Rough and Delicate / Old and New

Two images from a walk through farmland in the Le Marche region near Fabriano in Italy.

Yellow Blooms in Le Marche

On the road below a Benedictine monastery near Fabriano, yellow adorns a station of the cross and a hedge overlooking a valley.

Spring Buds in Le Marche

A morning hike in the hills of the Le Marche region in northeastern Italy, 

near Fabriano, with the Apennines in the background.

Assisi Snaps

A couple of photos that capture some glimpses of daily life in Assisi,

rather than the historical-theological aspects for which this town is noted.

Stones of Assisi

Quiet Landscapes

A couple of landscape details that appealed to me on Mt. Subasio

Horses on Mount Subasio

Mare with new foal

One of several small herds. Seeing so many horses was surprising.

Rocky Path in Umbria

On the flank of Mt. Subasio, near Assisi. On the other side is a marble quarry.

Pointing to the place where Saint Francis went to meditate

Collepino

We wandered through Collepino (population 32–35), an ancient castle-village dating back to the 1200s, before setting out on our morning hike. Lots of stony picturesqueness.

Closeup and Far Away

From a hike in the countryside near Lago di Bolsena in Umbria

Two Walls in Osa

Two examples of the pleasures of hiking in the Umbrian countryside

This is the standard kind of beautifully weathered wall that one sees in uncountable numbers in Italy. That doesn't make it any less worth photographing.

This is more unusual: an old farm building on the wall of which the owner has hung tools in a way that suggests modern art.

Old Stones in Osa

Details of abandoned farm buildings in Umbria

Osa Olive Trees

Osa is a lightly populated farming area in Umbria, with groves of old olive trees. It made for a pleasant morning hike.

Orvieto Cathedral Sculptures

Ippolito Scalza was the architect of the Orvieto Duomo, and the sculptor of several of its most important sculptures, including the Pieta and the Ecce Homo shown here. The Pieta was inspired by Michelangelo's, and is definitely of comparable caliber.

Orvieto Cathedral Interior

The interior of the Duomo in Orvieto is both as somber and richly decorated as the exterior.

Orvieto Cathedral Exterior Details

Fantastic fine detail is all over the surface of the Duomo. These are just a few small examples.

Orvieto Cathedral

The Orvieto Cathedral, or Duomo, is one of the great religious buildings: perhaps not as large as some of the more famous, but breathtaking in its detail and aesthetic quality.  Its construction spanned three centuries, starting in 1290. Over the next few days, I'll be posting pictures of its exterior and interior.

Soldiers on security detail, looking profoundly bored and useless.

On the Wall

Cheery wall details in Orvieto, Italy

Roadside Shrines

On the road to Orvieto

Orvieto Shadows

Civita di Bagnoregio

According to WikiTravel, Civita di Bagnoregio is actually two towns: Civita (once the more populous but now reduced to six permanent inhabitants) is connected by a long and steep bridge to Bagnoregio. Civita is medieval, hardly touched by the Renaissance, but attracts plenty of modern tourists.

Umbria Countryside