Strettura & San Mamiliano...a tour with history...
Our Sunday lunch was in the quaint frazione of Strettura. According to the website Pane di Strettura it is "country to less than one hundred souls" and famous for its bread. "I believe in my work, and I run it with passion and love and hope you can appreciate the purity and goodness." We loved this bread like none we have eaten in Umbria thus far. I will travel the 16.5 km just for that bread again at the delightful Palazzo del Papa (named so because a/the Pope stayed here).
Laurie and Norma took us for a drive to their first Italian home, the 10th century walled fortress town of San Mamiliano, the oldest inhabited village in Umbria. Currently home to about nine people, it too has history because a/the Pope stayed here.
San Mamiliano was part of the Papal States...the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861. When we looked off into the spectacular distance, from their terrace, we could see remnants of the ancient walls that protected the Papal Property. Sustained by the people, the Popes soon exercised greater power in Rome than did the imperial governors, many secular buildings were converted into churches, new walls were built to defend Rome, and an army was organized to protect the Pope against the menace of the Lombards and Byzantines. We continue to learn something new everyday.
In this tiny hillside town there is a church, as is common in all towns in Italy. In 1538, its altarpiece, "Madonna and Child with Saints" was painted by the artist, Giacomo Santoro (aka Jacopo Siculo). Born at the end of the fifteenth century, Iacopo attended the workshop of Raphael. I now wish we would have asked the little old lady who's the key keeper to let us look at this masterpiece. It was a missed opportunity today but something to look forward to in the future.
Laurie and Norma took us for a drive to their first Italian home, the 10th century walled fortress town of San Mamiliano, the oldest inhabited village in Umbria. Currently home to about nine people, it too has history because a/the Pope stayed here.
San Mamiliano was part of the Papal States...the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861. When we looked off into the spectacular distance, from their terrace, we could see remnants of the ancient walls that protected the Papal Property. Sustained by the people, the Popes soon exercised greater power in Rome than did the imperial governors, many secular buildings were converted into churches, new walls were built to defend Rome, and an army was organized to protect the Pope against the menace of the Lombards and Byzantines. We continue to learn something new everyday.
In this tiny hillside town there is a church, as is common in all towns in Italy. In 1538, its altarpiece, "Madonna and Child with Saints" was painted by the artist, Giacomo Santoro (aka Jacopo Siculo). Born at the end of the fifteenth century, Iacopo attended the workshop of Raphael. I now wish we would have asked the little old lady who's the key keeper to let us look at this masterpiece. It was a missed opportunity today but something to look forward to in the future.
4 comments:
Where is the picture of the BREAD!?
I could go for a piece right now...and I want to see what I am missing!
I love the picture of you in the window.
Looks like another amazing day in Italia!
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I agree where the picture of this amazing bread? Sounds wonderful!!
Hi... Great posting!
I bought my first home in San Mamiliano in 1978. Then 3 more homes all in the same village. I still own them all and will return soon, this year I hope! Norma and Laurie ARE THE BEST! John Dulaney, Concord, Calif.
You can find hundreds of photos of San Mamiliano here: https://www.facebook.com/johnpdulaney?ref=tn_tnmn
also vids in:
http://www.youtube.com/johndulaney
john
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