Rasiglia, An Enchanted Village in Umbria

A bit off the tourist trail in Umbria, in the hills surrounding the commune of Foligno, sits a magical place – the small hamlet of Rasiglia. This Medieval village is unique in that spring-fed streams run through town creating rushing waterways, pools, and waterfalls. The streams cascade downhill through the village, eventually joining the river Menotre at the base of the hill.

The streams in Rasiglia flow downhill from springs above the village. The largest spring is the Capovena at the top of the hill..

Because of those streams, which seem to outnumber the 50 or so permanent residents, Rasiglia is also known as Il Borgo dei Ruscelli (the Village of Streams). A visit to this village was top of my to-see list during a recent stay in Umbria. Only about a 30 min drive from my base in Bevagna, it made for a perfect day trip.

The streams flow through town, sometimes tumbling down the rocks and other times pausing to fill small basins.

Remants of the fortress that once stood at the top of Rasiglia

With origins in the 12th century, Rasiglia was once a fortified town. Now, little remains of the original fortress although remnants of a tower can be seen at the top of the village.

Most important to the town’s history, the streams that flow from the springs above the village provided the power used to run its mills and also provided the water needed for the weaving and dyeing of wool, an important industry in the region.

Today, visitors can wander through the historic town enjoying the beauty and sound of its many streams along with the pretty houses and flower filled spaces tucked in amid the flowing waters. There are also cafes and lunch spots, offering a charming spot for a mid-day pause.

Not to be missed are the historic grain mill and the weaving museum. Both give fascinating glimpses into Rasiglia’s history.

While Umbria has many beautiful, and much more famous, towns it was Rasiglia that most delighted me, transporting me for one day to a fairytale world where streams run through an ancient hamlet.

High Above Bologna

Bologna is a fabulous place to visit. With its miles of porticos, Medieval buildings, ancient churches, historic university, fountains, beautiful piazzas, and its very own leaning tower, it makes for a fabulous stop on any northern Italian itinerary. And then there is the food. Bologna is where filled pasta takes center stage along with salumi of all types and gorgeous aged Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. It is a food lover’s mecca.

Going through the Porta Saragozza on the train to the Santuario.

But high above the city lies something that many visitors miss – the Santuario della Beata Vergine di San Luca (Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca). And that’s a shame, because it is a place of beauty and history. 

The Santuario lies 4.9 km (about 3 miles) from Bologna’s city center, up a series of steep portico lined steps that begin just beyond the historic 13th century city gate of Porta Saragozza. To make the walk is to undertake a pilgrimage, one not for the faint of heart (or weak of knees).

But there is another option – a small train departs from Piazza Maggiore in the historic center of Bologna and whisks passengers (well, more accurately it chugs slowly up the hill) along the portico and up to the Santuario. I normally avoid little tourist trains, but I make an exception for this one which stops right at the base of the Santuario’s broad terrace. After visiting the church, riders can catch the train back to town. Tickets cost €13 and the journey up to the church takes about 25 minutes.

The arches of the portico leading up to the Santuario. There are 666 arches total leading from Bologna city up the hill to the Santuario.

The portico itself is fascinating. Built beginning in 1674, it has 666 arches under which are several tiny chapels (once upon a time there were many more). Each year, in May for the Feast of the Ascension, the Byzantine Icon of the Madonna of San Luca is carried through the portico down to the city where it remains for one week at the Cattedrale di San Pietro (Cathedral of St. Peter, Bologna’s main church).  The icon then makes a return pilgrimage, up the portico, to the Santuario. The portico protects the icon from the elements during its journey down and back up the hill. Even for the non-religious, this is a fascinating slice of Italian history and culture.

Just one of the fabulous views from the Santuario atop the Monte del Guardia.

The Madonna of San Luca (from the website of the Santuario della Beata Vergine)

The Santuario sits on a hill, the Monte del Guardia. Its terrace offers panoramic views of the countryside, the hills, and the city of Bologna.  

The church was built on the site of a female hermitage for the purpose of housing the icon of the Madonna. The icon, which first arrived to Bologna in the 13th century, was originally cared for on this site by the nuns of the hermitage.

