The SPA in Assisi was recently built in the ancient Roman amphitheater which was discovered during the work to restore the Church of Santa Caterina. This is a unique opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a SPA while admiring the ruins of the Roman amphitheater. Within these archeological ruins this amazing thermal bath has been recreated to a very high standard. The Nun SPA offers a series of heath and beauty treatments, with the Nun basic entry fee you will be able to enjoy the heated pool, jacuzzi and massaging water jets. Enter then into the Tepidario or Turkish bath, this is where you can get your body ready to then enter the Caldara or Sauna.

Complete the thermal experience by entering the Frigidario, this is where the antique romans would bathe their bodies in a cold pool, cover your body in Ice and take a cold shower. Head to the Tea room and sit and relax while sipping on a hot fennel tea or indulge yourself in the hot jacuzzi or pool where water jets will relax your body.

At the nun you will also be able to enjoy a number of beauty treatments, from facials to full body massages, see their full price list and treatments here

Via Eremo delle Carceri 1A
06081 Assisi, Italy
Tel. 0039 075 815 5153

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Assisi offers many spiritual christian retreats for silent prayer, peaceful contemplation and relaxation for the mind, body and soul

Christian Retreats at Assisi 

Spiritual Retreats in the Umbrian Countryside

Spiritual retreats in Assisi offer a powerful experience for both those on their first ever retreat or for those that have been a to Assisi for many years.

Casa Rosa is the ideal location for a Christian Retreat, set within 44 acres of farmland within the National Park of Mount Subasio, it offers tranquillity and peace, wonderful views over the Umbrian countryside and the valleys in which St Francis walked and preached to the animals. From the farm it is possible to retrace his steps and commune with the natural world and God’s creations.  Surrounded by woods, meadows and fields, which abound with wild flowers and a wealth of bird life, as well as waterfalls and natural pools where one cam bathe in the summer, Casa Rosa offers many possible routes for walking and quiet locations for prayer, meditation and yoga.

surrounded by woods and farmland, located on a spur the farm has panoramic views over the National Park of Mount Subasio. The hills and forest hide martens, porcupine and wild boar, all of which have been seen on the farm. The wealth of bird life includes buzzards, goldfinches and hoopoes. In spring the meadows, fields and verges abound in wild flowers, among them poppies, cyclamen, wild gladioli, and many types of orchid. From May to July fireflies dance in the night, and through the summer the Farm is home to thirty varieties of butterfly. Along the river are waterfalls and natural pools where one can bathe in the summer. The hills, woods and valleys offer many possible routes for walking.

Casa Rosa is a traditional Italian stone farmhouse, 6 miles north-east of Assisi. The house is divided into four self-catering holiday apartments, ideal for small Christian groups, couples and families searching for relaxation, rejuvenation and spiritualgrowth. The owner, an English painter, has lovingly decorated each apartment with hand painted furniture, murals and trompe l’oeil. The immediate area is one of great natural beauty with a formal garden, olive groves and herbs and seasonal vegetables to use in your cooking. In the spring and summer months you can also enjoy a dip in the outside swimming pool, a barbeque and al fresco dining.

Sacred Christian Locations in the Medieval Hilltop Town of Assisi

Assisi is located only 6 miles from Casa Rosa and is a Unesco World Heritage site. InAssisi discover the many religious and sacred locations, including the hilltop retreat of St. Francis (Eremo delle Carceri); the cathedral of St. Francis (Basilica di San Francesco) where he is buried; the church and convent of San Damiano where St. Francis first received his miraculous calling in 1205 and where St. Clare died in 1253; and the cathedral of St. Clare (Basilica di Santa Chiara) where the tomb of St. Clare can be found.

Suggested Itinerary for a Retreat at Assisi

Day 1: Spend the day clearing your mind in the peace of Casa Rosa. Explore the farm by following a walking route, stopping at points for quiet contemplation and prayer.

Day 2: Receive spiritual inspiration with a visit to Assisi. Go to the start of the story of St. Francis by visiting the hilltop retreat of Eremo della Carceri.

Day 3: Explore the hilltop town of Assisi and immerse yourself in the sacred locations. Visit Basilica di San Francesco, the church and convent of San Damiano, and the Basilica di Santa Chiara.

Day 4: Reflect on the sights and stories of Assisi. Visit the waterfalls and other places of natural beauty surrounding Casa Rosa, contemplating the scared stories of St. Francis and St Clare.

Day 5: Individual and silent prayer. Choose the place most meaningful to you, either in Assisi or the grounds of Casa Rosa – the yurt would be an ideal location for this.

Day 6: Discover the other sights of Assisi. Wander the narrow streets and soak in the Italian culture or end your stay by visiting the hermitages in Umbria, including the hermitage of Montepaolo, Hermitage of Buonriposo, Hermitage of Montecasale,  Hermitage of Cerbaiolo,  Hermitage of Casella,  Hermitage of Camaldoli and the Hermitage of Verna.

