Spina – Umbria | Evocative Village Surrounded by a Medieval Aura

 

Spina is a small hamlet of the municipality of Marsciano in the province of Perugia located on a gentle hill at 285 meters above sea level in the Middle Tiber Valley that shows with all its charm the scenic beauty of Umbria.

Historically, this locality was an Etruscan settlement then abandoned colonised by the Romans and centuries later frequently site of clashes between the troops of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and those of the Papal States for the expansion of their territories in a very strategic geographical area in the heart of the Italian peninsula.

Once you reach the terms of Spina, you immediately breath the medieval aura of this village with its fortification developed in the 13th century on a quadrangular plan still remarkably preserved with its circular towers and terracotta structures.

Continuation with the Parish Church of San Nicolò which was in ancient times dependent on the monastery of San Pietro in Perugia seriously damaged by the earthquake of 2009 and reopened three years later.

Afterwards you can admire the Church of the Madonna delle Grazie dating back to the 15th century and rebuilt in 1757 with the main façade that has a portal and a rectangular window and two side windows with grilles, on the right side there is a fifteenth-century sandstone portal while the bell tower is on the left side.

The interior of the church, developed on a quadrangular plan with a nave without an apse, is divided by three large arches that form four bays. Of note in the high altar in Baroque style is a fresco of a Madonna Enthroned with the Child Jesus and angels executed by Barttolomeo Caporali or one of his close collaborators around 1470 which in 1978 was restored and placed in a fake frame with two pilasters with Corinthian capital.

In the direction of the village of Mercatello on the left bank of the Nestore river you can see a very old mill that still preserves machines, hoppers and mills for processing wheat and the mechanical apparatus used for the transformation of the force of water into deadly force for grinding.

Spina is also known for its village band called Filarmonica Giuseppe Verdi established in 1882 and for the excellent tradition of its carpenters and carvers.

A visit to Spina is highly recommended for all those who wish to visit an absolutely enchanting place in Umbria where even today that medieval aura lives as if by magic, simply fascinating after centuries.

Link : https://www.comune.marsciano.pg.it/

 

Where to Stay | Recommended Accommodation in the area

 

Farmhouse San Silvestro

 

Agriturismo Ripaiani

Garzeno | Fascinating Alto Lario Lands in the Albano Valley

Garzeno is  the  last village of the picturesque Albano Valley located at 662.0 meters of altitude along the road that leads from Dongo to the San Jorio Pass, connecting the remote, very suggestive Val Mesolcina to the Swiss territories of the Canton of Ticino and the beautiful city of Bellinzona.

This small town in the province of Como has everything to amaze the visitor, its extraordinary landscapes, magnificent views of the unforgettable Alto Lario, scattered historical sites, and exquisite gastronomic specialties such as the popular Braschin, a centuries-old, sweet focaccia that has its indisputable homeland in this municipality.

Garzeno is known for having been a fiefdom of aristocratic and influential families such as Sacco and Trivulzio in the Middle Ages  and later integrated into  the Tre Pievi, a possession of Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio.

This locality was then subjected to various dominations such as Aragonese, French and Austrian, becoming part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1859.

Once you reach the municipal terms of Garzeno you can admire the extraordinary landscapes of the Larian Prealps close to the Pennine Alps in the spectacular Albano Valley also known as the Dongana Valley with the picturesque images of the peaks Cima Verta, Cima Pomodoro, Monte di Giumello, Pizzo di Gino, Passo di San Jorio and Monte Marmontana in the backgroundwhich overlook woods that cover rocky gullies descending steeply towards the fascinating Lake Como.

At the entrance to the town you can notice the typical "Masun", characteristic mountain huts built in stone with rye thatched roofs that represent in their own way the restored nineteenth-century residences on whose facades stand out votive frescoes left by Masters of Art of the Lario who also decorated small towns in the area such as Garzeno.

