My Sister's Guest Blog from Italy
1 Approaching Rome's Fiumicino airport after nearly eight hours of air travel from New York City. It was around 10AM in Rome.
2 Another view from the air
3 After landing, we piled into our rental car, which was upgraded when the rental agent saw our four large bags, which would never have fit in the small car we were to have. Despite the upgrade, it was still a tight fit.
4 Our two-hour ride to the Umbria region, located in the lush heart of Italy, revealed a gentle expanse of pastoral countryside with higher mountain elevations in the distance.
5 The light color of the soil is due to the area's history of volcanic activity. The soil is very fertile, especially for crops, such as grapes and olives.
6 After having two weeks of rain in the NYC region, we were concerned about the showers we were met with, however, they did not last long.
7 When we arrived at our destination, Tripoli, the showers passed and we were greeted with the azure Umbrian sky.
8 This lovely Umbrian villa was constructed in 1914 and was purchased by our host, six years ago.
9 The guest cottage, like the main house, was a shambles, and has been lovingly restored to a functional beauty.
10 Do you have any idea what this fruit is?
11 If you guessed an olive, you are right! Olive trees are everywhere and the olive harvest season is approaching.
12 That olive tree is growing next to this wonderful pool at Tripoli, however, it's a little too chilly to enjoy a swim.
13 Another view of the villa
14 Our host collects many fine art, artifacts, and arts and crafts from all over the world. This is an amazing trough from India.
15 A close up of the mossy carving in the granite.
16 A close up of the legs that hold up the trough
17 Later that day, we went to the nearby Medieval hilltop town of Orvieto. It dates back to the Etruscans before 256BC, when they were conquered by the Romans, who took control of the area.
18 Orvieto rises 600 feet on all sides, providing amazing views.
19 The lava rock walls are practically vertical from top to bottom.
20 This church, Sant' Andrea, stands on the site of an Etruscan temple. The tower dates back to the 12th century.
21 This is the Palazzo de Capitano del Popolo - a simple, but severe structure dating from the 13th century. Today it is used as a meeting hall.
22 The many streets of Orvieto are quite narrow and are shared by cars and pedestrians, alike.
23 The streets are paved with ancient cobblestones.
24 A residential area
25 Approaching the Duomo with it's majestic spires
26 The architecture of Orvieto is fascinating at every turn.
27 The Piazza Duomo is lined with many Umbrian pottery shops.
28 This cheerful pottery is prized by Italians and tourists.
29 The Duomo was ordered in 1290 by Pope Urban IV.
30 The facade is striking with it's gold and brightly-colored mosaics.
31 A good view of the upper mosaic
32 A detail of some of the many carved sculptures, each one different and exciting.
33 Another view including the extraordinary rose stained glass window.
34 The Gothic facade is a great masterpiece of the Late Middle Ages.
35 The fabulous mosaics, the originals having been replaced and redesigned over the centuries, depict important scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary.
36 In contrast to the ornate facade of the Duomo, the sides of the building are quite simple with alternating layers of local white travertine marble and blue/gray basalt.
37 One of several spiral columns
38 Mosaic detail
39 Large bas-relief sculptures depict scenes from the Old and New Testaments. Here, Eve is offering Adam the fated apple, while the serpent looks on. The detail is exquisite on all carvings.
40 Orvieto has an underground museum of Etruscan tunnels and caves which were carved into the soft volcanic rock. This pit, part of a private residence, was used to dispose of bodies.
41 In the same residence, another cave was used for the pressing of the precious commodity of olive oil.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
Laura, you are staying in a beautiful home. I really like the simplicity of it and the beauty.
The town you visited reminds me of some towns I visited in Germany when my son was posted over there. The arches over the streets, the window boxes of flowers in the upper stories, the narrow streets and the cobblestones. It is all beautiful.
I hope you continue to have beautiful weather and enjoy your stay.
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | October 13th, 2011 at 12:20 am
Hi, Martha and Laura,
Stunning photos, particularly of the Duomo in Photo #33 with the light blue and pink sky behind the facade and then from many different perspectives. Dispose of what bodies? Those who expired from natural causes? Enemies? Got my curiosity up.
Thank you!
Posted by: Bobbie | October 13th, 2011 at 3:18 am
These photos are breathtaking and I couldn't imagine a more gorgeous villa to stay at!
Simply picturesque!
Posted by: Eleanor | October 13th, 2011 at 8:13 am
What fascinating pictures and commentary. Your husband's friend's villa looks like it's out of a movie! Thank you for sharing Laura. Italy is also one of my lifelong dreams to explore. I can't wait to visit one day!
Posted by: Cindy F | October 13th, 2011 at 8:14 am
Love love Italy, one of my favorite places Tuscany. Beautiful villa, and photos thank you Laura for sharing with you adventure. Best of luck and success xo
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | October 13th, 2011 at 8:22 am
Fascinating, historical and beautiful.
