Something I’ve come to love about Italy is how each city has its own personality and at least one nickname. They have unique history, hidden gems, and iconic landmarks. There is a lot of regional and local pride in this country- accompanied with local food specialties and traditions. The Italians know that you can’t buy a cannoli in Venice, you have to go to Sicily for that. The best lasagna is in Bologna, Tuscany has ribollita, and Rome is the place for carbonara. It’s just not the same anywhere else.
This week we visited three cities that attract Italians and foreign tourists alike. True to the trend, each had its own distinct claim to fame: Sienna’s horse races, Assisi’s pilgrimages, and Perugia’s chocolate!
Siena: horse races
Siena is a beautiful Tuscan town that took me into a fairytale with its midevil streets and classic Italian architecture.
It was in the city center of Sienna that I first saw a sculpture of the symbol of Rome: two baby boys feeding from a she wolf. The legend goes that these boys were left in the wilderness and rescued by a mother wolf who nurtured them until they were older and a shepherd found them. He raised the boys until they grew up and founded Rome. One brother murdered the other and became the first king of Rome.
I also found Jesus in Siena. I love artwork of Him.
The best part of Sienna, besides the gelato, was wandering the streets with the Facciolis. We stopped for lunch in a small tavern and I tried ribollita, my new favorite Tuscan dish.
The famous Palio run takes place twice a year during the summer in Sienna’s main downtown square, the Piazza del Campo. Every neighborhood from the city has its own horse and rider to represent them! The whole community is involved and the race shows on TV nationwide. This historical horse race is a strong tradition that has been taking place for 390 years!
Assisi: home of San Francesco
This is one of the most important locations for the Catholic Church, especially in Italy. Assisi is where Saint Francesco was raised and reestablished the church.
The story goes that Francis, before he was a saint, was a riotous and worldly young man with too much wealth for his own good. One day he decided to leave it all behind and threw his riches out the window… no, literally. He tossed his possessions out the window and onto the street below. He left behind the wealth for a life of poverty and serving God. He received a vision from the cross to rebuild the church, and that is exactly what he did. His influence was revolutionary in the Catholic Church.
I have three favorite stories I heard about St. Francis. The first was how he loved nature and was so at one with it that he went in the forest he preached to the birds in the trees. The birds listened intently and did not move until he told them they were free to go. Another time he threw himself into a bed of thorny rose bushes. Instantly the thorns disappeared and he was not hurt. The last story is just as fantastical. There was once a ravenous wolf preying on the people of the village. The wolf had killed several people. Francis went out to find the wolf and preached to it. The wolf listened and Francis convinced the wild animal to live peaceably and do no more harm. The wolf did so and the city was safe.
It took great self control to not snap photos inside the basilica. It was gorgeous. But I decided to respect the signs forbidding photos, because I would also want others to respect spaces that are sacred to me. My jaw was on the floor of the basilica- it’s a place you must go to experience the unbelievable artwork. My favorite detail was a painted on the ceiling over an altar. It showed God among a golden starry sky and angels worshipping Him. The hallo around God’s head was not the usual circle- this one was a golden equilateral triangle.
Assisi was very special for the Facciolis. It is a pilgrimage for them and other faithful believers across Italy and the world. Emma insisted they she wanted to stay in Assisi for 500 days.
Perugia: famous chocolate
We made one last stop on our way back home. Perugia was the location for lunch. Fortunately for me, Perugia is the city of chocolate. In other words, my city.
Street artists filled the sounds of the city with their songs and gave the place an enchanting air. Perugia felt bigger: wider streets and taller buildings. It is the main city of Umbria.
For lunch I had a dish typical of the area: umbricelli truffle pasta! Truffle, cheese, and salty meats including wild boar are the specialty of Umbria. In central Italy their bread is a little different- it has no salt. They want to make sure that the salty meat you put on top of your bread is what you taste, letting the important bites shine. Personally I wasn’t a big fan of the tasteless bread.
I was pleased to discover that Perugia is home to a world-famous chocolate company: Perugina!
The ladies working the counter were sweet and let me try a taste of their dark chocolate with pistacchio. Perugina’s most well known delight is Baci (which means kisses!) Baci have a soft creamy center with chopped hazelnuts and one whole hazelnut on top, all covered in a layer of chocolate. I tried the darkest chocolate of Baci possible and instantly fell in love.
So… if we are grading countries off of America’s Hershey kisses and Italy’s Perugina baci… then that is sad news for America. Italy wins by a chocolate landslide.
The Baci said to “let love guide the way”… and I think it is guiding me back to Perugia… what can I say? Dark chocolate is my love language.
Post note: Approximately one second after I wrote that last sentence, Maggie asked if I was hungry and offered me a piece of Perugina 70% dark chocolate. Dreams do come true. God loves me. That is what we call a tender mercy- when timing is so perfect it had to be divine.
La Vita Italian 
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