in a very small space. The building with the clock is the 13th century Palazzo Comunale Town Hall). Next six photos here of Cortona from naviquan.com
Pilar left us at this point with instructions to tour on our own. I decided to take Via Dardano (Dardanus founded the city) to Plazza Mazzini (upper left on map) for a look at S. Maria Nueva in the valley below. I re-entered the city through Porta Colonia and walked down Via Della Mora del Duomo when I stopped for a picturesque house and porch.
I surveyed the Duomo (Cathedral) at the end of the street both internally and externally. The altar and stout classical side pillars were worth a picture. To reach the Church of San Francisco, I had to walk up a steep incline (puff, puff), but it was worth it. The wooden beamed ceiling was typically Franciscan.The side chapels and altars were quite a contrast, much like the Franciscan church in Florence. Fading frescoes were interesting.
I waked back to Plazza Garibaldi to touch base. The rain wasn’t heavy enough so there was no early bus pickup. Down below the Plazza was S. Maria Delle Grazie al Calcinaio. Later we visited this impressive church.
The enterior impressed me with its dome ceiling.
With enough time for a lunch stop. I walked down Via Nazionale to a restaurant where Pilar and Grand Circle “guys” were eating. Back in Chianciano, we found white wine and pizza quite satisfying after a long but profitable day.
DAY 7 Chianciano/Montepulciano
This morning Herta, Skipper and myself decided to visit Montepulciano (map) on our own instead of taking the expensive Grand Circle optional for the day. Herta speaks Italian quite well (among many other languages) and served admirably as our interpreter. Our journey began with a trip on the Blue Bus (cost 1.7 euro) to the bus terminal in Montepulciano. Skipper and Herta looked relaxed on the bus.
We walked a short distance from the terminal over to the gate of the walled Renaissance town.
Montepulciano is built along a narrow limestone ridge and, is 605 m above sea level. We had an excellent view of the countryside by the gate. Walls encircle the town and fortifications designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder in 1511 for Cosimo I. Inside the walls the streets are crammed with Renaissance-style plazzas and churches, but the town is chiefly known for its good local "Vino Nobile" wines. A long, winding street called the Corso climbs up into the main square.
Our first stop on the Corso was at a quaint shop offering samples of cheese, wild boar salami
and tasty wine.
Following the steep roadway we encountered the Ajustin Church and St. Lucia Church. After a cappuccino break, we utilized the local transit bus to reach the summit of the hill and the Plazza Grande (map).
Here was the huge unfinished Duomo (Cathedral) with a rough brick exterior. The interior, in
contrast, was really beautiful and housed famous sculptures of Sepolcro di Bartolomeo Aragazzi.
Facing the Duomo was the Palazzo Communate (begun 1360), a smaller copy of Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio.
Directly across the square were the Plazzo De Nobili Tarugi and the city well.
As we neared the southern gate of the city we had outstanding views of the Umbria and southern Tuscany landscape. Below us was the most notable Renaissance monument, Antonio Sangalio’s church of San Biagio (1518). Here we waited for and boarded the local transit bus that took us down to the Church of San Biagio.
The stop was really worth the time as we looked over both the ornate exterior
and interior. We then walked over to a nearby bus stop to catch the Blue Bus back to Chianciano. Before checking into our hotel we walked over to the Church of San Antonia to see attractive mosaics there that had been the work of the school of Montepulciano.
DAY 8 Chianciano
Sunday was free to do as we pleased. Although none of our group of three was Catholic, we did however visit San Anthony church near the hotel. Churches and shrines play a significant role in the
culture of many Italians. The wood ceiling of the church was typical Franciscan. A Franciscan monk presided over a portion of the mass. Parishioners came and went, but all the pews were filled.
Some sat during the service while others stood. by their seats. A statue of St. Anthony of Padua received considerable attention. In the early afternoon, Herta celebrated her birthday by sharing abottle of red Italian wine with Skipper and me. That evening we enjoyed an included Tuscany dinner in our hotel. The hotel staff served complimentary white wine. Again we were treated to an extensive buffet for starters. As we ate we were entertained by live music. Of course, we had local red wine. Our meal of many courses (including soup, beef and potatoes) was served by formally dressed waiters.
GO ON TO HEART OF ITALY II San Marino and Venitia
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