Postignano Music Festival and Remote Mystical Umbria

Meeting points:

• 9:00 a.m. - Bologna Bus Station, internal square, bus shelter 25.Then Autosole.
• 12:30 p.m. - Chiusi, Railway Station Arrival in Montegabbione and lunch in a restaurant.

Followed by a visit to “La Scarzuola,” the visionary Ideal City of Milanese architect Tommaso Buzzi (1900–1981), built on the ruins of an ancient Franciscan convent. In a symbolic and surreal journey through theaters, staircases, towers, and impossible architecture, spirituality, esotericism, history, and art merge. The Acropolis, the heart of the complex, is a mountain of empty, overlapping buildings that represent an open work in continuous transformation. Our guide will be Marco Solari, the current owner and grandson of Buzzi, who will accompany us on our discovery of this unique place, suspended between the sacred and the profane. In the evening, descent to Spoleto, hotel accommodation, dinner, and overnight stay.

Breakfast, dinner, and overnight stay at a hotel in Spoleto. Lunch on your own in Assisi.

The entire day is dedicated to discovering Assisi, a city of profound spirituality and extraordinary beauty. The visit begins with the Basilica of St. Francis, an imposing complex built in 1228, two years after the saint's death. Inside are priceless works of art, including Cimabue's Madonna Enthroned with Angels and St. Francis and Giotto's famous cycle of 28 frescoes narrating the life of the saint.

Walking along Via San Francesco, you reach the historic center where Piazza del Comune is located, the medieval heart of the city, with its Renaissance fountain, Palazzo dei Priori, Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, and Torre del Popolo. On one side of the square stands the Temple of Minerva, an elegant Roman building from the 1st century BC, converted into a church in the 16th century. Continuing on, you will visit the Baroque-style Chiesa Nuova, built on the site traditionally believed to be the birthplace of St. Francis. You will then reach the Basilica of Santa Chiara, built between 1257 and 1265 in Gothic style, with a white and pink striped façade overlooking a panoramic square. Inside are preserved 13th-century frescoes and the crypt with the body of the saint. The visit continues with the Cathedral of San Rufino, patron saint of the city, characterized by a majestic Romanesque façade with three carved portals and three rose windows. In the afternoon, we will take a minibus to the Eremo delle Carceri, an ancient Franciscan retreat immersed in the silence of Mount Subasio, among centuries-old woods.

If accessible, the tour ends with a visit to the Porziuncola, inside the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, a place fundamental to the life and spirituality of Francis.

Transfer to Postignano in time to attend the 6:00 p.m. concert: Homage to Rachmaninov

Luigi Piovano, cello, Giuliano Mazzoccante, piano

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff Vocalise Op. 34 No. 14 - Sonata Op. 19 in G minor

At the end of the concert, return to Spoleto for dinner and overnight stay.

In the morning, departure for Cascia, a charming Umbrian town that can also be reached via convenient escalators, similar to those in Perugia and Orvieto. The historic center retains an authentic and evocative atmosphere, with picturesque views and monuments of great value. The spiritual heart of the town is the Basilica Santuario di Santa Rita, where the incorrupt body of the saint, never buried, is preserved in the chapel of the Augustinian monastery. The current modern basilica was built between 1938 and 1947 to replace the previous one, while the original 13th-century monastery, where Rita lived in seclusion for forty years, can still be visited. Strolling through the center, you will also encounter remarkable examples of medieval architecture, such as the Gothic church of San Francesco, with its elegant rose window, and the churches of Sant'Agostino, Sant'Antonio Abate, and the collegiate church of Santa Maria, among the oldest buildings in the city.

A short bus ride away is Roccaporena, the birthplace of Saint Rita. Here you can visit the Saint's House-Church, the garden of the miracle of the rose, the parish church of San Montano, and the Scoglio di Rita, a spectacular rocky pinnacle where the Saint used to retreat to pray.

Free time for lunch, followed by transfer to Postignano for a walk around the village before the concert, which will take place at 6:00 p.m.

“When the oboe meets the strings”

Francesco Di Rosa, Oboe Trio Plavens Elisa Scudeller, violin Veronica Andrea Nava Puerto, cello Giulia Scudeller, viola

F. Schubert String Trio No. 1 in B flat major, D. 471, Allegro

W.A. Mozart Quartet with oboe in F major, KV370 Allegro, Adagio, Rondo

L. van Beethoven String Trio No. 5 in C minor, Op. Allegro con spirito Adagio con espressione, Scherzo, Presto

A. Piazzolla Yo soy Maria for oboe and string trio, Oblivion for oboe and string trio

Return to Spoleto for dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

After breakfast, start the day with a visit to Spoleto, a city with many souls: Roman, Lombard, medieval, baroque, and Renaissance. A walk through the historic center leads to the magnificent Romanesque cathedral, with its elegant, scenic facade and splendid frescoes by Filippo Lippi inside, masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance.

Mid-morning, continue to Todi, a hilltop town overlooking the Tiber Valley. The first stop is the splendid Santa Maria della Consolazione, inspired by Bramante's St. Peter's and home to a miraculous image of the Madonna. Continue up to the town for lunch on your own, followed by a visit to the historic center. It is impossible not to be impressed by Piazza del Popolo, with the Palazzo del Popolo, the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, and the Duomo, which houses Ferraù da Faenza's Last Judgment on its counter-façade. The tour ends at the church of San Fortunato, a symbol of spirituality and home to Jacopone da Todi, a monk and medieval poet who was one of the most famous authors of religious lauds. In the afternoon, traveling along the Tiber and Lake Corbara, we arrive at Orvieto station at around 4:30 p.m. for the return train journey. The bus continues along the A1 motorway towards Bologna.