A Walk on Mount Subasio

Yesterday provided near perfect hiking weather, so I started up Mount Subasio with the first signs of daylight. Stopped for a visit at the Eremo delle Carceri before heading into the woods, finally moving above the tree line a little before 9:00 a.m.

Here's a view of Assisi before heading to higher elevations.

No one else was on the trail, and eventually I set off cross country on a steep section heading toward the summit. There's a dirt road a little below the summit, and there I encountered not fellow walkers, but flyers, more specifically a group of paragliders. This fellow was preparing to attempt a flight.

He was off to a running start, lifted off, dropped down, lifted, dropped, then eventually set down to regroup and try again.

Others were more successful on their first attempts.

Once underway, they could look forward to sailing all the way to the valley floor.

A long ways below.

From there it was on to the summit, on this day a fine place to lunch and give my walking stick a break, leaning against the marker.

There were excellent views of the Apennines from the high country.

I met few other hikers on the way back down, but did come upon a group of bulls and horses grazing together peacefully... perhaps setting a good example for the donkeys and elephants in Washington.

Hmmm. Was a little concerned about how that fence post got knocked down. A little further along I came upon a mare and her colt, who somehow ended up on opposite sides of the fence. They were moving along at a good pace, apparently searching for an opening.

Finally, with Spring arriving there were some nice wildflowers to enjoy along the trail.

So, it turned out to be a fine day for wandering and exploring on Mount Subasio. Ciao.

Early Morning Assisi

It is good to be back in Assisi. Yesterday I took an early morning walk through town to the Basilica of Saint Clare. All was peaceful, with very few people about. After entering the large basilica, I passed through a short, narrow hallway into the modest Chapel of Saint George, home of the San Damiano Cross. Matins were in progress and it was nice to see several familiar faces.

The Chapel of Saint George is built directly over the former Church of Saint George, where Francis attended school as a youth. The church also was where his remains were interred for a period of time, and where he was canonized. Later, with the construction of the basilica, a wall of the original church served to buttress the new structure. So, there are well over eight centuries of history here.

Having left California less than 48 hours earlier, being in this ancient Italian chapel awakened a sense of cultural contrast. Of late in the U.S., it seems much faith is blurred by moral relativism, much hope is placed in the government's ability to discern right from wrong, and much love suffers from a lack of commitment. Here, at a gathering in the Chapel of Saint George in the Umbrian town of Assisi, one encounters deep faith in God, hope of eternal salvation, and true love of all creation, appreciating the sanctity of all human life. In the silence of the chapel, there is peace to be found in escaping a muddled world for one of joyful clarity.

In words inspired by Saint Francis, "Lord, grant that I may seek to love rather than to be loved."

A few early morning pictures. First, the Piazza del Comune, or town square, without the daytime crowds.

Next, the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, formerly a Roman temple.

Those columns are over two thousand years old, and are among the best preserved in Italy.

It's easy to imagine Francis sitting on those steps with his friends. Next is a gift shop window, clearly oriented toward Assisi visitors.

Then a quiet morning street.

Finally, a hazy morning glimpse across town.

Pace e bene; peace and goodness. Ciao.

Spring Visit to Assisi

"La pace sia con te!" is a fine Italian Franciscan greeting, "Peace be with you!" What better way to begin a conversation… or a trip to Assisi? This Spring I'll be there from April 3 to May 13, and will look forward to seeing friends, walking trails and hopefully adding to these posts.
Over the past few months I was able to update the Assisi Walking Adventure Guide, available from Smashwords Press for free, or from Kindle Publishing for $1.99. Also had time to finish a paperback edition of Masses in Assisi, published under Lulu. It turned out nicely, but unfortunately Lulu sets minimum prices on its books, in this case $31.60. Fortunately, authors are allowed to offer discounts of up to 40% and Lulu seems to have frequent sales in the 20% range, a combination that brings the price down considerably. The Kindle ebook edition of Masses in Assisi is now available for $.99.
Thankfully this Peace of Tau blog is gratis. A good way to find out more about lesser known sites in and around Assisi (small towns, churches, historic places) is to type in the name of the place along with "peaceoftau", and search both for words and images. There's a good chance you'll end up with a post from the past several years.
Pace e bene. Hope to be writing more soon.

Masses in Assisi

For those who enjoy reading about Assisi, my journal Masses in Assisi is now available for purchase as an ebook at the Kindle Store. It's  a compilation of many of these posts and photos over a four year period, with additional insights and a listing of Mass times and locations.

Pace e bene.

