Teatro dell'Aquila and Assisi

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Teatro dell'Aquila

   Fermo sits on a hill above the Adriatic, and its theatre is the jewel inside the town. The Teatro dell'Aquila was built in the late eighteenth century, designed by the architect Cosimo Morelli, and it is one of the largest and finest historic theatres in the Marche, a region that has an extraordinary number of them, almost every town having its own little opera house. Inside, tiers of gilded boxes rise in a horseshoe around the stalls, and the painted ceiling glows above. If you can catch a performance, or join a guided visit, do so.

   Read the complete Teatro dell'Aquila write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Teatro dell'Aquila is where the day begins. Next is The system of Italian-style condominio the.

2. 2. The system of Italian-style condominio the

   The Marche has more historic theatres per head than almost anywhere in Italy. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, almost every hill town built its own opera house, often paid for by local families who then owned their boxes, like apartments in a condominium, and passed them down through generations. The result is a network of jewel box theatres in small towns, with tiers of boxes, painted ceilings and gilded stucco, many of them restored and still in use. San Severino Marche, a few kilometres away, has the Teatro Feronia, one of these, and the network of such theatres across the region has been put forward for World Heritage recognition.

   Read the complete The system of Italian-style condominio the write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   The system of Italian-style condominio the comes up about 75 km into the recorded legs. Next is Assisi.

3. 3. Assisi

   From the valley floor Assisi looks like a long pale ribbon draped across the lower slope of Monte Subasio, and the colour comes from the mountain itself. The town is built of Subasio stone, a limestone that ranges from cream to rose, and in the evening light the whole place glows pink. It is, of course, the town of Francis, the merchant's son who gave away everything in the early thirteenth century and founded the Franciscan order, and of Clare, who followed him. The great basilica built over his tomb, begun in 1228, has two churches one above the other, and the frescoes inside, including the cycle of the saint's life traditionally attributed to Giotto, changed the course of European painting.

   Read the complete Assisi write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 170 km into the recorded legs you reach Assisi. Next is back through The system of Italian-style condominio the.

4. 4. back through The system of Italian-style condominio the

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete The system of Italian-style condominio the write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through The system of Italian-style condominio the, late in the day. Next is Teatro dell'Aquila.

5. 5. Teatro dell'Aquila

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Teatro dell'Aquila write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Back at Teatro dell'Aquila. That is the ride.