Consecrated in 1765, the original building has evolved and changed over the centuries. The current church, with its columns, marble, and gold trimmings, is quite ornate. It is filled with beautiful paintings and sculptures. Seeing art inside churches, where it was intended to be displayed, is always the best venue for appreciating the work. The art in the Santuario is no exception.

When visiting the church, definitely look up. The frescoed arches above the main and side altars are wonderful as are the large hanging lanterns. The small cupola, painted by the Florentine artist Cassioli in the early 1900’s, is lovely.

The setting of the Santuario is quiet and peaceful. The views are wonderful. The history is one of ancient legends and devotions. It is unique and fascinating, a not-to-be-missed place when visiting Bologna.

Prato’s Museo del Tessuto (Textile Museum)

Tuscany is not all rolling hills, art, vineyards, olive groves, and Medieval streetscapes.  A different Tuscany presents itself in the city of Prato. While Prato does have a historic center worth exploring, it is better known as the center of a thiving textile and fashion industry. 

Displays in the Textile Museum recount the history of cloth making and the fashion industry in Prato, including the role of Chinese immigrants.

The creation of textiles in Prato goes back to the 12th century, but it was the industrial revolution of the late 1800’s which fostered the growth of the industry.  Another boom period came with the end of World War II when Prato became one of Europe’s largest districts for textile and clothing manufacturing. Prato’s role in textiles and fashion continues today, in large part supported by the Chinese immigrants who began arriving in the early 1990’s. 

The history of textiles in Prato is celebrated in a small but fascinating and well-curated museum, The Museo del Tessuto. Established 50 years ago, the museum is now housed in a historic building – the former Compolmi textile factory. The factory was opened in 1863 by Vicenzo and Leopoldo Compolmi in a building that formerly housed a mill (and before that a convent). One of the fascinating aspects of the museum is seeing the former factory’s collection of machinery used in the manufacturing process along with implements used during different periods of manufacturing. 

Displays throughout the museum explain the evolution of fashion and style as well as materials used during different time periods. There are displays on types of fabrics, materials used to spin thread, and agents for coloring fabric. Many of the educational displays are hands on, giving visitors the ability to feel how different raw materials are to the touch. I owe these displays a big thank you for most of the info contained in this post.

Recently, I had a chance to visit the museum and see two special exhibits.  One, Silk Treasures, showcases fabric, small remnants, larger pieces, and intact garments, from the 15th – 18th centuries. Many were originally designed for Europe’s wealthy class and later recycled into garments worn by the clergy. The fabrics are woven with gold and silver threads as well as intense blues and reds, forming intricate and beautiful patterns. That they have survived for centuries seems like a miracle. The Silk Treasures exhibit will be on display until December 21, 2025.

The second special exhibit is quite different.  It is a contemporary and futuristic display of clothing crafted from velvet fabrics.  Entitled Velvet Mi Amor, it was created by father and daughter designers Stefano and Corinna Chiassai.

The Velvet Mi Amor exhibit has an eye-catching group of patterns, colors, and textures.

The exhibit, which runs through June 8th, includes 24 otherworldly figures clothed in a diverse range of velvets – prints, patterns, inlays, and laser cuts all have a place.  The oversize pants, jackets, shoes and hats, all in velvet, pull you in to take a closer look. You may even find some hidden messages in the patterns.   

Prato is easily reached by train in about 30 minutes from Florence or 60 minutes from Lucca.  The museum, including its well-stocked gift shop, is definitely worth a visit. And Prato, which hosts Italy’s second largest Chinese population, is just the place for a post-museum Chinese food lunch.

The gift shop at Museo del Tessuto

A Spring Weekend in Lucca

It seems as if we waited a long time for spring to arrive this year.  Cold and rainy weather lasted well into May.  But finally, on the last weekend in May, spring finally showed up.  And it is glorious!  

The temperatures are mild, the breezes gentle, and the skies are filled with cotton ball clouds with only the smallest hint of rain. The trees are green, the scent of Jasmine fills the air, and pretty flower boxes fill balconies. Is there a better place to spend spring than in Tuscany? 

 The final days of May also brought two very enjoyable festivals to Lucca. 

The first is the Lucca Medievale Festival.   The event took place on the mura storiche (historic walls) where a medieval encampment sprang up along one of the large green bulwarks that jut out from the walls.  

