I MORI GELSI - Fattoria Spinola

FATTORIA SPINOLA
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Fattoria Spinola was a convent of nuns in the late thirteenth century.
In fact, there is still a private consecrated chapel with frescoes dating back approximately at the beginning of the fourteenth century.
Unfortunately, these frescoes are very damaged, either because they have been discovered by Antonio Spinola (my grandfather) only in the early '900 - at that time this room was used for storage of farm and it was painted white - and because during the 1997 earthquake many pieces of fresco were detached from the ceiling.
We do not have the possibility to restore it because it is quite expensive.
During the post-earthquake restoration, we discovered that the facade of the chapel had been hidden by plaster. In fact, the part of the building next to the Chapel was added at a later time (1600).We decided to leave out the plaster original brick facade with the frame of the original roof (lowest building constructed later).

Around 1700 the Fattoria Spinola became the country house of the noble family Goga (now extinct). You can still see the emblem on the altar of the Chapel and stone at the entrance to my house.

In 1818, the last Cardinal Spinola family (SPINOLA, Hugh Peter * 1791-1858) was sent to Perugia by Pope and bought about 3,000 acres of homes, land, villas.He was the uncle of my grandfather, that's why his death left him and his brothers all his possessions.My grandfather happened to the Fattoria Spinola with 70 acres of land.

TORGIANO
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The town of Torgiano still preserves its typical medieval appearance and the remains of its ancient walls.The Museum of Wine is of great interest, containing a precious collection of storical documents regarding various sectors: the art of wine-growing and wine-making, and artistic, folkloristic and bibliografic documentation on the subject. You may also admire a very precious collection of maiolica dating back to th 17th and 18th centuries. The fortified part of the town is siuated between the middle of the Tiber valley and that of the Umbrian valley. Here, the cultivation of the vine is an ancient art as is evidenced by the testimonial of archeologicals finds, and by a sketch dating back to the 14th century. The zone is characterized by agriculture, consisting in the coltivation of various food-stuffs, and by craftsmanship, above all, the pottery trade. The Museum of Wine is the most qualified in all of Italy, with its collections of tecnical instruments, prints dating back to various times, specialized craftsmanship and folkloristic documents.

UMBRIA
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April to October is the best time to visit this green region, which has large lakes, beautiful mountains, chateaux, impressive monasteries and cathedrals. This region has an atmosphere of medieval mystery because many of the great saints come from here.
Luckily there are lots of exciting towns in Umbria. Many of these towns are rich in architectural treasures especially from the Middle Ages plus there are a great many art collections.



Gubbio is one of the oldest towns in Umbria and has a wide range of well-preserved monuments showing the great past of the town.
In Gubbio sights include the Roman theatre, the basilica Sant'Ubaldo and the cathedral. , famous for its modern art collection, is yet another fascinating medieval town with castles and beautiful churches.
Città della Pieve by is thought to have been founded by the Etruscans and has many interesting monuments from the Middle Ages and other times.

Perugia is the capital of Umbria. The town was one of the Etruscan's most important and at one time was even bigger than Rome. There are lots of interesting monuments here, but the town is also famous for its international and very well respected jazz festival, Umbria Jazz, where many international names perform each year. The town also has an international chocolate festival visited by many chocolate enthusiasts. Most people have heard of Assissi because of the holy Saint Francis of Assissi. A large part of the town consists of buildings from the Middle Ages and there is more than enough to see here if you are interested in magnificent building works from this period of time.

Some people may have heard of Orvieto because of the white wine of the same name. This town was also founded by the Etruscans. The cathedral is one of the main attractions in the town.
Todi is beautifully situated in soft green hills. It is thought to have been founded 2700 BC. There are both the Etruscan and Roman relics to see here.
Montefalco is a town, which has also given its name to Umbria's best red wine, Montefalco Sagrantino. The town is quite small but famed for its fantastic views over the countryside.
Polino is situated 800 metres above sea level and has many buildings from the 16th and 17th centuries.
Spoleto has also kept its classical feel with clear traces of Roman influence. In its time, the town was under Lombard influence. The cathedral, a Roman bridge, the basilica and the Roman church Sant'Eufemia are some of the main sights. Norcia is well known for its marvellous hams and sausages made from pork and wild boar. Many of the town's monuments show signs of damage because of the earthquakes that affect the area from time to time. The town's cathedral is from the Renaissance. But a visit to Norcia is also often a culinary visit where you can enjoy the great local Umbrian cuisine.

Situated on a small promontory on the lake, the fortified town is still surrounded by its ancient walls and its distance from the modern residencial zone keeps it unaltered. First a town of fishermen then an agricultural area, Castiglione del Lago is now one of the most important tourist centers around lake Trasimeno. Due to the strategic position that made it the most important military center of the area it was contended during the Middle Ages by Perugia, Arezzo, Siena, Firenze.