Jesus and a Side of Bacon.

April 4, 2010

Now that I am done posting about my spring break trip, I can begin to catch up on everything that is Italy. The trip is really beginning to wind done. Finally, right when I feel like I am really starting to discover this place, I realize that I only have a month left in Castiglion. The trip is going by really fast. Unbelievably fast, actually.

Last Wednesday, we took a trip to Orvieto. And I was thoroughly impressed. Orvieto is a hill town as well. However, it is located in the Umbria region, instead of Tuscany like Castiglion Fiorentino. Orvieto sits on, what appears to be a hill with its top cut off, which makes it a unique ”fortress” type of city. But, instead of it being hilly, the town is rather flat. We rode the funicular up the cliff, and rode a bus that dropped us off in the center of town. And I should mention that Orvieto is the home to one of the other study abroad program that is affiliated with my school. So we were able to meet up with some friends. They showed us around town. We had piadinos. Ate gelato. And all things you do to get to know a town and yet kill some time before the next train departs.

The edge of the walls provide for some great views. Ones that are just as breathtaking as the ones here in Castiglion.

And as you know, past week was Holy Week. Holy week in Castiglion is one that is laced with tradition that dates back to the 1500′s. There are three processions(one was rained out this year)led by men and women in hooded cloaks that carry statues, representing a moment of the passion of Jesus, through the main streets of the city. Every two years there is a there is a re-enactment of the Passion of Christ(which has been rained out twice already), a play in which nearly one hundred locals interpret and reenact the last days of Jesus. Following are some of the pictures taken from the processions. Please excuse the blurry photos, as it is difficult to photograph moving subjects at night. I’m not making excusing. Just stating facts.