St. Dennis Adventures

We decided to spend the weekend in Switzerland, and headed to Zurich. I know what you’re thinking – how many countries can you visit in one trip?  Given the relative sizes of the countries, it was only ~750 KM (8 hours) to drive from Assisi to Zurich (which is a shorter drive than from Regina to Calgary). We learned a couple of things before we left. The Swiss – Italian border is not as open as other country borders in Europe (because Switzerland is not part of the European Union). We had our passports ready but never needed them – the border officer waved us in but only to get us to buy the required “Swiss motorway vignette". This pass is required to travel on the Swiss highway system and costs 40 Swiss Francs (CHF) -- equivalent to about 50 Canadian dollars. Once we had our pass, we were off.  As soon as we crossed the border, the landscape changed to the mountainous scenery of the Swiss Alps. It was a stunning drive. We were able to travel along some pretty stun...

We learned Carsulae was nearby and decided to spend the afternoon roaming around its archaeological ruins. From the Roman age of Augustus Caesar, you can see the remains of an amphitheater, a marble Arch, thermal baths, and temples. Carving a path through these ruins is the via Flaminia, once a main route through Italy’s heartland to Rome. There’s differing opinions as to why the city was abandoned but, what’s left of it, archaeologists have mapped out a church, a public forum surrounded by market stalls, a water cistern, temples, a theatre, and funerary monuments. We were able to roam throughout much of the town and actually watch some excavations going on. It is amazing that right under where we stood was once a thriving metropolis and that even now, we are finding evidence of their daily lives. One of the more impressive sights was the Arco di Traiano – “Arch of San Damiano”. Originally consisting of three marble- clad arches, only the center arch remains. It ...

Italy is not a very large country. It averages about 160 KM wide down the peninsula. What this means for tourists is that there are a lot of places to visit in a very small area. On this day, we visited three small hilltop towns. We started the day in Montefalco, lunched in Bevagna, and ended up meeting friends for supper in Spello. Looking out from our hilltop view in Montefalco we saw the entire valley unfold beneath us. Known for its wine and linens, we took the opportunity to do some shopping while we meandered along the town’s pebbled streets. Montefalco today has several churches, some in the Romanesque, some in the Gothic, and some in the Renaissance style. Historically, the most important is the church of San Francesco, which is now the town's museum, and, given its collection of art and artifacts, one of the most important museums in Umbria. The church is notable for its fresco cycle on the life of St. Francis, by the Florentine artist Benozzo Gozzoli (1450–1452)...

Orvieto is a city in the Province of Terni in southwestern Umbria. It is situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff. Its highly defensible position atop the steep volcanic cliffs made it a very valuable location to all who lived there – including the Etruscans, the Romans, and eventually medieval Christians.  It is notable for being one of only 3 cities outside Rome that were home to Papal Palaces (the others being Viterbo, Italy and Avignon, France). Orvieto is home to many interesting historical sites. One of the grandest is the Orvieto Cathedral or Duomo. Construction started in 1290 AD and subsequently enlarged between 1308-1330 AD. The façade of Orvieto’s cathedral is covered with sculptures and biblical reliefs. The church looks different from many others we’ve seen as it was constructed using alternating bands of travertine and basalt rock.  Stepping indoors the cathedral you are greeted by some spectacular frescos. The P...

We took a road trip to Todi which is a hilltop town surrounded by three different sets of walls. We saw evidence of the outer medieval wall, the middle Roman wall, and the inner Etruscan wall. It is hard to imagine that new walls were constructed at three different points in time but each was built as the town kept growing and expanding. Like its neighbors, Todi also offers stunning views from its imposing location. Built on the side of a hill it has several piazzas, including the Piazza del Popolo. The large gate flanking the square is the Porta del Popolo. Travelers on via Flaminia would pass through these gates when they visited Todi. The marble fountain on the square shows Neptune accompanied by tritons. It’s one of several fountains on the square. Todi’s landscape features its highest point, the steeple of San Fortunato. Construction of the church dates back to the 13 th century. It appears it’s still a work in progress as the top half of the church's exterior was ...

This fall (September 2017), we returned to Italy for a two week vacation. We were accompanied on this trip by our youngest son Austin who has always had a fascination with medieval and ancient history. He was able to educate us on many aspects of the history of the area – especially the Etruscans and the Roman Empire. We used our timeshare to rent a condo that was located just outside Assisi. We decided to avoid the more popular Italian destinations like Venice and Florence, opting instead to spend time exploring smaller hilltop towns in the area. We visited a dozen or so towns within an hours drive of Assisi. In taking this approach, we felt like we got a better perspective on Italy’s ambiance and medieval history. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the town of Assisi has been an important destination for tourists and pilgrims for many centuries. Even today, one can see many different religious sects with their distictive robes and outfits wandering the town, taking in the sights, so...