In the morning at
about 6:30 you want to get up and open the shutters to the sounds and sights
that only a medieval town can give you.
Swallows soaring and chirping, pigeons marking their territory, fresh
air blown south from Tuscany and the sweet smell of apricot tarts baking at the
bakery on via Cavour.
Get up and start a
stroll around 7:30. Surprise the locals
with a lilting ‘buongiorno’, that pleases them more than you can imagine. In Viterbo during the middle ages (and I don’t
think it has changed much) there are three centers of civic life. Piazza del Plebiscito is truly the center of
Viterbo and a wonderful place to start. It’s
the plaza of the people, really, and a place that has rich history and romantic
nuances AND…. I’m pretty sure this guy is Jesus. Check him out:
The Piazza del
Plebiscito was the administrative center of the city starting in the second
half of the 13th century. The
most important of these structures in the Palazzo dei Priori and you can see
that much of it was constructed during the reign of Pope Sixtus IV as is seen
on the façade. If you haven’t studied
Church history it may surprise you to know that the papacy and the epicenter of
the Catholic Church was often in flux.
There were times when Rome was NOT the center. Some Popes demonstrated their loyalty to France
and/or other parts of Italy. For a
while, Viterbo was the residence of the papacy and therefore one of the reasons
why there is so much stunning architecture here.
Viterbo was also a
place of love and glorious romantic yearning and tragedy. For example, I love the story of Galiana, a
young girl whose great beauty was the cause of her death. According to the legend, a Roman noble who
had been scorned by Galiana laid siege to the city with the intent of taking
her by force. Finally he consented to abandon
the siege if he could lay eyes on her just once more, but when Galiana appeared
on the top of the tower, he couldn’t bear the idea that he was going to lose
her so he shot her down with an arrow.
Her sarcophagus (or at least a copy of it… the original is in the Civic
Museum) is seen here, at the door of the Church of Saint Angelo of Spatha.
After stories like
that, there is no other thing to do than to go to drawing class where you get
an inspiring lesson on linear perspective and then you apply it as you try (so
very very hard) to draw a twisty medieval alley.
This girl needs a
huge lunch and a carafe of wine. Let’s
go! Gnocchi with clams, cod fritters and
whatever everyone else is having. No
cooties here. Pass and enjoy!
You have no idea how hungry your posts make me. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, those birds are lovely. Try tempting them will bread crusts to land on your railing. Then try training them to eat from your hands. First, the birds; second the men.
ReplyDeleteSecond, what a gorgeous little village. Would you do an 'on location' shoot of the piccolo panetteria you mention over on Via Cavour? Maybe interview the baker of these torte al limone. Ask them if they use starch or just egg? These are the details that we need. Stephanie Cox says you are making her hungry, but we need details Elizabeth. Don't just show me a picture of some slapdash gnocchi and something of a throw together ensalata... details. What sort of itsy bitsy clams are they?
Third, Your drawing is magnificent. I think you should put them all together into some sort of monograph when you get home. See if you can't.
Finally, get a close of up of Jesus if he is there again tomorrow. Every pamphlet I've seen could do with a bit more verisimilitude.