I left my heart in Umbria

( Conclusion )

While it’s true that Umbria, Italy’s famed "green heart," can make you fall in love at first sight, the greater marvel about staying there is that it makes you stay in love; the longer you behold its sights–picture-perfect Medieval houses, majestic centuries-old churches, towns that rise as if aiming to touch the heavens–the more your love grows.

In the first part of my article last Feb. 2, I related how the region’s bucolic vistas set one in the mood for all things heavenly, even with such an "earthly" concern of dining. For example, Umbrians have elevated the production of pasta and olive oil into art forms. I discovered this when I traveled there with a group of 11 led by Jun Cochanco, president of Fly Ace Corp., the local distributor of Federici pasta and Pietro Coricelli olive oil, two of Umbria’s pride and two of Italy’s largest manufacturers of their kind.

I recounted our visit to idyllic Amelia where we toured the impressive 26,000-sq. m. Federici pasta plant guided by Federici vice president Giuseppe Spazzoni and export manager Mario Angelini.

In this concluding part, we take a tour of Orvieto, Todi, Spoletto, Perugia and Assisi.

Only in Orvieto

Our visit to Orvieto was limited to the Medieval houses–now converted into shops–in the vicinity of the grand cathedral or Duomo with its striking, alternating black and white bands of bricks. Due to its steepness, we reached the city center via a funiculare (mini electric train).

The Etruscans first settled in Orvieto from the 7th and 3rd century BC (the Romans took over in 264 BC). The city is famous for its fine white wine, the Orvieto Classico, and for its religious, artistic and sports celebrations (palio dell’oca, a Medieval game of skill on horseback, is still held here).

Trudging on Orvieto’s inclined paths, I marveled at the stamina of Umbrians of old who had no other way to go than by foot or by horse. Maybe that’s how strong one can get on a diet of pasta and olive oil!

Totally Todi

In the Medieval town of Todi, a one-hour drive away from Amelia, we were welcomed by Mayor Katiusca Marini in the City Hall, a 600-year-old vaulted palace with tapestries decorating the walls. There, with Federici’s Giuseppe Spazzoni and Mario Angelini, the Mayor presented a plaque of appreciation to Jun Cochanco for his commitment to develop pasta and for bringing Federici to the Philippines. The Mayor later hosted cocktails for our group and presented us with reproductions of an old map of Todi. Unlike modern maps with simple representations of streets, ours featured drawings of actual Todi structures.

Famed for its woodwork, Todi was also recently chosen by the Kentucky University as "the most pleasant place to live in" in the world based, among others, on its lay-out and employment opportunities. Later when I returned to the Philippines and had the chance to scrutinize my map of Todi, I could plainly see how well-thought out and organized Todi’s planning had been; it could well turn modern-day urban planners green with envy.

Spoletto and its specialty

Luca Archilei, Pietro Coricelli’s export manager, certainly helped us enjoy our stay in Spoletto. A resident of Spoletto where he has a villa, the ever-smiling Luca proved that when it comes to hospitality, Italians and Filipinos speak the same language.

We were billeted in Spoletto at the quaint il Cirimpicolo, built under an age-old cherry tree known as the Cirimpicolo. Here I had a fantastic view of a field of sunflowers from my bedroom window. I also had the chance to enjoy the nearby views while riding on a bike.

At il Cirimpicolo we enjoyed laps in the swimming pool and al fresco dining in the garden. Our 17-year-old waiter Andreas was a very efficient. I daresay he will become a successful restaurateur or hotelier someday.

Just across il Cirimpicolo is the impressive Pietro Coricelli plant, right smack in the middle of wheat fields–a modern-day marvel lording it over a rustic setting. Guided by Luca, we toured the state-of-the-art facilities and observed the methods employed by Pietro Coricelli. We learned that it is one of the few Italian companies that covers the entire production chain for olive oil; it has a mill to produce its own fruity oils, bottling plants and a refinery.

From the laboratories where research takes place, to the bottling and packaging sections, we saw how Pietro Coricelli has skillfully combined traditions and innovations in the Italian art of making olive oil. It certainly has enhanced Umbria’s already famed reputation for producing olive oil, especially gold-green virgin olive oil.

Claudio Coricelli, the family-owned firm’s administratore delegato (a Paul McCartney look-alike, he had, coincidentally, a huge photo of the Beatles hanging in his office) welcomed our group and told us more about the company with an audio-visual presentation.

The Umbrians have long known that olive oil is the best kind of vegetable oil. It is a staple of the Mediterranean diet which studies have shown–thanks to its unsaturated fatty acids–to prevent atherosclerosis and lower cholesterol. That means it helps lower the risks for cardiovascular diseases. The University of Rome’s Prof. P. Viola described the Mediterranean diet as "characterized by a moderate consumption of meat and dairy products, a larger intake of complex sugars, fresh fruit and vegetables, a fair amount of fish and, as far as fats are concerned, the intake mainly of olive oil."

Owing to its health benefits, more and more doctors worldwide are recommending the Mediterranean diet. Technicalities aside, one great lesson I learned at Pietro Coricelli is that an apple a day is not the only thing that keeps the doctor away–a tablespoonful of olive oil daily does, too!

Passing through Perugia

During our brief walking tour of Perugia which included passing through the 16th century Rocca Paolina Fortress and passing by the 13th century red and white marble Priori Palace, the one sight that made an impression on me was Perugia’s masterpiece, the main fountain. Built between 1277 and1278, it is composed of two polygonal basins, a smaller one atop a bigger one featuring 48 panels depicting the months of the year, the Zodiac, the Liberal Arts and biblical episodes. Atop the Nymphs are sculptures representing Faith, Hope and Charity. Somehow, knowing that a great work of art stood out in the open for anybody to see and enjoy made perfect sense in a place like Umbria.

Blessed Assisi

Before we left the Philippines, a townmate had told us that being in Assisi was like "being in heaven." I thought it most likely an exaggeration–until we reached Assisi, home of the beloved 13th-century monk St. Francis, celebrated for his love of nature and all creatures great and small. Having lived in such a beautiful place must have nurtured in St. Francis a love for all things heavenly; the Umbrian region must have inspired him so.

The restored Basilica of St. Francis, with the tomb of the saint beneath it, moved me as no other place in Umbria did. I keenly felt it was holy ground, though at times the chatter of tourists was distracting.

All in all, though, that was but a minor distraction. For there were infinitely more reasons to be awed and moved in Umbria than I could imagine. To this day, my gratitude soars to the heavens that I had the chance to spend five lovely days there.

As my mom Rose, who was with me on the trip, put it: "Amen to that!"

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E-mail the author at: annmondo@yahoo.com