Assisi (10 of 16)

Our school runs a program – A Wider World View – that encourages students and staff to participate in exchanges and homestays. Currently 17 students and 3 teachers are enjoying Italy, particularly Perugia, in Umbria for a two week Roman holiday.

Umbria, I am embarrassed to say, is not a region in Italy that I have visited before or knew much about before arriving. Our students attended a school in Perugia and were hosted by generous local families. Assisi, Florence and Rome are also on the itinerary but most of the exchange is in Perugia.


creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore

The National Archaeological Museum of Umbria provided an absolutely magnificent introduction to the region’s history. The site was formerly a Dominican monastery and is incredibly spacious and beautifully lit with wonderful views of the Umbrian countryside from every window and balcony.

The exhibits are supported by an effective online site – Archaeotouch.it via a tablet provided for free or your smartphone – allowing non-Italian speakers to access all the information available as one strolls around the museum. There is a good overview of prehistory and the early Etruscans but it was the everyday personal possessions such as amulets, purses, rings, combs etc. that I found most interesting. It really was an eclectic display and mostly of things I have not seen before.


creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore
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creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore

One knows there is a university nearby when advertisements for binding theses are displayed prominently on the streets. Francesco and Miguel kindly showed me around the gorgeous Università Italiana per Stranieri (University for Foreigners). The views of the Etruscan wall, especially the Arch of Augustus, from the roof of the university are spectacular. The lecture halls and tutorial rooms are magnificent but it was the futurist fresco below, The Apotheosis of Rome (1937) by Gerardo Dottori, that really caught my eye.

You can see the mythical founders of Rome and their modern incarnations; one of them had the face of Mussolini but this was replaced after his downfall. Dottori, who was a local artist, scratched out the date after he painted over the fallen fascist’s visage. I’d like to see the original figure but it looks to me like Dottori just added hair. 😉


creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore
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creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore
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creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore

Wandering around the ancient city of Perugia would be sufficient for a richly rewarding stay. My usual routine, at home, is to have one coffee in the morning but while in Italy, I succumb to the temptation to stop far too regularly for one euro cappuccinos. It is a beautiful place and the food is magnificent too. There are many hundreds of cafes and restaurants to enjoy as one wanders.


creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore


creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore
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creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore
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creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore
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creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore
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creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore
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creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore


creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore

I intend to spend a day photographing, just with my iPhone, the many twisting alleys and side-streets in this ancient city with my daughter accompanying me. She is always great at assisting with framing and ‘seeing’. It is good to be free of heavy DSLRs and lenses. I am missing my Fujifilm X100T (which is currently being repaired). It is brilliant camera for roaming the streets and snapping pics.


creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore

Here’s some shots already collected in my ‘Italian album‘.


creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore

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  1. […] full two weeks of the April were spent in Italy – most of the trip was spent in Perugia, a town located in Umbria before having a few nights in Rome – and I tried to read […]

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