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Visit the local markets in Umbria to sample and buy some fresh and local produce or, just to enjoy the sights and sounds of locals trading their animals. Make sure you arrive early as most of the activity is over by 10 am.

Local weekly markets:

Monday morning – Santa Maria degli Angeli

Tuesday morning – Gubbio

Wednesday morning – Spello

Friday morning – Bastia

Saturday morning – Assisi

Antique and Bric a Brac markets (monthly):

1^st Sunday of the month: Pissignano

1^st Saturday and Sunday: Arezzo

2^nd Sunday of the month: Spoleto

2^nd Sunday of the month: Santa Maria degli Angeli

3^rd Sunday of the month: Citta’ di Castello

Last Sunday of the month: Perugia

Farmer’s market:

2^nd Sunday of the month: Perugia

Fancy making your own olive oil like a real Umbrian farmer?  Try the unique experience of olive picking in Umbria from the 15th of October to the first week of November. Once the olives have been pressed at our local mill we will post the freshley made olive oil back to your home.

Experience picking olives in the beautiful countryside surrounding Casa Rosa, and eating a traditional Umbrian meal made with our previous year’s olive oil. A visit to the local mill where the production of the olive oil is done can also be organised. A bottle of olive oil produced from your picking will be posted to you.

Dates: from the 15th of October to the first week of November.

Where: Olive trees on the farm at Casa Rosa

For further information and bookings please email us mail@casa-rosa.it

Christmas Markets

Every year, in December, you can discover the Christmas markets at Perugia. You can also buy local handicrafts. In Spoleto the Christmas Market is held in the   Square, every year. For the occasion,  shops stay open till late while the stands and stalls offer visitors Christmas decorations, handmade crafts, local food and      wine. For holidays over Christmas the Christmas markets are held in all major cities of Umbria.

Nativity in Umbria

At Christmas all the churches of Umbria celebrate the solemn liturgy, sacred music, Christmas rituals and classical music or jazz (Umbria Jazz Winter – at Orvieto ).
You can admire artistic nativity scenes and live Nativity scenes, as Petrignano and Rocca Sant’Angelo di Assisi , Perugia, Monteleone d’Orvieto, Calvi di Terni, Volterra near Citta di Castello and Citta della Pieve. Amazing and fantastic is the Christmas tree in Gubbio, the largest in the world drawn to the mountain with 12 km of light, and the star of Miranda in terni.

Umbria Jazz Winter

Umbria Jazz Winter is staged in Orvieto, as every year since 1993. Born in the wake of the celebrated event that takes place Umbria Jazz in Perugia in the month   of July, Umbria Jazz Winter proposes five days, celebrating the New Year with jazz in a unique setting: the historical center of Orvieto.

Other ideas for new year in Italian: Vacanze Capodanno

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Chef Alessandro’s Private Dining

There are two options available depending on how involved you want to be in the preparation process:

1. Cooking courses

2. Dine out at Home

The following trip includes seeing the walls of Assisi, with interesting and unusual views. It is advisable to wear confortable clothing and shoes suitable for a country hike and bring a camera: it will definitely be used.  It would also be useful to bring a map of of the town, allowing you to cross check the following journey description.  The entire journey – at an even pace and without any hurry – takes about 4 hours, however, you can condense it by missing out some of the suggested points.

The eight town gates along the journey, were all built in the second half of the 13th century, the municipalities’ Council “Consiglio del Comune e della Magistratura” decreed to build them in 1260.

ROUTE starting from Piazza Matteotti, locally called Porta Nova: Go uphill along Via Santuario delle Carceri. As soon as you go through the gate Porta Cappuccini turn left onto a dirt track that goes uphill – lined with two rows of cypress trees – this is the external perimeter of the Rocca Minore (14th Cen.), cr Rocchicciola. Once you reach the castle, leave the dirt track and take the path downhill, which has a beautiful panorama of the fortress Rocca Maggiore. The dirt road runs along the wall and leads to the gate Porta Perlici. Soon after going through the arch turn right along Via Porta Perlici.

After walking for about 200m, you will come to a parking area on the right, take the downhill dirt road on the right that initially runs along a metallic green fence. Soon after the path forks, do not take the path that descend to the asphalt road underneath but take the road on the left that rises towards the town walls. At the next fork go straight on, below is the Tescio River with the “Tardioli Mill” and a tower in ruins. On a sunny afternoon, the Rocca Maggiore’s profile cuts accross the slopes of the “Col Caprile”. A ramp with a steep ascent takes you back behind the walls. By looking ahead past a thick strip of broom (and asparagus) you can see the Rocca Maggiore’s polygonal tower. Destroyed in civil battles and wars with Perugia – that gave birth to the Local Town Council of Assisi (1198 -1202) this was rebuilt in the 14th century. The cemetery is below. By taking a few short steps to the left you reach a square area in front of the fortress.

