After our last session, I headed into Spoleto for a reunion with an old friend, Patrick, who was an actor on the very first tour I stage managed out of college. What a small world that we both happened to be in Italy at the same time, and in the same town for that matter! I got to sit in on the end of the cooking class he was attending. We strolled around the town, ate gelato and drank wine and caught up on the past 12 or so years. Fantastic!
Tuesday, our day off was spent touring the Umbrian countryside. First we hit Deruta, famous for its handpainted ceramics. We had the opportunity to tour their shop, where my brother-in-law would have been envious of the quick centering and spinning skills. The artisan has been working there for over 30 years. We observed each stage of the process, from glazing, painting and reglazing. Some traditional designs (like the blowing dragon - a symbol of good luck) require a stencil, but many are done freehand. The most enchanting pattern was the peacock feather, reminscent of a stained glass rose window in many churches - absolutely stunning. The large charger size (approximately 18") takes about 3 hours, depending on the complexity.
Then on to the Ceasarini Santori vineyard for lunch and a wine tasting. This beautiful vineyard is home to a new cantina, where we had a three course lunch, sampling two red wines and a white, a dessert red wine and grappa. Needless to say we were all tipsy before 3 pm! Sadly, it is not available in America yet, as the label is new, and in the proccess of getting all of its international certifications. I did buy 2 bottles of the good red, and if you are nice to me, I might share with you...!
Hopping back on the bus, we took a scenic route to Orvieto, yet another lovely Italian town with the most incredible Duomo in the center. Description will fail to do it justice, so I'll add photos to this post soon. Dinner in Orvieto, and we returned to the villa after midnight. So the day of rest...wasn't really...Today I buzzed into Spoleto for one last visit, finally getting to Il Rocca, the fort/castle that dominates the profile of the town. It was a hot walk up hill (way to burn off all the great food I've been eating) and I got the basic ticket, getting me into the main gallery, courtyard and ramparts. Fantastic views over Spoleto, and a room called the painted room, completely covered in frescoes with the theme "Courtly Love." Quite a treat.
This evening, we had our first session with Romeo Castellucci's assistant, and got a chance to see some of his work on video. Very contemporary, provocative, and I am curious to see what we'll work with him on this coming week. Rumor is there is a horse coming in for the last day.
Ciao!
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