A two weeks Italy itinerary off the beaten path for the travelers who already enjoyed Italy essentials, and look for more. Discover Milan, Emilia Romagna, Umbria, Apulia and Sicily.
Civita Bagnoregio
What? Visiting Italy without seeing Rome? Not even Florence or Cinque Terre? Yes, that’s what I mean, and I didn’t get crazy!
Here are five good reasons why you may wish to skip Italy main touristic highlights and to explore less famous (but for that reason even more fascinating!) destinations:
You already saw them in your previous trips (sounds logical, indeed)
You’re tired of seeing more tourists than Italians (yes, that’s what can happen in Rome, Venice and Florence in high season!)
You are looking for the real Italian atmosphere
You believe that there’s much more to see than just St Peter, St Marc and Piazza della Signoria (and you’re right!)
You hate doing what everybody else does
So for you maverick travelers, here is my itinerary, to be enjoyed in two weeks or more. Of course, you can cherry pick any of these destinations and add it to a “classical” Italian tour: you won’t regret it!
Discover Gubbio, a medieval jewel in the heart of beautiful Umbria
Are you looking for the perfect medieval town? Cobblestone streets, Gothic palaces and churches, centuries of history behind every corner? Oh, and you want it in a beautiful natural setting, but far from the mainstream tourist flows?
Well, don’t look any further, and get a ticket to Gubbio!
Gubbio is the oldest town in Umbria, and one of its most beautiful destinations. It’s relatively small, and its main attractions, such as the magnificent Palazzo dei Consoli (Consular Palace), the renaissance The Palazzo Ducale (Ducal Palace) and the cathedral can be easily visited in half a day and are a perfect day trip from Perugia or Assisi.
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The Stations of the Cross in Assisi: a mystical Easter tradition
It’s Good Friday night.
You’re in Assisi, one of the most sacred and mystical places on earth. Street lights are turned off. Torches hung to the ancient stone walls provide a yellowish, feeble light.
A multitude of believers and pilgrims wait in the dark, in silence. In front of you, the majestic white columns of a roman temple, transformed in a catholic church centuries ago.
Suddenly, you here the sound of a drum, coming down from San Rufino Church. It’s a desperate drum, that resounds in the dark. A funeral drum.
Dum. Dum Dum.
No one says a word. The silence is unreal.
The sound of the drum gets closer.
Dum. Dum Dum.
Then you see it. The sad procession that commemorates the passion and death of Jesus Christ.
First comes the drum. Then the priests. And then the penitents, bare footed, a hood covering their head. They hold large, heavy wooden crosses on their shoulders. You can count tens of them. Behind them, the Virgin Mary effigy, her heart stabbed by seven daggers to commemorate her “seven pains”, carried on shoulders.
The procession moves forward slowly, stopping from time to time. They head to St Francis Basilica, where they will find the effigy of the dead Christ.
Behind them a multitude of believers walk slowly, in silence, and noiselessly disappears in the dark.
The Via Crucis (the Stations of the Cross), depicting the final dramatic moments of the Passion of the Christ, is a medieval tradition that makes reference to the Gospels and is also known as Calvary, in reference to the mount of Jesus’s Crucifixion.
Assisi’s Via Crucis is less famous and well known than Rome’s, which is celebrated personally by the Pope. But for this reason, it is far more spiritual and the atmosphere is just unbelievable. Assisting to it, a few days ago, was a touching experience.
I would like to share some pictures of the procession. I shot them without flash, trying to capture the mysticism of the procession.
Delightfullyitaly.com: Italy top destinations and travel itineraries, off the beaten path
Delightfullyitaly.com is the blog for all the ones in love with Italian culture, Italian sights, Italian monuments .. and with Italian food! If you wish to visit Italy for the first time, or if you already discovered Venice, Rome, Florence, the Amalfi coast, but still want more, delightfullyitaly.com is here to disclose to you Italian Must See as well as Italian hidden treasures.
And if you like what you read, why not follow delightfullyitaly.com and get free updates?
