Italy: the hill town of Veroli

I've still got a lot to write about regarding our time away in Italy in September and October as I'm trying to keep a chronological record of our year. I know I'm 'swimming against the flow' compared with many of you who are writing about Christmas preparations, but I'm going to continue to share about our Italian life with perhaps a post or two about what we're doing here in Yorkshire if something of interest comes up.

The view above can be seen from one of the terraces in a local town where we go from time-to-time. The weather, even in early Spring and Autumn can be sunny and you can see for miles across south Lazio.

However, it's not the highest area of the town and the day we took a walk it was one of the few when the weather was not so good.  It was a different walk because I wanted to explore somewhere we don't usually need to visit as we often park at the bottom of the town and walk up to the middle streets and that can be quite enough of a challenge.

Fortunately we could drive up, park and walk to the highest quarter of the upper town. There were tantalising glimpses of what the residents were growing in their town gardens on the other side of the ancient walls. The megalithic walls that surround and protect Veroli in a polygon form are called cycloptic walls because they were built with enormous stones that are wedged in place and can be seen best in the St. Leucio quarter, which is the oldest part of the upper town.

The lane led up to an ancient tower called 'The Rock' (9th century AD).  Many important people found shelter or were kept prisoner within the walls. Turning left passed 'The Rock' the narrow road had no barrier on the side where there was a steep drop into the valley road below. There was a dead end with a small cobbled courtyard where there was a shop, a little church and a narrow pathway back down to the lower streets. It felt as if this area was mainly used by the locals. The small church was very old, had been untouched by modern hands and yet was obviously a much-loved and intimate neighbourhood place of worship. We spoke to the elderly man sitting on the bench outside and went in.

The main lane to the right continued as a single-track road across the Ernici mountains. It's called 'The Way of the Benedictines' as St. Benedict and his little band of followers in 529 AD journeyed from Subiaco, stopped in Veroli, founded the monastery of St. Erasmus, before going on south to start a new monastic community in Monte Cassino.  Of course, these mountain tracks would have been known routes to all travellers as well as marauding peoples.

The remains of the tower called 'The Rock'

The enclosed courtyard in front of the church and the path leading
 back down to the lower part of the town.

Th church of St. Leucio

the cemetery

 a wall painting - I have no information about what is depicted

The Ernici settled in the area around the 12th century B.C. and founded  the settlement as it was in a strategic position being more than 700 feet above sea level and between two major valley routes. It eventually fell to the Romans and because of its alliance with Rome became a free municipality. There was a period of unrest during the Norman period, but by the Middle ages Veroli was established as flourishing centre of art and culture and in the Renaissance was well known for its places of learning and the libraries attached to them.

Although the weather wasn't good and the light was poor for photography, especially as we approached 'The Rock' tower, it was an interesting walk which gave me an insight into another aspect of Veroli.

A visit to Fiuggi Fonte

After the more essential work around the Italian house and land had been done we were able to go out for a morning or for the day revisiting places we haven't been to for a while.

One morning we went to the town of Fiuggi which is a popular health resort with several spas that's well-known for the mineral water that flows from natural springs. We took a short cut by going up to our nearest hill town before descending along winding roads, driving through olive groves, to get to the area beyond our local mountain range.

Fiuggi is divided into two areas, the hill town and the woods of lime, oak and sweet chestnut trees and parkland known as Fiuggi Fonte where one of the important spas is located with its tree-lined avenues, hotels and shops.

The health benefits of drinking Fiuggi water were known even in ancient times and in the 13th century Pope Boniface VIII, who suffered from kidney stones, had large quantities sent to him in Rome.  Michelangelo also testified to its curative properties. The source of the spring water initially had to be reached by mule because of the hilly nature of the terrain and it wasn't until the mid 19th century that cobblestones were laid, the fountain built and the spa facilities developed.  All that remains of the original complex is the Neoclassical-style portal (above).  The open space overlooking the gardens that surrounds the spa was designed in the 1960s and 1970s where there are paths and suspended walkways leading to futuristic mushroom-like platforms. The park has a theatre, open-air sports facilities, playgrounds and hosts open-air concerts.

We've been into the parkland many times with our family so we didn't go in and instead went for a coffee in the main piazza of Fiuggi Fonte and then had a walk along the shopping arcades and avenues. I did some window gazing and admired the hotel architecture.

marron glace and pistachio ice-cream

                       

a postcard from Fiuggi Fonte

..........before heading home.