Throughout the camp craftsmen and women, all in costume, demonstrated medieval crafts.  There were woodturners, blacksmiths, and chainmail makers.

Weavers and clothmakers worked alongside pottery artisans and clog makers. Rough beeswax candles were on display as were some ancient (and quite scary) medical instruments.  A stone carver worked with small tools to create delicate designs.

Musicians played antique instruments; there was no shortage of medieval weapons. Throughout the weekend-long festival were exhibitions of historic dances, arts, crossbow competitions, and music. Lucca is in so many ways still a medieval town and the festival really brings that era to life. It’s an annual event - now is the time to make plans to visit Lucca next spring!

 The second event to enliven the city in late May was the French Market.  It is always exciting when this market comes to town. It is only fitting that the market fills Piazza Napoleone, Lucca’s largest piazza.  The large open piazza was created during the time when Napoleon’s sister, Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, was the Principessa of Lucca.  Her impact on Lucca is felt to this day. I think she would approve of hosting a French market in front of her palace!

 The market featured typical French products – soaps, perfumes, and table linens as well as French foods.   French breads were baked on site. French pastries and French cheeses filled the booths.  And the quiches! Quiche Lorraine, goat cheese and tomato, veggie and even salmon quiches warm from the oven were ready to take home for a tasty French themed lunch. 

Whenever the French market comes to Lucca, I line up to buy some bastoncini.  These breads – much thicker than a breadstick but thinner than a small baguette – are a bit of an addiction for me.  Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, they are studded with olives, walnuts, pancetta, or cheese.   Paired with a market quiche and a salad they transport me right back to Provence. 

 The spring days in Lucca are meant to be enjoyed - a wonderful pause between the cold, rainy season and the advent of hot weather and busy summer activities. Welcome spring!

Brenta Canal Part One: The Journey

A vintage drawing of a the Villa di Oriaggo along the Brenta Canal

Beginning in the 15th century, the merchants and Noblemen of the Venetian Republic (long before Italy as a unified country came into being) began to acquire property on the mainland west of the Venetian Lagoon. 

The land they developed was used for farming and later for building summer homes and grand villas.  Having a villa along the “Brenta Riviera” was quite fashionable for well-to-do Venetians.   

 The Brenta Canal, a stretch of the Brenta River between Padua and Venice, was the waterway used to move people and goods from the lowlands of Venice up river to Padua.  The canal was modified with a series of locks, some built to a design first developed by Leonardo Da Vinci, to allow boats to make the uphill trip.  

Imagine rowing across the Venetian Lagoon in one of these boats and then being pulled up the Brenta Canal by horses! Sadly, there are no surviving examples of a Burchiello as all were destroyed when Napoleon came to power in Venice.

 Two types of boats travelled the canal.  The first, a burchio, carried goods.  The second, a  burchiello was an ornate boat designed to ferry Noblemen in grand style from Venice to their summer homes on the mainland along the Brenta canal.  The boats were rowed across the lagoon and then pulled by horses up river, passing through a series of locks and under several moveable bridges.

 The tradition of spending summers along the Brenta Canal ended in 1797 when Napoleon arrived and the Venetian Republic fell. Sadly, all of the Burchiello boats were destroyed. We have only drawings but no actual boats to see. Today, a different kind of burchiello travels the canal between Padua and Venice.   Modern motorized boats carry tourists on day-long trips to experience the canal and tour several of the Villas along the route.

The boat for our excursion, named the Burchiellino, tied up at the Villa Foscari

The modern route still uses the old locks to climb up (or down) the 10 meter change in water level along the canal. The boats pass under several sliding bridges and swing bridges – some still operated by hand.

 Along the route are scenes of life along the Brenta canal.

The trip passes by a series of the villas along the way.  Some are sadly in need of repair, some have been adapted for use as restaurants or hotels, and some remain as beautiful and well tended private residences.  A few (lucky for us!) are open to the public. (photos below all taken from the boat on a cloudy day)

On the day-long cruise, with the company Il Burchiello, we were able to visit 3 historic villas – Villa Pisani, Villa Widmann, and the Palladian masterpiece of Villa Foscari.  More about the villas in an upcoming post.  

 Contact info: Il Burchiello www.itburchiello.it. Cost for the full day journey €129 for adults, half day €69