Friday April 29th

As tomorrow is moving day we will be staying close to base camp but still putting in the hard exploration yards. We have a determination to find these Roman bridges and other Roman "leftovers" which are still in use today, after 2,000+ years.
The first on the list is the Ponte Mallio which we failed to find  a few days ago but now armed with some reliable local knowledge we found it in a trice. It is still in use and supports a road, the via Flaminia (the Roman Road from Rome through to the Adriatic Coast), and which still provides access to small holdings along its route around this bridge.

Ponte Mallio with Ann in the top middle to  right hand

via Flaminia supports after the bridge

The original via Flaminia

 ( redressed a couple of times I daresay, but the original route and road)

The next on our archeological search list was the Galleria del Furlo, a tunnel dug by the the Romans in 76AD and its forebear built in 217BC again along the via Flaminia in the Furlo Gorge but easier to find as this section of the road was still the main access road from this part of Le Marche to the coast up to 20 years ago when the Autostrada was built and the larger tunnels dug through the mountains.
We found it, drove through it, backtracked, parked the car and walked to it for photos and closer inspection and attempted to find the 217 BC tunnel. We became aware later at lunch, from the waiter, that the older tunnel was right alongside the new tunnel but gated and fenced for safety reasons. We understand you can still see the chisel marks from the 2,228 year old excavations.

The Furlo Gorge and the via Flaminio upgraded to take modern traffic

Galleria del Furlo, 76AD and the gate and fence restricting access to 217 BC tunnel

A 1072 Abbey along the Road

A fresco inside the Abbey

The "Cave"and wine cellar in our lunch restaurant in Furlo

Thursday 28th April

The Macerata district in the east of Le Marche was settled by the "Picena" tribe some 3,000 years ago and despite its age is still not really on the tourist radar apart from offering one of Italy's most famous opera festivals in Macerata and days of  wonderful scenery and sights throughout the territory.
We were enticed to go and see see some of this wonderful scenery and sights today and ventured far into this  "unexplored" territory and were not disappointed. I am sure others have ventured into Urbisaglia but not today. We were there on our own and there is nothing quite like being a tourist in a magnificent former Roman colony like this and having it to yourself with the locals - eat your hearts out those tourists in Rome and Venice jostling for a view or ticket.
But not only were the sights restricted to the ancient towns. The countryside in this part of Italy is fantastic -majestic rolling hills and green lush valleys and every turn on a country road presents a new scene which surpasses the last one.
Caldarola is south west of  Urbisaglia and its name refers to ancient thermal soothing sources that had disappeared by the 16th Century - no therapeutic baths for the toothache but plenty for the eyes. The town is described as "Terra di Castelli e d'Arte" - the Land of Castles and Art.
 Unfortunately these sights were restricted to the outside views as the local tourist system does not swing into being until May when the tourists from the Adriatic Coast start to arrive in town. So we had to be content with looking at the photographs of inside the Castello Pallotta, the I Pittori and the Castello di Vestignano in the Italian language brochure we picked up in the restaurant where we had lunch.

Fortifications in Urbisaglia

Balcony and Plaque over Municipio Offices in Urbisaglia 

Street Scene in  Caldarola

1st Stage Steps to Castle - 2 to go - we didn't.

View of Castle from Bottom of Stairs

The magnificen "Room of Paradise" in the
"Palazzo dei Cardinali Pallotta"
(which we didn't get to see - Palazzo not open )

Ruins of Ancient Brick Kiln

Entrance to One of Many Tunnels Travelled Through

Thursday 28th April -Tooth Bulletin

We have just returned "home" after today's excursion into the "Macerata" territory in the east of Le Marche and are happy to report that Ann's toothache is somewhat relieved today thanks to the antibiotics prescribed by our Cagli dentist and the TLC provided by Bob. Thank you to all for your concern.

