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All material © Adrian Fletcher 2000-12 - The contents may not be reproduced without permission - Adrian Fletcher can be contacted at afletch at paradoxplace dot com
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CIAO ADRIANO
8 DAYS IN TUSCANY AND UMBRIA THE 2007 DOM PARADOX A TOUR FOR NICK (DOM P'S SON) AND JACUI October / November 2007
Nick (27) - the last of Dom P's three children to visit the heaven he has uncovered in Italy with the help of his mate Gregory Page. Studio Paradox is at present a bit disorganized, but more photos from the cameras of the Dom and Nick will appear to illustrate the words below .......
Back to Ciao Adriano Italy Overview
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DAY ONE
Wednesday 31 October - a couple of Chianti Classico photos, then across to Assisi and Gubbio in the steps of San Francesco
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Castellina-in-Chianti and Environs
Wake up to the view from Gregory's Castellina Appartamento (right).
South of Castelina - Godenano and Lilliano landscapes (near Castellina, with San Gimignano on the horizon).
Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli (below Assisi) and the Porziuncola Chapel where Saint Francis (1182 - 1226 (44)) started out and died. Assisi - Saint Francis’ tomb, the Lower Basilica and museum, the Upper Basilica and the town of Assisi.
Gubbio – the tiny painted Franciscan church (originally built in the 700s) of the Vittorino, where the Gubbians beat a large Arab force (hence the name), and later where San Francesco talked a wolf out of his people eating habits, and where tonight (31 October) an eve of Ognissanti service conducted by the Friar was in progress (and we were just in time for the collection).
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View from Gregory's Appartamento
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Godenano, with the towers of San Gimignano in the distance
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Shutters are working hard now for the classic Tuscan landscape at Lilliano
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Lilliano avenue - two days later the leaves were gone
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Assisi - in the previous week when the sun was shining. The main (San Francesco) basilica is on the left, the Duomo in the top centre, and the Basilica di Santa Chiara is on the right.
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East Assisi - in the centre the entrance to the lower basilica, on the right the rose window and top of the entrance to the upper basilica. The huge scale of Assisi's basilicas is in sharp contrast to the two little churches below which to many represent the true spirit of San Francesco.
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San Francesco started out in 1211 in a little abandoned chapel, said to date back to the 300s, in a forest on the plain below Assisi. Around it the wood and straw huts of the first Franciscan community grew as they started by rebuilding the little church.
The forest has long gone, and the little church, called the Porziuncola Chapel (right), is now covered by the massive bulk of the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli. Here you can also see the place where the Saint died, a famous thornless rose bush, and a huge range of books covering all things Franciscan.
But the best reason to pop in, if there are not too many coach loads of visitors around, is to sit in front of the beautiful 1393 paintings (especially the Annunciation) behind the altar, painted by Prete (priest) Ilario da Viterbo and his workshop.
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Thirty something kilometres north, on the edge of the lower part of Gubbio, is the tiny and beautiful church of the Vittorino. Originally erected in the eight hundreds at the site of a battle between the Gubbians (winners, hence the name) and Saracens. The Saracens (Arabs) may have lost, but it's interesting that they were so far over the mountains inland and north in the eight hundreds. In fact they were all over the place - another large group had taken control of what is now called the the Gran San Bernardo Pass - the high Alpine pass betwen Italy and Switzerland, and yet more were flattening monasteries in Burgundy.
Back in Gubbio, it's at this spot that over three hundred years later San Francesco met with a wolf who had been eating people, and persuaded the beast to reform its behaviour (see the Book of the Little Flowers). Also called the Porziuncula of Gubbio - in reference to that other beautiful little Franciscan jewel on the plain below Assisi.
On the night we were there, there was an eve of Ognissanti service in progress, and rather than wait outside in the cold wind we joined in.
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Castellina is located near the "i" of "Chianti". Assisi is east of Perugia. Gubbio is south east of Città di Castello.
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Go to the Page LIst for a full listing of pages and their status
All material © Adrian Fletcher 2000-12 - The contents may not be reproduced without permission - Adrian Fletcher can be contacted at afletch at paradoxplace dot com
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