Cappella della Maddalena

After another fine Assisi visit, I'll be leaving tomorrow, with hopes of returning before long. For a parting post, here's a few pictures of a small treasure, one of many in and around Assisi.
On a recent morning walk on Mount Subasio, I entered the forest of the Eremo delle Carceri and found myself alone, enjoying the serenity and appreciative of how Francis must have loved to retire there for prayer.

At the Eremo, I visited a small chapel, a part of the hermitage. It's called the Cappella della Maddalena, and was built in 1484, around the time of Columbus.

It was constructed with the support of a noblewoman named Francesca de' Baglioni, to hold the remains of a well-respected brother named Barnaba Manassei, who had died at the Eremo in 1477.

Inside, there's room for a handful of people. 

Along with an altar, there's a statue of Saint Francis with birds and some flowers. A thoughtful setting for quiet contemplation.

And there is a very small bell, much in keeping with Francis' humble nature. Perhaps for announcing prayer time.

Alone and inspired, I reached over and rang it.

La pace sia con te.

Ciao.

On Colle San Rufino

On a recent windy day I walked up Mount Subasio to a "hill" named Colle San Rufino. It's a very distinct rise, about two-thirds of the way to the summit, hard to miss and a steep climb from any direction. Perhaps that's why a settlement on Colle San Rufino predated Assisi. It provides good views in all directions and an advantageous position from which to defend.

There are remnants of walls on the top and side of the hill, basically built into the terrain.

On this particular day the wind atop Colle San Rufino was gusting at about 40 - 50 miles per hour, making it a bit challenging to take photos, or to stand. Soon I moved down to a more protected area, the site of a makeshift shrine that's always interesting to visit. I'm not sure who first created this spiritual landscape, or how many may have contributed to the effort, and it certainly has been worn down by the elements. However, each year there seems to be something new or interesting added or repaired. One is greeted by a sign.

Chiesa del Povero means Church of the Poor. A metal cross sits in the middle of the shrine's mountain shelf.

 Many of the icons are secured to the upper part of the cliff.

Here's a wider view.

And here are some of the religious items placed on the rocks.

This lower view includes some worn and broken pieces.

Here's a closer look at a couple of tiles, the right one including the Canticle of the Creatures in Italian.

And the Basilica of Saint Francis.

Before leaving, I spotted something underneath the upper cliff, protected by a piece of plastic.

A Nativity scene.

Finally, one of many nice messages.

"Who gives, gives to God."
Ciao.

Gabbiano Vecchio Update and Monte Pietrolungo

Recently I did some exploring along the far side of Monte Subasio in the direction of Spello, starting out along country roads above a thin fog covering the valley.

Within a couple of hours I was deep in the woods, looking to revisit Gabbiano Vecchio. This ghost town has a tiny dilapidated church dedicated to Saint Anthony, home of some beautiful but rapidly deteriorating 17th Century frescos. The unmarked trail into town no longer amounts to much.

Nor does the town itself, after many years of overgrowth.

But the Chiesa di Sant'Antonio is still standing.

Then came a surprise, more good than bad. For years I've been concerned that a lack of maintenance and security for the church are resulting in the deterioration of Sant'Antonio's frescos. The roof is falling in; the entry door disappeared a couple of years ago. Now, someone has taken steps to secure the church with a metal plate.

A good first step. No signs of any repairs, but at least someone has taken notice. Of course, this encouraging finding also meant a trace of disappointment at not getting to view the frescos again. Here's a photo from a 2015 visit.

From Gabbiano Vecchio it was back into the woods in the direction of Monte Pietrolungo, a smaller mountain located in the Spello - Collepino region. I had seen Monte Pietrolungo on maps and had hiked past it on many occasions, but had never seen signposts for a summit trail.

Crossing through the forest, I came across a sign… of peace. Even lesser known paths here can have their Franciscan graffiti.

At one point, my map indicated a lago, or lake. Here it was, humble in size but resting in a tranquil morning setting.

Reaching the road that traverses Mount Subasio, I started downhill, searching for a dirt way that the map indicated went up Monte Pietrolungo. The only realistic option seemed to be this unmarked (other than a sign restricting vehicle access) path, plenty wide with a gentle slope.

I had heard that there was a cross atop Monte Pietrolungo, but wasn't prepared for what would come into view after a comfortable uphill climb.

Though the day was a bit hazy, the views of the Apennines, the valley and towns all the way to Perugia were terrific. Of course, the cross was impressive, as well.

It was time to head back to Assisi. I decided on a different route that involved climbing part way up Subasio and crossing over past Fonte Bregno. On this higher trail it was possible to look back over Monte Pietrolungo. If you have a large enough monitor and look closely, the cross can be seen to the right of center.

From that point it was a long but pleasant stroll back to Assisi, with no shortage of Spring's red poppies along the way.

Ciao.