Another great image is the suggestive presence of verdant pastures that have always been and are used by local breeders who are also dedicated to the production of exquisite homemade cheeses as the famous, exquisite Formaggelle.

Dominating the entire center with its towering bell tower, you will stop in front of the Parish Church of Saints Peter and Paul erected in 1172 but largely modified in 1400 and further in 1600, thus acquiring a late Renaissance architectural profile.

 Very rich in works of art is the interior with paintings of the 1500s depicting the stories of Saints Peter and Paul, the Coronation of the Virgin and the Doctors of the Church made by the talented master Fiammenghino , of excellent artistic workmanship are the stained glass windows of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries depicting the two Saints next to the presbytery.

Another highlight is undoubtedly the presence of beautiful votive frescoes attributed to the eclectic local painter Battista da Musso as well as relevant stuccoes and decorations of the 700s and 800s.

I recommend visiting a House - Laboratory that produces the sweet, fragrant Braschin also known in Italian as Braschino, a Como delicacy that has its cradle in this area of the Alto Lario, exactly between the territories of Garzeno and Dongo.

This sweet delicacy was originally born in 1600 as a focaccia probably brought to these Lombard lands by Sicilian emigrants who in that century prepared a sort of "sfincia" similar in dough, volume and consistency to today's one that is prepared in the province of Catania using oil and salt.

The locals tried it and decided to replace salt with sugar, olive oil with fresh mountain pasture butter and using other ingredients that were and still are used, namely walnuts, raisins, eggs, milk with the use of powdered or granulated sugar  in contemporary times.

The name in typical Larian dialect derives from the word "Brasca" which translated means embers because the elaborate dough was left to cook slowly on an ember before serving this specialty on the tables of families. The round shape has the appearance of a pizza base or even more of a Ligurian focaccia.

Its basic preparation takes place by pouring all the ingredients mentioned into a bowl containing milk, making the dough, when the shape appears homogeneous, consistent and leavened, the dough will be rolled out, checking that it is not too "elastic" and as they say in jargon "sticky" by placing it in a specially buttered circular pan and leaving it to bake in the oven for about 20 minutes at a temperature of 200.0 degrees.

Once the Braschin has been extracted, it will be left to cool for a few minutes and then move on to the final refinement with a generous sprinkling of icing or granulated sugar.

This Como dessert has been consumed alone for centuries, maintaining its historical roots, prepared on the occasion of family celebrations but also as a snack, sweet snack during a day, in the company of a coffee or cappuccino.

Time for your lunch with first courses to choose between Chiavennaschi Gnocchi with Porcini Mushrooms or Risotto with Herbs, the option among the second courses will be between Grilled Beef Steak with Mixed Salad or Cinta Medallions with Leek Puree.

Visiting Garzeno is a wonderful experience, a day of tourism with history, art, nature, breathtaking landscapes of the Alto Lario that will leave an indelible memory in your memories.

 

Link : https://www.northlakecomo.net/en/275-Towns-Garzeno

 

Where to Stay | Recommended Accommodation

Casa il Melo

Albergo de Jean

Murisengo – Piedmont | Sublime Art and Picturesque Monferrato Landscapes

 

Murisengo, an attractive hilly municipality of about 1400 inhabitants in the province of Alessandria located near Montiglio Monferrato already in the provincial terms of Asti on the border with the suggestive Val Cerrina and close by the Stura stream in a territory of Piedmont that fascinates many visitors at first sight.

This locality is known for being the birthplace of Luigi Lavazza, founder of the famous roasted coffee company based in Turin.

Land of excellent wines, quality fruit and vegetables and well known for its exquisite gastronomy as well as being a place of celebration of the famous Trifola D'Or National Truffle Flower , an event paying tribute the prestigious white truffle of Alessandria, an elite commestile product so loved by those who adore the culinary art and the inimitable flavor of this delight,  pride and heritage of the whole of Piedmont.