Posted by: Susie Poss | October 13th, 2011 at 8:44 am
I have always wanted to go to Italy because that is my hertiage. I'm half Italian. I am 60 years old and I am going to college to become an Public Certified Accountant. I never went to college due to raising a Son on my own after my divorce. So my dream is to become a CPA and make enough money to live my dream,go to Italy and Spain and San Salvadore which is where my Mother is from. I pray hard and work hard for this. May all my dreams come true.
Posted by: Rose | October 13th, 2011 at 8:45 am
Sigh. THE perfect coffee companion for this rainy autumn morning.
Posted by: Helen Hartman | October 13th, 2011 at 9:07 am
Hi Laura,
There is something about pictures of Italy that give me more of a presence than almost any other country. Some of my favorite movies are favorites because they were filmed there and in particular the Sophia Loren movies which showed the narrow streets, some of the great architecture and of course the clothes hanging out on lines. I sort of felt at home when watching them for some reason. Anyway, I am so glad to hear you are on a nice vacation in a beautiful spot with friends. I thoroughly enjoyed your pictures – the amazing architecture, the villa, (always sound romantic to me), and even the view at the top of the lava rock walls. What a great place the Umbria region is! Have fun and a safe trip home too. Trish
Posted by: Trish | October 13th, 2011 at 9:27 am
Thank you so much Laura,
Your photos show wonderful detail, but the sights must have been breathtaking as you stood there. I am always so happy to see that there are folks that have the resources to restore older homes to their original beauty.
Thanks again,
Sharon
Posted by: Sharon | October 13th, 2011 at 9:51 am
Martha,
Thanks for letting Laura share with us today.
Laura, what lovely photos. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: KLBrown | October 13th, 2011 at 10:38 am
Hi Laura, Thank you so much for presenting Martha's fascinating blog posts every day! The work you do is absolutely fabulous and I love following this blog every day! Seeing a blog about your trip to Italy is fantastic and your photos and comments are superb! You and Randy and your good friends must have had a wonderful time visiting Umbrian villa and all of these other places in Italy. I love seeing the Umbrian villa that was constructed in 1914-that was the year of the birth of your mother and mine! My Mom was born on Sept.5,1914 and yours Sept.16,1914!! I'm sure they would have loved seeing these photos! The Arts and Crafts from all over the world are beautiful! Love seeing the Churches, Temples, and Duomo! This was a delightful tour, Laura, thanks so much for sharing! Loved seeing your Sister on the Today Show yesterday and her TV show was fantastic with F&S and that charming 11 year old, intelligent young gal! Sure hope all of you have another great day! Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | October 13th, 2011 at 10:39 am
Dear Laura, what a marvelous place. I am an artist {82 years old} and would like to paint from your pictures. Is there any way you could permit such a request? I am no longer able to visit such beautifully scenic locations. Please don't publish this note but I do wish you could reply to my request. Beautiful trip, I know. Thank you so much. My address is 2515 26 th Street, Meridian, Ms 39305
Posted by: Louanne Jordon | October 13th, 2011 at 11:11 am
Dear Laura, I enjoyed reading your detailed commentary and viewing the pictures of your visit to Italy. This type of "off the beaten path" information is exactly what potential tourists need to entice a visit to Italy. The natural beauty, not commercial, is what I am most interested in...oh..and and the food - did I forget to mention how I love Italian food??
Posted by: Paula Zackeru | October 13th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
Love these pictures, and hearing about your trip. Please post more, I'm sure there will be many more beautiful experiences!
Hope to return to Italy this time next year, so this blog is of particular interest to me!
Posted by: Becky | October 13th, 2011 at 4:33 pm
Dear Laura,
i LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture of the shops with the bike in front of it. Can I get a print of it? Right now it is the background for my computer. Hope you are having a wonderful time in Italy. My Dad stayed in Umbria as well in a refurbished Convent. Enjoy!!!
Warmest regards,
Kimberly in NJ
Posted by: Kim from N.J. | October 13th, 2011 at 10:05 pm
What lovely photos! I'm going to Italy next year and I can't wait! Thanks for the photos.
Posted by: Brian Deniz | October 13th, 2011 at 10:51 pm
Excellent attention to detail, religion, and historical accuracy. Very valuable.
Posted by: Irwin | October 14th, 2011 at 1:20 am
Thank you for sharing these lovely photos...I suspect there must be many more and hopefully you might share others in the future. Orvieto produces some lovely wines, did you visit many vinyards? There's another whole blog I'd love to see : )
Posted by: Jane Gamble | October 14th, 2011 at 8:03 pm
Ahhhh...I spent 3 weeks in Italy same time of year 2000 on my honeymoon.
Those are olives in your photo. This is prime truffle season there too. I often show our 3 girls our photos and promise to take them when they are older. My grandma was from Naples and grandpa from Sicily. You won't want to come home---I didn't. Enjoy!
Posted by: Laura Ivy | October 15th, 2011 at 10:31 pm