A Day in Perugia
a walled city, doing the can-can, and of course, chocolate
Hello friend! My name is Amy. I am so happy you have stopped by ✨ If you are new here, a warm welcome to you! This space is where I meander through midlife, connecting to my true self through the seasonal shifts and simpler living, and seeking my inner wise woman. If you are also on this path and looking for someone to walk gently beside you, I see you and am here. Let’s color outside the lines together.
As I revisit each place I visited in Italy, I’m taking some time to research the area's background to gain further clarity. We began our day in Perugia by winding our way through the Papal Fortress. I learned that Italy was divided into a combination of independent city states and Papal states1 from 756 to Italy’s unification in the late 1800s.
Our writing task for the day was to imagine ourselves walking through these old town streets as they were during that ancient time. As I took photos of the narrow cobbled streets of this underground section of the city, I came across this detail about the architecture.
The limestone and travertine walls at the ground floor of the medieval buildings, the pointed arches of the entrances to houses and shops, and the base tower of Gentile Baglioni blend in with the brick vaults covering the streets and the great foundation pillars of the fortress. The ancient buildings were gutted and made the subterranean chambers of the Roco Paolina.
This was originally a wealthy neighborhood. After the Salt War2, as part of his show of power, Pope Paul III wanted not only to show papal sovereignty to surrounding areas, but to send a message to the ruling Lords that he was now in charge.
An excerpt from what I wrote that day follows…be gentle, it just came out and my my first attempt at historical fiction, and not blog writing 😂
The narrow cobbled streets were alive with voices all competing with one another. Merchants selling their wares. The stalls are a combination of the sparse vegetables still covered in earth that those selling are lucky enough to grow or steal, and the old women shouting out about their perfume oils and tinctures, so needed to stave off the smell and ailments of bodies living far too close to one another. It is dim on these tall, walled streets even though it is the middle of the day, and I see my mother sitting in the shadow of her push-cart knitting mittens with my baby brother playing at her feet.
Leaving this magical underground portion of the fortress, we emerged into a more typical view of an ancient Italian town. Streets full of cafes, shops, and history. Perugia is also known for its chocolate….does Baci ring a bell!? We walked, the town, and I experienced my first true panzanella salad, and then stopped for some amazing drinking chocolate….bliss! We ended the excursion waiting for one another on the steps and did an impromptu dance.
We then headed back to the retreat villa for a “Writing Apertivo”, some time for us to sit and use our writing prompt to see what inspired us. We interspersed at the tables on the patio. As we sat, Flavia brought us each an Aperol Spritz while a storm gathered in the distance, I listened to frantic birdsong and intermittent thunder, and wrote. We were chased inside by the rain, and sat at the dining table recounting the day and preparing for dinner.
Another amazing day in Tuscany, more to come…..
Until next time,
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Papal States, territories of central Italy over which the pope had sovereignty from 756 to 1870. Included were the modern Italian regions of Lazio (Latium), Umbria, and Marche and part of Emilia-Romagna, though the extent of the territory, along with the degree of papal control, varied over the centuries. Britannica
In 1540 Pope Paul III ordered that the price of salt be raised in the Papal State, and the citizens of Perugia rebelled in protest; in the ensuing Salt War, a papal army forced the city to surrender. Oxford Reference
Thanks for sharing! A wonderful reminder of a happy day.
You’re reminding me of that chocolate drink which is perhaps the most exquisite thing I’ve her drank; I’m also remembering Val’s full body response! I’m so glad you inspired us to try that.