| |
Our
Area |
 |
|
|
|
| Felcino
Bianco - where are we?
Felcino Bianco is a wonderful old Tuscan farmhouse situated
some five hundred metres up a mountainous hillside in an area
known as the Valtiberina, famous for its food. Close by are
the ancient hill-top towns of Anghiari, Monterchi, Sansepolcro
and Citerna. The view from the house looks out past Monterchi
into Umbria and towards Perugia and Citta di Castello, both
famous for visits. Florence is some fifty minutes away by
car/train. Citta di Castello, known as the jewel of Umbria,
is some 20 minutes away and Perugia 50 minutes, both by car.
|
| |
| Our
Summer Schools are based upon facilities in Felcino Bianco where
we have a concert hall and practice room both with pianos, those
in Citerna including the courtyard of the Comune, the hotel
and the churches. There is also a performance piano in the Comune
for the July course which may be used for practice. Faculty
will be accommodated in Felcino Bianco itself and thus readily
available to those attending the courses. We are able to recommend
local accommodation - whether students attend singly or with
partners/families (although the latter will need as much advance
notice as possible). There are various grades of accommodation
close to us from Agriturismo - bed and breakfast - through to
hotel accommodation of a high standard. There are many restaurants
around, variably but reasonably priced and almost all offer
most excellent wines and dining. |
| |
|
|
|
| |
Travel
& accommodation
Airports serving our region, with car hire available, include
Bologna, Pisa, Florence, Ancona and Rome. Ryanair have introduced
four return flights weekly between Perugia and the UK Trains
generally stop at Arezzo, the only railway point near to us
- 30 minutes by car. We are working on details of possible accommodation
over the coming weeks, but have options on rooms in the Hotel
Sobaria in Citerna. |
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| In
the Piazza Grande, Arezzo |
| |
|
More
about our surroundings
We are very close to the eastern border of Toscana and the north-western
corner of Umbria. |
| |
| Citerna
is an ancient Etruscan town, high on a hilltop; the name being
derived from the word 'cistern' indicates the availability of
water. It is here that our summer course will be based.
Anghiari,
also nearby, is a mediæval hill-top town, superbly constructed
for defence. It was in the plain below the town that Pope
Julius' army defeated that of the Duke of Milan (supporter
of the French Popes) in the 16th century Battle of Anghiari.
Michelangelo, whose labours in the Sistine Chapel were frequently
interrupted by the Pope's tendency to go off and fight wars,
was born in Caprese Michelangelo, nearby.
The third
little town near to us is Monterchi where
you can find the most delicate painting of the pregnant Madonna
- La Madonna del Parto, by Piero della Francesca.
Further
works by della Francesca may be seen in Sansepolcro,
some twelve kilometres away, where he was born. The ancient
city centre is a pleasure to wander about.
|
| |
|
Citta
di Castello became a rich and flourishing Umbrian
centre by the end of the first century AD. A free city of
the Guelph people, it had dominion over a wide area and is
full of palazzi, churches and monuments reflecting the elegance
of the Tuscan renaissance. The painters Signorelli and Rafael
painted some of their most important paintings here.
|
| |
| Florence
and Perugia need no commentary, being the capital
cities of Toscana and Umbria, respectively. However, perhaps
less well known is the city of Arezzo, capital
of the Tuscan province in which Felcino Bianco is to be found.
This, too, was an early Etruscan centre which became a Roman
municipality and then a great mediæval city. Heavily fortified,
Arezzo sits at the junction of four major valleys (Valteberina,
Valdichiana, Valdarno and Casentino). It was thus at a major
cross-road for trade, commerce and culture. This city has witnessed
the totality of Tuscan history and its various owners over the
centuries have combined to leave us a most splendid and gracious
style of layout and buildings. The monthly antiques fairs are
a pleasure to browse, if pricey. From Arezzo trains run frequently
to Firenze and to Rome. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| ©
M Humphreys & E Bekova, 2003 - 2010 |
|
