We woke to a cloudy morning with low cloud over the mountains
and it was much cooler. This meant that we set out wearing fleeces, the first
time since very early in the holiday.
We wanted to investigate Pettorano and its Industrial Archaeology Park before
we left, so we climbed up rough steps to get to the Piazza San Nicola at the northern
end of the village. On the way up, we passed many derelict or semi-derelict buildings
and this was the case as we walked south through the narrow streets. Houses
were crowded on the steep hillsides, many shuttered and obviously not occupied.
However, others had been modernised and there was a lot of builders working on
buildings. We also saw a few holiday rentals and B&Bs and I have to say
that it would be a great place to stay, as long as you are fairly fit. We
reached the Piazza Umberto where we had a coffee in the Bar al Cortile that is
run by an Italian who had spent many years living in Stratford-on-Avon. He said
that the population of Pettorano has been declining, partly because the older
people were dying but mainly due to younger people moving for work. On the edge
of the square there is a belvedere with a view down onto the houses below and
over to the wooded mountains. Just beyond the village there is a single-track
railway and I thought that it would be a lovely journey, especially if it runs
through the countryside that we saw yesterday.
A little further on we came to the castle and we were lucky enough to find it
open. Again, great views from the towers over the surrounding land and down to
the plain in the distance.
I really like doorways as they often show a lot about the history of the
settlement. Pettorano had an abundance of doorways often with coats of arms and
dates above the door. Often, the doors were very distressed, which made them
more photogenic.
We found a different route down to the Gizio valley and entered the Industrial
Archaeological Park. We had been told that the four mills were closed as it is
now winter season but we could still walk in the park. As my brother renovated
a flour mill in Weymouth, I have an interest in mills and it was good to see
the different mills along the fast-flowing stream. There was a lot of water in
the stream even though we are at the end of a hot, dry summer and it is clear
that the mills would have been able to operate all year.
We drove on to Assisi with a long time on a fertile plain before we climbed
again back into the mountains with more lovely views.
We stopped for only one night in Assisi early in the holiday and did not have
time to visit the town. This time we had decided to spent two nights there so
that we could put that right. We arrived at the campsite and decided to eat in
their restaurant again. We noticed last time that they specialised in platters
and we decided to try one. When it came, it was enormous and there was no way
that we could eat it all. What we ate was good but there was too much heavy
pastry, fried food and potato and very little in the way of salad or
vegetables. An experience, but one that we wouldn’t repeat, although a
one-person platter between two would probably be okay.
Photos: Autumn has arrived in the Piazza San Nicola; A closed shop in Pettorano;
View over the village from Piazza Umberto; The Pettorano castle; A view from
the castle showing the railway viaduct and the forest that is full of bears;
Definitely faded elegance – this was once a very high-status building; One of
the mills in the Industrial Archaeology Park; That enormous platter.
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