umbria, italy, umbrian, italian, travel

Panicale, a perfectly restored medieval town, consists of two steep streets which circle inside the town's walls, beginning and ending in the main square. A third street climbs up the middle of the town, terminating at its peak, the location of the Palazzo del Podesta, the original palace around which this fortified town was built. Our apartment was named "Podesta", which naturally meant it was located at the top of this same street, one that was inaccessible by car. Climbing the sharply inclined street, we were soon out of breath and realized we would certainly get plenty of exercise during our stay.

Cross Bearer in Easter Procession (Photo by Nancy DiDio)

The apartment was clean and modern, with a balcony offering superb views. Below the balcony was a charming garden where a neighbor was tending his plants. He looked up and said, "Hi." I was surprised at the American greeting, and said, "Hi," in return. He asked if I was American, and I soon learned that he was one also, now making his home in Panicale. He gave me some background on the town, which has only about 50 permanent residents, mostly elderly. The majority of homes are now owned by foreigners or Romans as their country retreats. This was his first Easter in town, and he remarked that he had never seen it so crowded. The holiday festivities were to include a Sunday morning procession through town with 20-foot crosses. On Monday, which was also a holiday, there would be "cheese games", about which he was not certain, but was apparently a rowdy team contest which involved rolling wheels of parmesan cheese through the streets. We could hardly wait to see, but knowing what we pay for good Parmesan cheese in the states, we couldn't imagine using it this way. My new American acquaintance also recommended that if we intended to dine out during the next few days, we should quickly make reservations, since there were only a couple of local restaurants and a lot of people in town for the weekend. We thought that was sound advice, and set out to familiarize ourselves with this unique town.

Within 10 minutes, we had pretty much covered the town on foot, locating 2 bars, 3 grocers, and 3 restaurants, along with a couple of other shops, some featuring the local olive oil and wine for which this area is noted. We made dinner reservations at the most promising of the restaurants, then bought some groceries, planning to cook our own Easter meal. Making the evening's reservation was fortunate, since when we left the restaurant late that night, there were still many people waiting for tables.

Panicale from Outside the Walls (Photo by Nancy DiDio)

On Sunday morning, our landlord treated us to some traditional Easter bread and prosciutto, and then we sat in the middle of the square to watch the solemn procession. Huge crosses emerged from the church, each carried down the steep street by a single male. It seemed an incredible feat, but we were told it is a big honor to be a cross-bearer. Once the procession passed us, the crowd scattered and we returned to our apartment. Sitting out on our balcony, we heard the sounds of families enjoying their holiday dinners all around us, their voices echoing off the town walls.