An Umbrian Homecoming

All of my relatives except my mother live in either Italy (dad’s side) or Austria (mom’s side), so I only get to spend time chatting with relatives, reminiscing about the past, and eating classic family meals together about once every few years. After not having been to my father’s hometown, Città di Castello, in twenty years, and not having seen my aunt since 2006, I was really excited to come back to Umbria. I wanted to spend our precious time here with family, looking at old photos, reminiscing over the times we spent here with my grandmother when I was a little girl, and walking around the town.

View of Umbrian Countryside from My Aunt's Window
View of Umbrian Countryside from My Aunt’s Window

Many people haven’t heard too much about Umbria, the “green heart” of Italy. It’s in the shadow of its famous neighbor, Tuscany, and while it receives way fewer visitors, in my mind, it offers the vistas that are just as beautiful, food that is just as delicious, and towns that are just is charming, with the advantage of being much less crowded. But of course, I’m a bit biased.

Some of my favorite moments from our short time in Umbria include:

Catching up and goofing around with my Aunt Valeria and her cousin, Gabriella

Claudia, Gabriella, Valeria
Claudia, Gabriella, Valeria

Visiting the Chiesa di San Franceso, where a copy of Raffaello’s painting Lo Sposalizio (1504) adorns a huge wall. This painting was commissioned by one of my grandmother’s ancestors to commemorate a wedding in the family. It remained in this church in Città di Castello for over 300 years and is now displayed in a gallery in Milan.

Copy of Lo Sposalizio in the Church of San Francesco
Copy of Lo Sposalizio in the Church of San Francesco

Looking through old family photo albums

My Great Aunt Vilna, Crocheting a Sweater for a Cat
My Great Aunt Vilna, Crocheting a Sweater for a Cat (For Real)
My Dad in 1982 (That's an Actual Polaroid, Not Instagram)
My Dad in 1982 (That’s an Actual Polaroid, Not Instagram)

Receiving a very special belated wedding gift from my aunt

Wedding Potrait
Wedding Portrait

Checking out the impressive frescoes in the Basilica di San Francesco in Assisi

Basilica di San Francesco
Basilica di San Francesco

And of course, enjoying delicious home-cooked Italian meals!

Umbrian Dinner
Umbrian Dinner

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Comments

One response to “An Umbrian Homecoming”

  1. The crochet needles don’t fall far from the tree!

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