Enjoying the pleasant landscapes of this beautiful area, with gentle hillsides as protagonists, which meet as if by magic with green plains and dense woods rich in mushrooms and precious truffles, at the gates of the town, on top of a verdant hill, stands the Tower of San Pietro, which is the remains of a religious complex that included an ancient Romanesque church, listed in the parish church of Castrum Turris in 1298-1299.

The masonry is made up of large sandstone ashlars except for the side adhering to the primitive church without decorations and interrupted by a door with archivolt from which you can access the interior. The second floor is decorated with semi-columns with capitals and monolithic hanging arches.

Continuation with the Guasco di Bisio Castle, an imposing structure dating back to the thirteenth century dominating the entire town from the top of a hill at an altitude of 388.0 meters of which the large tower remains intact probably rebuilt in 1510 which was probably the oldest element of the building according to the first attestations dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries.

This fortress was the residence of the Marquises of Monferrato in the Middle Ages, a splendid complex in which stands out a beautiful crenellated tower erected on a quadrangular plan still well preserved which represents the most prominent architectural element of the original building developed in the Middle Ages.

The castle currently hosts celebrations of cultural events and according to historical documentation it was the place where the famous writer Silvio Pellico wrote one of his literary masterpieces, the well-known tragedy Francesca da Rimini.

Continuation with the nineteenth-century church dedicated to Sant'Antonio Abate designed by the architect Peruzzi in 1748 with the offerings of the parishioners of Murisengo.

Developed in the shape of a Greek cross with a single nave, the interior of this church is considered one of the best examples of Piedmontese rococo' with remarkable artistic works in its interior such as seven altars among which the main altar dedicated to Sant'Antonio Abate, that of San Candido which preserves in a silver envelope in a walled niche the relics of the patron saint of the community and those dedicated to the Madonna del Rosario and to Sant' Orsola.

Other highlights are a magnificent Carrara marble balustrade, a walnut pulpit adorned with five statues, a neoclassical organ and inlaid stalls of a splendid choir.

Continuation with the nearby Church of San Michele erected in the late Middle Ages exactly in 1488, previously known as the Oratory of the Angels.

In the eastern part of Murisengo there is the fountain called "La Pirènta" which between the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century was part of an important Spa complex that went into decline due to the two world wars and which was also used for the maceration of hemp.

The water was used for therapies dedicated to gastrointestinal disorders and skin diseases, today the tanks are no longer visible and the water flows from a lion's mouth set in a fountain developed in 1859.

Murisengo hosts the National White Truffle Fair, a very famous event since 1967, the year of its first edition, consolidating itself since then among the most prominent events in the gastronomic theme of the entire province starring the White Truffle called "Diamond of the cuisine".

This product of excellent quality finds its natural habitat in the local area with ideal environmental requirements that generate its unique organoelectric characteristics, placing it with merit in the gastronomic elite.

This truffle was already known in ancient times to the Romans, a delicacy that grows in rural areas close to the roots of holm oaks and oaks, famous for its hypogeal, or underground, body, giving off a very intense smell that attracts various wild animals such as foxes, badgers, dormice, wild boars but also farmed pigs.

The main features of its profile are undoubtedly the globular carpophore with its sometimes smooth or often warty surface with spores of different kinds and the typically marbled interior.

Its incredible versatility in culinary themes is well known, excellent in small doses for risottos, included in cheese dumplings, added to mushroom-based dishes, present in bruschetta or on toast, used as an ingredient in fresh pasta dishes, superlative with an exquisite carpaccio and simply divine to flavor different types of olive oil.

Visiting Murisengo is a wonderful experience, history, art, picturesque hilly landscapes with magnificent views of the Alps, and discovering the White Truffle absolute delight of this Piedmontese territory.

 

Link : https://www.comune.murisengo.al.it/

 

Where to Stay | Recommended Accommodation 

 

Casa Voglietti

Monferrato B&Bike