Still Chasing the Winter Sun

Image: Palazzo Trinci (ahead), Orfini Palace (left of Trinici)

Well after an interesting day yesterday I’m continuing on the journey though you’ll understand in good time there have been some twists and turns.

I’m in Foligno, Umbria, to be honest I like thousands others have heard of Assisi, but it’s near neighbour just a short 16kms by train or 19.7 walking through fields and valleys I had never heard mentioned. Foligno is a thriving metropolis. A wide avenue of palms usher visitors (me) along the path from the train station to the historic centre. Breathtaking properties line the avenue, many now ritzy hotels and media companies. I could be walking along East Terrace in Adelaide or the one time Dequetteville Terrace when prominent families owned what is left of the large estates.

The avenue turns into a pedestrian mall, the people are eclectic, middle aged, middle class, riding bikes, riding bikes wearing headphones and letting the bike do the work whilst they rest their legs on the cross bar. People strolling, chatting with nowhere else to go and yet moving towards someplace. This place reminds me so much of La Spezia near Genova where all the beautiful people come out at 5pm to see and be seen in the their finery.

But having said that, it’s important to know that Foligno has a deep history founded they say, probably in the 8th century, now that’s old. The Romans conquered it in 295 BC, named it after the goddess of war, Fulginia, seriously this place has had it tough in a way. If you’re going to name it after the goddess of war wouldn’t you think they would work out that they would become a target, a sitting duck so to speak? After the fall of the Roman empire it became part of the Duchy of what is now the neighbouring town of Spoleto where in fact I’ll find myself tomorrow, but it was sacked by the Saracens in 881 and Maygers in 915 and as if that wasn’t enough, again in 924. The occupation of Foligno changed hands many times through the following centuries but it wasn’t all bad because clearly it became a free city later, a thriving important rail centre and for that reason it was bombed during WWII hence the relative modern age of the buildings.

This is Italy though, and historically there has always been a powerful wealthy family with influence as has been here in beautiful Foligno. Now we all know, where there is wealth and influence there is also the long fingers of the Vatican, the powerful Popes and Cardinals who oppose them to the point of ordering the beheading of same and acquisition by the Papal States. 

Foligno has been part of the Roman Republic and the French Empire. Why on earth name if after a goddess of war?!  All I can say is Poseidon must have been a close relative of Fulginia because it has also suffered several major earthquakes the last as recent as 1987, 6.9 magnitude.  Could be due for another soon so I’m only staying here until tomorrow. In fact there was one yesterday 1.6. Oops, spoke too soon. 🫣

I know I’ve given you a potted history of the wars here however it is a cultural and art centre of prominence and well worth noting that the first printed edition of Dante’s Divine Comedy was printed here in the Orfini Palace in 1472. (I can hear some of you thinking “who is Dante”…… don’t worry about it!)

So that my friends is my next port of call, the Orfini Palace, let’s see if the palace is still standing.

Do you like history? It’s not everybody’s cup of tea, I personally can’t get enough of it. I promise not to bore you too much but this is probably an unknown place for most of you…….I just had to do it!

Ci vediamo a Spoleto!

A presto!