Wednesday 27th April

This was a slow day today but after 3+ weeks we deserved one. Ann was still suffering with a toothache and it was raining a little and all in all not a pleasant day.
But, despite this we did venture out to try and find the Ponte Mallio, an ancient bridge on the outskirts of Cagli which some claim part of could date back to Etruscan times but more than likely was part of the Roman Empire's building of the Via Flaminia, the road from Rome to the Adriatic Coast only 2,000 years ago. We haven't found it yet but think we are now on the track and will resume our search tomorrow. This search will not take on archeological proportions, but will be restricted to finding the track which leads down to it as it is not signposted.
Ann is now on a course of antibiotics for the tooth infection and the very kind and competent Cagli dentist preferred to leave treatment to Ann's dentist as it could involve several consultations and it's best it be started and finished back home.
We did though go inside a small community chapel called Chiesa di Santa Croce which does not have the elaborate and ornate furnishings, paintings, statues and icons that the normal reported and photographed churches do. It is about the size of La Pieve, the converted chapel we are staying in, in Cagli, and was plain but obviously well frequented. Ann lit a candle.
On a slow day one's mind may have the need for more activity and I found this site while "surfing". While not going into the background around this site, we found it interesting and it gives an insight into Cagli life and , I daresay, other Italian towns and people.  We have met some of the people who are featured.

http://www.incagli.net/

Chiesa di Santa Croce

Inside Chiesa di Santa Croce

Tuesday 26th April

Ann has been suffering with a toothache for a day or two and Peter, our host, rang his dentist for her. But he was not able to respond to the call until 2.00 pm ( still not back from Easter) so we went out locally to be on hand if we got a call to present at the dentist.
We drove through a delightful little village called Secchiano on the way to Pianello - who could resist not going to a place with a name like that?
Pianello is about 13 kms from Cagli and is a mix of old town and new town with the old town above the new as always. We had capuccino in a very smart new bar/cafe/gelateria at which the town folk gather for morning coffee or sparkling white vino. The travelling olive oil, olives, salami, pickle, cheese and jam seller was in town with his truck for the morning before moving onto another town. We have seen these sellers in other towns too small to have their own deli's or fruit and vegetable or jocks and socks shops. So they come to the towns.
We walked the town a little and were quite the curio for the town folk. Window shutters opened as we walked past and people stopped and looked. A friendly buongiorno always received aknowledgement and a smile. Perched on the hills and cliff faces above the valley in which Pianello sits are several other smaller inviting villages that you can see but driving the "one horse wide road" leading to them put me off a bit. I don't like reversing down steep inclines from the wrong side of the car to avoid oncoming traffic.
I don't think Pianello is on too many tourist maps and in one way that's a shame but in another it leaves these little places for the adventurous like us and the people who live there.
We drove onto another small village, over the regional border of Umbria/Le Marche, of  Pietralunga. Like Pianello the town's people were removing the barricades and notices put up to manage the traffic and restrict parking in the town squares over the Easter celebrations, so parking was difficult but the town was beautiful from the car.
We were back at San Christoforo before the expected 2pm call from the dentist and it came but he cannot see Ann till 1pm tomorrow.

Street Scene in "old" Pianello

Old Town of Pianello perched above the new

Another Street Scene in Pianello

The Travelling Delicatessan in Pianello's Piazza

"Unknown" River running through Pianello

Monday 25th April

After just over 3 weeks in Italy we thought we had a fair handle on what to expect when we visited somewhere new. You tend to start thinking that they will all  look the same - but they don't and you will continue to be surprised by what each place has to offer and show you.
This was the case with Urbino which we visited today. Urbino was described by UNESCO in 1998 as a "world patrimony of humanity", and declared it a World Heritage Site. Urbino has a rather colourful history and its rulers over the 14th, 15th centuries created a city of splendour which has been preserved for us to enjoy.
We walked the house that Raffaello spent his first 16 years in, We toured the grand Palazzo Ducale, a microcosm of Renaissance architecture, art and history. Here we saw 14th Century paintings on open display, and the way the upper crust lived in this period.
But we were also fortunate enough to be in Italy on Liberation Day, 25th April and we shared some of that with the people in Urbino and rememberd ANZAC Day back home when the band played "The Last Post". The renactment of Liberation Day seemed to be following us and like the Cagli bells' offer of yesterday you can get an exclusive copy of the band playing by simply asking for it.
There was also a super craft market of all sorts of wonderful "artigianale" (crafted by hand by artisans) things on in Urbino today and Ann had a ball visiting most of them and contibuting in a small way to the economy of the region.

Front of Urbino Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral

The Courtyard of Honour in the Palazzo Ducale

Raphael's "Portrait of a Gentlewoman" (c. 1505 - 1507 ) 

Part of Cooking Area in Palace 

Motif on Ceiling in Library (see the eagle?)

