Deruta, Bevagna and Montefalco

Three towns which all have the 'I borghi più belli d' Italia' - most beautiful villages in Italy commendation are Deruta, Bevagna and Montefalco . We visited these three all on the same day ... a feast of gorgeousness.

Deruta has a beautifully preserved Centro Storico on the hill and a more modern town below. As stated yesterday, it is a town noted for its ceramics industry so there are many dozens of workshops and stores selling the quintessential central Italian majolica ceramics. Gigantic urns, platters and table tops catch you eye with their stunning designs and colour. Even the street signs and garden seats were made from ceramics.

Bevagna has the wow factor when you enter through the gate, as Panicale does. Lots of picturesque winding lanes, beautiful churches dating from 1100 with art works, Roman remains and a most beautiful piazza. I couldn't not mention three gelati shops with new flavours! 
Bevagna also has a St. Francis claim to fame - it was in Bevagna that the saint talked to the birds, and a stained glass window in one of the churches remembers this event. It also houses the Francis Stone but I don't actually know what that is about.

Montefalco is perched high on a hilltop and is known as the 'balcony of Umbria'. It is surrounded by vineyards so the magnificent views are enhanced by the green of the vines.
Incidentally, grape picking has commenced at some wineries, apparently the earliest ever. I guess the extremely hot summer has caused this. 
The Sagrantino grape and wine is central to life in Montefalco and the village has many shops selling the local wines and opportunities to taste. Kel was able to do a small wine tasting and he bought a Sagrantino for us to enjoy at home. 

An average sort of day in Panicale

An average sort of day in Panicale can be pretty exciting!

This morning we did the walk through the olive groves to the old Cappucini church and cemetery. This is a lovely walk and a nice spot for a picnic lunch which we enjoyed at leisure. As we walked home we tried to take some selfies with Panicale in the background for the Travellers newsletter. We weren't very successful.

    The view of Panicale as we started to climb the first rise.

                                          At the picnic spot wearing my Italian tan

   I really love these terraced olive groves

Even when you are on holidays the time comes when you do have to wash, iron and clean. Today was one of those days.

This evening we went to Aldo's bar for drinks with newfound friends Diane and David from Scotland and Ros and Noel from Western Australia.

                           Diane, Noel, David, Rosalind and Eleanor. Photo by Kelly

Later Kel and I dined at Lillo Tatini, a Michelin star rated restaurant right in the piazza in Panicale. The menu here is really interesting, diverse and non-typical Italian. It is an experience to eat at Lillo Tatini.

                                                       The view from our table

We started with really good house made hot olive bread rolls with caper butter then

we both had this superb dish with potato, pecorino and truffles

 Kel had a pappardelle pasta with a Cinta pork and Chianina beef sauce. I had this magnificent meal, lake fish cannelloni on a bed of lentils, zucchini and truffles.

Kel's dolce, his favourite tiramisù

My dolce was the smoothest chocolate imaginable.

This was all accompanied by a bottle of red - a Vietti barbera from the Piedmonte.

On the walk home we stopped to watch a couple of games of bocce. This is very entertaining and is a way to learn more Italian words - not all words I could use! Their skills and enjoyment of this nightly ritual are very appealing to Kelly who would love to get down to the pitch and have a go.

Sanctuario della Madonna dei Bagni at Casalina near Deruta

The Sanctuary of the Madonna dei Bagni is at Casalina near Deruta. Deruta is the centre of majolica and ceramics work in Umbria. The designs are spectacular and all work is hand done. This church has more than 600 votives and thanks for graces received plaques all over its walls and these are individually hand made ceramics. They date from 1657 and have the letters PGR - Per Grazia Ricevuta on them.

The history of this amazing place dates from the mid 1600s when a Franciscan friar found a fragment of crockery on the ground, the base of which was painted with an image of the Madonna and the infant Jesus. So that it wouldn't be broken any further he wedged it into the branches of an oak tree.

Later a Casalina merchant noticed it had fallen so he nailed it to the tree. A few years later the merchant, Cristoforo di Filippo, returned to ask for grace for his sick wife. He returned home to find his wife cured. The couple commissioned the first votive plaque to give thanks to the Madonna for her intercession. 

The tree can be seen behind the altar, and at the back in a glass case you can see the tree and also the first plaque. 

 Work on building a permanent church began almost immediately after this. It was built around where the oak tree stood. Other locals began to commission their own tiles to give thanks PGR. Over almost four centuries the votive plaques have continued to be placed in the Sanctuary of the Madonna dei Bagni, giving an amazing insight into clothing styles, farming methods, lifestyles but especially the types of illnesses and accidents that befell the citizens of Casalina.

These photos are not in chronological order but you will see that people were saved from falling from trees, from demons, robbery, drowning, accidents with animals and fighting in the 1600s to those in the later 1900s and 2000s showing car and bike accidents, returning from WWII, heart surgery and flying into power lines.

You will notice that all the plaques have a depiction of the Madonna and the infant Jesus in the tree in their design.

Enjoy the art work, the reasons for giving thanks and appreciate the amazing faith people have shown over the centuries.

The outside of this sanctuary church gives no hint of what is inside. The gardens surrounding are immaculate and I have read that the church buildings and grounds are maintained by young men and women in need. They are doing an excellent job.

Life is not all prosecco and bocce!

Life is not all prosecco and bocce here in Umbria.

We have lots of mosquitoes and they just adore Kel's blood. We also have scorpions and the protector of the home has killed two today. I just missed stepping on this one with bare feet. Apparently the excruciating pain only last for half an hour if you pack the wound with ice.