Tuscania is a very small but picturesque town in the Lazio region of Italy. Its population is a little over 8000 people. The city if divided into two main sections-those who live in the old town and those who live in the new old town. It has also been home to my Nutter Butter for the past four months. She has spent the semester studying abroad at Lorenzo de'Medici University.
She has absolutely thrived here and I couldn't be more excited for her. She has grown and been stretched in ways that would have never happened otherwise. She has made friends with students from various parts of the world. She has adapted to a predominantly non English speaking community. She has lived her days without the conveniences that we all think of as necessities. She has learned Italian cooking, so, so much history, a little bit of the Italian language, but most importantly, she has learned that she can accomplish things that seem daunting or unfamiliar or take her out of her comfort zone!
My guy and I arrived in Tuscania two days ago and our oldest one of three joined us yesterday. CJ gave us a great tour of her little Italian hometown, her school, her walking routes, her apartment, the park, her hangouts. I just loved watching her in her element. Stopping to say to hello to people she knew. Using Italian with ease to order a coffee or a danish.
 |
| Super yummy gelato! |
 |
| One of the main piazzas and the Duomo |
Tuscania is an area that is primarily agricultural. There are open fields full of wheat, olive trees, and vegetables. We walked a route that she walked many times during her stay along fields of tall grass, farmers working in the fields and a view of Tuscania in the distance. She sent me many photos of this view while she was here and I was at home missing her. It's was nice to now walk along side of her.
 |
| Poppies grow wild in this area - so many poppies! |
There are beautiful old structures galore. The old town, where my Nutter Butter has been living, is surrounded by the original city walls. The city proper dates as far back as the 7th century BC. Much of the wall surrounding the city is visible with some parts, I believe, being restored. The town suffered a major earthquake in 1971 but they have worked extensively to preserve historical features. One of those is the Chiesa de San Pietro. It is the beautiful hilltop church that can be seen from the park in Tuscania. The church is somewhat famous in modern history. It has been used for scenes in 16 different movies. Probably the most famous one being Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet!
 |
| Chiesa de San Pietro |
 |
| The walls of the church were originally covered with frescos but most were destroyed during the 1971 earthquake. |
 |
| Remnants of frescos can be seen here |
 |
| Beautiful detail in the floor |
 |
| Scene of the Capulets catacombs and the place of the demise of Romeo and Juliet in the movie. |
The streets of the old town in Tuscania are absolutely charming! I enjoyed walking them and imagining my Nutter Butter in her daily life there. I am so glad I go to see her town.
 |
| My Nutter Butter outside her apartment building in Tuscania |
I can't mention an Italian town without mentioning food! Our first night, our Nutter Butter had an end of semester dinner with fellow students so my guy and I were on our own. We found a small restaurant and shared a cheese and honey plate and then I got the cacio e pepe and he got the gnocchi. All of it was delicious!!
Our second night she took us all to a local pizza place that was absolutely delicious! Honestly, I was so excited about my pizza that I didn't get a photo. The crust was outstanding and the toppings were olive oil, a variety of cheeses, sausage and asparagus. So, so good!! If you do ever make it to Tuscania, I highly recommend Biata Pizza!!
No comments:
Post a Comment