Palazzo Ducale from carpark

Sunday 24th April

Easter Sunday today and before proceeding to lunch in Foce, we visited Cagli to see what might be happening rather late in the morning about 11 am. Mass was on in the Cathedral and the bells were ringing in the Piazza Matteotti and I managed to capture them on the camera's recording device. Once I work out how to add them here I will so you can share. It all seems too hard and beyond my capabilities right now so if you want to listen to it, comment here or send an Email and I will send it to you (only 440 kb).
Ann went to Mass in the Cathedral and I watched the people of Cagli walking the Piazza, greeting friends, grandparenting with the little tots, discussing the matters of the day, drinking coffee and white wine in the bars and cafes around the Piazza and generally enjoying a sunny Easter Sunday.
We arrived for lunch at 1 pm at Tony e Lucio's Ristorante in Foce and the restaurant was full. Lucky we booked beforehand. The food started to arrive - antipasto of mixed meats, bruschetta, lambs liver, fennel and orange salad, pasqual (easter) bread and cresci ( a local speciality bread ), followed by gnocci and then another pasta dish of tagliatelle, then chicken farrone and pigeon, then roast agnelli (lamb) with insalata mista (mixed salad ) and roast potato AND dessert of mixed local berries with pastry and cream, followed by almond Easter cake and coffee. Of course this washed down by the local vino rosso ( red wine ).
As well as the food being magnificent, the company around us was likewise. We made more new friends and were too busy eating and talking to take photos.
We did not have dinner Sunday night!!!

Saturday 23rd April

We are sticking to our guns to see as much of this part of Le Marche as possible and with only a week to go, we put Corinaldo and environs and the "Museo dei Bronzi Dorati e Della Citta di Pergola" - The Museum of the Golden Bronzes and of the Town of Pergola ( I reckon it loses something when translated into English. The Italian version has so much more feeling and romance in it )  into today's challenge.
Corinaldo is an easy 45 minutes drive from Cagli through relatively flat farming country and the odd castle and tower in the hills surrounding the road, but never without some building and farm house along the roadside. The old town Corinaldo is completely surrounded by a high wall with strategically placed towers around its perimeter. The wall is 912 meters long and a  height of 18 meters. They must have been hellishly scared back in 1367, to which the wall dates back to, of being being invaded by whoever who could high jump or pole vault 17 meters.
It is again a beautifull city and well preserved.
The "Museo etc" in Pergola is breathtaking. There exists many paintings from the 16th and 17th Centuries but the attraction is the  Golden Bronzes found buried in a field outside of Pergola in 1946 and which date back to the 1st Century BC. It took from discovery to permanent display some 40 years to restore the pieces found. . Simply breathtaking and a visit here should be on every Italian tourist's list of must do's.

18 Meter high Corinaldo wall and tower from outside the town

On top of a Corinaldo Tower

 View from Bottom of a Corinaldo Tower

Looking down the "La Piaggia" Steps

A garden and street scene off  La Piagga Steps

View Up La Piaggia steps

A covered walkway around the Corinaldo wall

View of Corinaldo through light rain

The Golden Bronzes of Pergola 

Friday 22nd April - Good Friday

We were surprised when we went out this afternoon to see shops and restaurants open for business on Good Friday. Even the postman was roaring through the countryside.
We have booked into a restaurant for dinner tonight in Cagli at 8 pm and after we will be watching the  " Processione di Christo Morto " which gets underway between 9 and 9.30 pm through the old town of Cagli and goes for about 2 hours.
Cont'd.
Dinner was great in a wonderfully friendly restaurant with great food and red wine and we finished just in time at about 9.20pm to hear the band announcing the movement of the "Processione" outside. It was actually moving down some streets from the Piazza Matteotti where Ann and I had strategically positioned ourselves to witness this Processione and it didn't get to us for about another 20-30 minutes during which  Ann had time to enjoy a gelatti and the Piazza had time to fill to capacity. However we manged to get front row positions as it moved into the Piazza. It is quite a moving thing and people were crying and  being very reverent. Some even stopped smoking.

