There were some wonderful views from the belvedere on that sunny October day, but it was time to enter this fortified town through one of the inner wall entrances. We walked along a network of narrow streets and alleyways to the main town square.
The Church of San Michele Arcangelo
It was late morning, the church service had ended and the church was mainly empty. People were going for a drink in the caffés or going for lunch. This was not the church where we could see the Giotto mosaic. It was only a short walk back the way we had come to one of the former medieval palaces whilst enjoying some of what was in shop windows and the architectural details of buildings along the way.
a jewellery and gift shop
This beautiful gift with an image of the angel mosaic on it was lovely, but I wanted to see the real thing.
a tantalising glimpse of a painted decoration in a room
on the first floor of one of the buildings
I love this balcony, but I've never noticed before the stone sculpture of a ram's head. These details and the way the narrow streets are crammed into a relatively small area within the ancient walls gives this small hill town an atmosphere that draws me in and I've always liked coming here to shop, have a coffee and a browse around as there are up-to-date facilities such as the post office and chemist, interesting restaurants, unusual small businesses and boutiques.
an entrance to one of the courtyards of the Palazzo Filonardi
In the courtyard is the Church of San Pietro Ispano. It's built on an older site, but the current building is from the late 16th century period and was commissioned to be built by the bishop who was a native of the town and a family member of Pope Paul V. Gifts from the Pope that had been in the Vatican, including a mosaic of an angel attributed to Giotto, were given to his relative. The interior has a single nave and in the crypt one can see the previous Romanesque construction. According to legend the crypt is the cave where San Pietro Ispano lived for many years.
I was on my own in an empty church until Mr P, who had been outside, joined me. Suddenly and silently two nuns entered by a side door in the sanctuary and sat on either side of it. They had come from the adjoining buildings of the Benedictine Convent. They had probably come to pray the noon Angelus prayer. One asked whether we had seen the Giotto mosaic. This is not in a prominent place, but is located on the left hand small devotional chapel with altar as one enters the church.
the rocks that form the cave crypt
the steps down into the crypt where the clothed, preserved body
of the saint is lying in a casket
the angel mosaic by Giotto di Bondone
This had been part of a large and well known mosaic
called The Navicella that occupied a wall
in the entrance of the old Basilica of St. Peter in Rome.
in the entrance of the old Basilica of St. Peter in Rome.
The Virgin Mary enters Heaven - artist unknown
The Birth of Mary. Mary's mother, St. Anna, is lying on her bed and the baby receives her first bath. There are four women attendants and three small angels are also in attendance.
The artist is unknown, but as it's very like one painted by Cornelius Cort (a Dutch artist who had a school of art in Rome) it could be a copy specially commissioned for this church.
In the chapel, below the angel mosaic is a bas-relief sculpture in marble of the Madonna and Child with St Joseph by the 15th century sculpture and architect Jacopo Sansovino.
To the right of the entrance door is another devotional chapel where there's a statue of San Rocco who's also a patron of this church.
At his feet is a dog who holds a piece of bread in his mouth. Rocco, like Francis of Assisi, tended the sick. When he got sick himself the dog came and licked his wounds and Rocco recovered. The dog became his faithful companion.
This small chapel is just as beautiful because it doesn't look as if the frescoes have been restored.
A written notice by the porphyry cross (above) states that it was saved from the remains of the first Basilica of St. Peter when the present one was being constructed. The cross had been placed in the atrium of the old basilica for the adoration of the faithful and it is said that Dante Alighieri kissed it on the occasion of the Jubilee of 1300. Likewise the Giotto mosaic was incorporated in the design of the Church of St Peter Ispano when it was built in 1612.
On the right hand side of the nave there's a sarcophagus dating back to the 4th century. It was found in 1941 when some agricultural work was being done in the nearby countryside and was an important find as it is intact and depicts some interesting Biblical images. On the left: from Chapter 3 in the Old Testament Book of Daniel is Nebuchadnezzer, King of Babylon and three people (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) in a burning furnace. On the right: the Nativity of Jesus with onlookers and animals standing by.
Out in the sunshine again we went and sat outside a nearby caffé, had a coffee and watched families pass by before going back to the car to return home.
The Post Office is in the building to the right.
The lane around the town is narrow and, therefore, there's a one-way system.
The open air building with water tanks and running water is where
washing was done. It looks as if a safety fence has been put around it.
On the right there's a deep drop down to the fields below.
Soon we were driving along our own country lane.