Continue along an obvious path downhill that leads into an olive grove near a private farmhouse. Veering right descend onto the dirt track below, hence to the left of the farm house: it is polite to ask permission to walk through the property. Once you take the dirt road that runs along the walls and after passing a gate (that must be shut after passing through) you descend amidst olive trees in direction of the Basilica of St. Francis.

You skirt the new car park; a short flight of descending steps leads to Porta S. Giacomo, which has a solitary cyprus tree growing on it. If you cannot walk through the private property an alternative routes is possible. From the dirt road near the house veer right and descend towards the cemetery; veer left and walk along a lovely cypress tree lined drive and then you reach Porta S. Giacomo. Without going through under the arch veer right onto an asphalt road that goes downhill towards the Tescio Valley. After a few hundred meters take the grassy path left that within a short distance leads to a bridge on the Tescio. Take care when crossing the road, as there are no side protection rails.  After the Point to Ponte S. Vetturino there are two possibilities:

1. The most obvious and least interesting route (recommended for beginning hikers): Cross the bridge and soon after you reach an asphalt road that you walk along veering left until you reach Ponte S. Vetturino where there are views of the basions of the Basilica of S. Francis.

2. An unusual route but the most interesting (for expert hikers).  Just before crossing the bridge take the dirt road to the left that descends to the riverbank. At this point keep to the left bank of the Tescioriver, following the river until reaching Ponte S. Vetturino. After walking about 20 meters towards the town, parallel to a crossroad with a shrine, take the asphalt road on the left. At the next crossroad go straight on along an uphill dirt track – locally called Piaggia – that runs along the walls of the external part of the Basilica of Saint Francis. Towards the right there are olive groves, farmhouses and the unmistakable view of Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli. After going through the Portella di S. Francesco, veer right downhill along Via Frate Elia, veering left and uphill along Via S. Apollinare, skirting the walls of the Benedictine abbey of San Pietro.

After a few hundred meters take a large flight of steps on the right that skirts the walls of the Monastero of San Giuseppe. After walking through Porta Sementone you come to the SS 147 that you take veering left uphill: keep on the footpath. After having walked about 300m leave the SS 147 to take the left narrow asphalt road uphill. Go through Porta Moiano continuing uphill, and then veer right onto a descending flight of steps. Continue along a dirt track leaving behind the old public baths, which have been in disrepair for a long time.  The bell tower of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, and the Rocca Maggiore and the Civic Tower (Torre de Piazza) dominate from behind. The dirt road Via delle Fonti di Moiano locally called Strada dei Cavallacci – runs along the top of the wall, eventually becoming asphalt.

Once having reached Porta Nova, without going under the Arch cross the road continuing straight uphill along Via della Selva. At the end of the street there are two small columns: and here our route around the town wall ends.

At this point a rest is necessary – rest along the parapet – to admire the great panorama overlooking the Umbrian Valley and Assisi, it is possible to see the front of the abbey and the church of Santa Chiara.  Cross the road, enter the town car park, cross the next road and you return to Piazza Matteotti, the start point of our walk.

Gubbio Corsa dei Ceri

Corsa dei Ceri 2010

Gubbio 

15/05/2010

The Corsa dei Ceri (The race of the candles) sees three teams carrying huge wooden structures, each topped with a statue of a saint, racing up the steep streets of Gubbio.  Within the watching crowd an excitement builds as the race begins and the teams are cheered on in this wondrous pagan/Christian festival.

 www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine

 www.festadeiceri.it 

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THERMAL BATHS

“Terme Francescane”

Recommended during the colder months of the year (October to May);  the thermal baths located between Assisi and Spello offer an alternative to the usual tourist destination.

The baths consist of an outside natural hot water pool, and two inside pools at different temperatures, 34 and 36 degrees, with jacuzzi water jets.  The natural waters in these pools contain sulphur and other minerals which are believed to have health improving properties and to be beneficial for the skin.  After relaxing in the hot pools you can also enjoy the sauna, turkish bath and relaxation zones within the complex.

If you would like to indulge in the full experience, Le Terme Francescane also offers a number of further treatments; from the more beauty orientated, including facials and manicures to those boasting health improvements, including inhalations and massages.

Prices start from 13-22 euro but can rise if you choose to have additional treatments.

Distance from Casa Rosa: 14.6 miles

Time by car: 42 min

http://www.termefrancescane.com/

Via delle Acque,

06038 Spello,

Italy‎ – Tel. 0039 – 0742 651443