The Vale of Spoleto

The guidebook says cycling in Eastern Umbria is difficult – that the scenery is wild.  That is just a bit of an understatement. Two young American cyclists we met who were cycling from Greece to Spain told us that it was the first time in their lives, they had ever walked the bicycle. It certainly wasn’t my first time. 

Here, in Umbria, they seem to specialize in small roads that go straight up at 12 percent plus and then take you straight down before repeating the process all over again. 
Minas can cycle anything but even he has pushed the bike up these 15 percenters. I have to admit that the scenery is quite spectacular even if the gradient and the road surface leave a lot to be desired.

One area of Umbria that enchanted me was the Vale of Spoleto: a vast plain ringed by high hills. The towns of the area all sit atop these hills. We stayed in Perugia, Assisi and Spoleto: all different and interesting in their own ways.

Fonte Maggiore in the piazza - Perugia

I was grateful that Minas found us the back way in to Perugia from the mountains. Although it was a climb, there were few cars and it took us into the very center of the town. Perugia had a reputation in the Middle Ages as being a very violent place. If they weren’t waging war on their neighbours then they played a particularly nasty game where two teams would stone each other until everyone on one side was either dead or dying.  Very sporting, I must say. We had dinner in a wonderful little place on a hilly street called Via dei Priori which, they say, ran with rivers of blood after these games. I didn’t care for Perugia much. It felt cold and austere although maybe that was just my imagination going back to medieval times. 

The trip out was very scary as Minas chose really small roads down to the valley floor. I much prefer to labour up a hill than to sit on my brakes as I negotiate even the smallest distance at 15 per cent. 

town of Assisi from the castle

The valley is dotted with small modern towns, vineyards, olive groves and market gardens. Before we knew it we were on the other side facing the surprisingly gentle climb up to Assisi. The town is packed with tourists during the day, but is surprisingly quiet in the evening. 

Basilica of San Francesco - Assisi

I was completely taken with the peaceful atmosphere of Assisi despite the street of souvenir shops. You can get away from it all during the day by walking up to the castle or down to the monastery of San Damiano. 

the monastery of the Poor Clares at San Damiano

And everywhere it is about Francesco, Francis of Assisi, and about Santa Chiara, the originator of the Poor Clares. 

Santa Chiara church from the castle - Assisi

I don’t know enough about the story of Francis but I now have many questions. There is much more to him than a man who befriended the animals. And what about Chiara? Francis took her out of town and established her at San Damiano where she lived in seclusion all of her days.

When he was ill and nearly blind, he returned to Chiara at San Damiano and she nursed him back to health. In that 74 day period, he wrote the Chronicles of the Sun. 

Francis sick

Francis restored to health

She asked to see him one more time and so they brought his body to her when he died. 


She lived for 27 more years. It sounds like a great romance to me and I will be investigating the film, Father Sun and Sister Moon when I get home. 

It seemed to me that I could feel the love and the peace in Assisi unto this day.

The long way down from Assisi to the other end of the valley was pure pleasure. We had to go through the town of Foligno and we made a wrong turn at the beginning. We asked a gentleman cycling with his teen-age daughter, if we were on the right road to Spoleto. No, we were not. He offered to guide us through the old town core and set us on the right road. This he did, at quite a high speed. Everyone was on bikes in the narrow streets and then we were told that the “Giro d’Italia” had arrived in town the day before and were leaving from the central piazza at noon. It was 10:30 in the morning and yet the buzz was incredible. Bands played, loudspeakers blasted a running commentary, and merchants everywhere were selling the pink paraphernalia of “Giro” 2014. I really wanted to stop and buy a T-shirt and revel in the festivities. But I had to keep pedaling avoiding the pedestrians, the baby strollers and all the other cyclists while keeping my eye on Minas and our friendly guide, and trying to capture a bit of the “Giro” fever. 

We were finally on the right road and said our thanks. For the rest of the day, we were clearly cycling along the valley road that the “Giro” had finished with the previous day for there were pink balloons and ribbons and pink signs of encouragement everywhere along our route.  I felt I had really missed something especially when some guy stuck his head out of a window and yelled, “Ieri, ieri – the party was yesterday”.

Roman aquaduct with castle behind -  Spoleto

Spoleto is a grey stone town: very somber, running steeply up the mountain. Luckily we were staying at the bottom. What made it enjoyable on our day off was that we spent most of it outdoors at the top of the town which is bright and sun-filled.  
We toured the castle and crossed the Roman aqueduct and had a nice walk in the forest behind the town. We also joined the hordes of locals who were enjoying Sunday family time on the extensive promenade all around the castle.

The entire time in the Vale of Spoleto in these three towns, we ate very well enjoying the local soups of farro and beans, the pastas with artichokes and favas and the dishes with rabbit and wild boar. 

But, most of all, we enjoyed the red wines of Montefalco, one of the cute hill towns we didn’t visit. The exceptional segrentino grape varietals were our favourites. So if you see any of these wines from this tiny town, buy them. You won’t regret it.

the top of the castle in Assisi

 

Ciao for now! We are heading into Tuscany.