UMBRIAN TREASURES
May 2018 (Part II)
Orvieto's location in central Italy provides the opportunity to visit a variety of unique, nearby cities, towns and villages. We grabbed the chance to check out several places I'd like to share with you...
BOLSENA, on a lake by the same name, is an extraordinarily ancient place with lots of charm and ambiance...even in the pouring rain.
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CIVITA DI BAGNOREGIO is less known than Orvieto or Assissi (for example,) mostly because of it's location. The town lives in the clouds atop a rock that sits, precariously, above a huge canyon. The rock seems to erode and fall away more and more with time. It's a good example of a town that's been left relatively untouched by the modern world. Connected to the mainland by a single bridge, there are no vehicles in the town (other than those delivering a service.) Interestingly, the actual population of Bagnoregio is only TWELVE residents!
Dating back to the years 1000 AD to 1250 AD (the High Middle Ages,) charming MONTEFIASCONE, with a view of Lake Bolsena, is a true hill town, buzzing with activity!
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BOMARZO is about 30 minutes from Orvieto. It's best known for it's PARK of MONSTERS. Created in the mid 1500's, it was not meant to be pretty...it was created to be shocking. With sculptures carved of local tufa rock, this surreal garden was left to ruin for over 300 years. It was rediscovered by Salvador Dali in 1938 and restored in the 1950's. It's a mix of fantasy and mythology...and great fun to explore.
Finally, we visited GUBBIO, a masterpiece of a medieval town, rich in historical and artistic heritage as well as ancient traditions. It's the oldest town in the Umbria region.
Umbria is a stone's throw from Tuscany...both are most beautiful regions in magical Italy. Thanks for taking this armchair trip with me. Hope you enjoyed the eye-candy. Perhaps you'll plan a journey to this enchanted country in the near future...
Big Hugs,
abbyj
