Last year's tour of Spain gained the ABC (another bloody church), tour nickname, based on the number of churches and cathedrals we visited.
This tour of Italy is becoming the AWC (Another Walled City), tour. It seems that with the exception of Venice, most of our stops have involved a climb up cobblestone streets to visit the medieval beginnings of the city, usually high on a hilltop and surrounded by stone walls. That's not to say there aren't any number of churches to visit within those walls.
Yesterday was San Marino, a mountaintop stone walled city and today we visited the walled cities of Urbino and Gubbio while making our way toward Assisi.
The cities histories are interesting and the vistas can be spectacular.
Today's first stop was Urbino.
All through the tour, we had been saying it would be great to see the inside of some of the residences within these walled cities. Well today we had the chance to visit Casa Di Raffaello. The birthplace home of the artist generally know simply as Raphael.
We had the opportunity to walk in, climb the stairs, view the courtyard and generally get the feel for one of these places. Granted, this home is being preserved for its history and would not resemble current local abodes. But... It does give some sense of old world design.
Art aside, it's the size and grandeur of the place that impresses. Raphael's family must have been well off to afford this spacious abode.
The parlour.
The dining room.
The court yard.
Oh ya... Surprise, surprise... There was a church or two in this city as well.
Next stop was AWC called Gubbio, complete with ruins of a Roman amphitheatre?
A climb part way up the city provides this shot.
After many more upward steps, we come upon this spectacular garden view with its variety of textures and colours.
Half way to the top is good enough and reveals this view back down toward the theatre.
Oh, ya... ABC here too.
Next stops are Assisi and Naples.
Ciao...
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