Umbria: A Step Back in Time

A few days ago, some of us went to Umbria on an IES Abroad trip.  I was excited to see another region of Italy after spending so much time in Tuscany.  When we arrived in Perugia I was surprised by how much it reminded me of Siena.  It was a medieval town with modern aspects just like Siena.     It is a town with a fascinating, independent history that the people are so proud of.       

After touring Perugia, we went to the small town of Bevagna for a few hours.  It was truly amazing how well the culture of medieval times was preserved.  First, we went to a silk shop where we learned how silk was made from start to finish using authentic medieval machines.  Then, we learned how to make candles from pure beeswax and hemp.  Finally, we learned how to make paper from scraps of old clothing.  It amazed me how authentic everything was in the town.  The people in Bevagna were truly proud of their heritage.  They even offered us summer internships making candles but unfortunately we had to decline.

The next day, we went to Assisi on the other side of the beautiful Umbrian Valley.  Assisi is now one of my favorite cities in Italy.  The town is truly breathtakingly beautiful.  From its narrow, unchanged streets to its gorgeous views of the valley, it is something straight out of a painting.  The basilica of San Francesco was a piece of art.  It is such an important basilica to the Catholic faith so I was excited that I had the opportunity to see it in person.  

Our final stop on our trip was at a chocolate factory.  Perugia is known for its amazing chocolate.  At the chocolate factory we learned how chocolate is made from start to finish.  We even got to see how the factory makes chocolate eggs for Easter.  Of course at the end of our tour we sampled lots of different types of chocolate.  We tried milk chocolate, dark chocolate, truffles, and lots more.  Everything I sampled was amazing.  It was truly a sweet ending to a great trip!