Ann's Gelatti

The "Processione"

The "Processione "

The "Processione"

The "Christo Morto" Being carried in the "Processione"

Thusday 21st April

We are located just outside of the medieval town of Cagli in the northern most province of Pesaro e Urbino ( La Provincia Bella) in the region of Le Marche. There are a total of 5 provinces in the Marche and there is no way we will be able to attempt to explore all 5 of them unless we stay another month or two.
So while we are here we are going to give it a red hot go at exploring this one.
Therefore today we headed out again this time into the western areas of Piobbico and Apecchio, both small towns with their individual charms and Apecchio's best cappuccino and pastries in the Marche, through some magnificent scenery, forestry areas, extremely narrow roads with big drop offs and no way two cars could pass each other without one pulling over somewhere to let the other through.
Then out of the mountains passing through valleys and  Sant. Angelo in Vado to Urbania - another one of those medieval towns with unique features. An important one for this town was it was flat - not a steep street to be found and therefore easy to explore.
We found streets with portico covered footpaths,  flower bedecked houses in narrow lanes, majolica, unlike that of  Deruta but with more of a religous theme, the incredible Ducal Palace and the home of Befana, the witch who comes out of the bell towers between the 2nd and 5th January to hand out sweets to the children and the Mummies in the Church of the Dead, and some of the most friendly people you could possibly meet. Urbania was a delight to visit.
From here it was on to Fossombrone where a Roman bridge is still in operation for today's traffic, Sant Ippolito, another medieval town where they have undertaken stone carving for centuries.
Then it was back to Cagli, stock up on provisions for Easter and light the fire before dinner.
It's important to know that to do all of this we are not travelling vast distances - perhaps 100 to 150 kms per day maximum but we never travel without seeing a town, house, a tower on a hill, a castle up there or a church or monastory. There is always a something in sight.
The autostradas don't bother with going up and around mountains or hills though, (that's left for the small country roads), they go straight through them via tunnels. We have been through numerous tunnels from less than 100 meteres long to one which was 4.5 kms long. They are normally two lanes in either direction and the two directions are joined by a series of crossovers. Unlike those in Sydney and Melbourne where you can get stuck in a tunnel if there is an accident. Here you cross over to the other tunnel and drive out.

Travelling a country road

The Barco - an imposing former hunting villa 1 km outside Urbania

A portico lined street in Urbania

The imposing Ducal Palace, now museum and library

Roman Bridge in Fossombrone



Wednesday 20th april

Le Marche is now emerging from the the third week of spring and and the season is now really catching on - things are starting to bloom and come alive. We are seeing fields starting to really green up and flowers starting to blossom. We are hearing lots of bird life and in the mountains we hear the cuckoo everywhere.
So today was nature day and into the heights of Mt. Catria we set forth. Mt Catria is south of where we are staying and we can see it quite clearly from here.
There is still some snow on the peak at 1700 meters and below so we weren't going that high. We got to 1200 meters where the road started to deteriorate to the extent I wasn't prepared to risk the low profile, soft walled Michelin tyres on the Citroen.
But fortunately at this height the wildflowers were coming into bloom and we were able to capture a lot on the camera ( you don't say film anymore). What a sight it will be in a month's time when they are all out.
On the way up we saw what we thought was the Golden Eagle soaring and then later just off the side of the road on the ground. Unfortunately our sighting was not of the Golden Eagle but of some lesser smaller species but still  gold in colour.
After many wildflower photo stops on our way down the mountain we moved onto Frontone for lunch but found a little ristorante to ourselves in the smallest of villages called Foce and had bruschetta - wonderful. We saw the notice pegged on the wall for "Menu di Pasquale" ( Easter Menu) and asked whether there was room for us and yes, so we booked in for lunch on Easter Sunday.  This should be interesting, perhaps with us having Easter Lunch with all of the locals from the village.
We then moved on to the "Eremo di Fonte Avellana" (Monastory of the Fountain and Hazel Nut ) an original 10th Century Monastory still operating but with a heap of history and tales to tell.
What a mixed day it's been  - set out to do the nature thing and ended back in the 10th Century - but that's Italy I guess.

Wildflowers on Mt. Catria

Wildlower on Mt. Catria

Wild Hellibores on Mt Catria

View from Mt Catria at 1200 meters

A Street Scene in Foce

The original 10th CenturyChurch in "Eremo di Fonte Avellana"