It's Festa Time!

September 1, 2007 Last month was the month for festas! We went to two and they were both great in their own way! We also went to a festa in Piandimeleto on the 29th of July. I forgot to bring the camera, but I did take some photos with my camera so as soon as I learn how to get them on the computer I will add them to this blog!

First, we went to a festa in Monterone. This is a small borgo (village) that is just up the road a few km. This is a medieval borgo, but without the usual castle! When you see the homes it is hard to believe that people still live in them. This was the fest della bruschetta! The cost was 12 euro and that included entrance, food, and wine. The food was beans cooked two different ways (one with pig skin and one with "little birds"--I chose not to find out what that meant!), sausages cooked on a grill, and all the bruschetta and wine you could consume! The bruschetta was great! It was especially good dipped in the beans. I ate a lot of bruschetta and Larry ate two bowls of beans! There was only one booth set up, but there was a band playing in the piazza with a dance floor.

We left LONG before it was over and before you ask, no we didn't dance!









A few days later there was another festa in a town called Mondaino. This town is so amazing! There is a beautiful piazza with 3 main roads coming off of the piazza. Many of the structures house businesses, but many are empty except during the annual festa. As you are walking through these old buildings you find tunnels going deep under the buildings! It was so cool!
























All three roads were packed with vendors of everything from iron mail to blown drinking glasses to herbs and grains! In addition to the vendors lined up on the streets they had opened all of the empty structures where they had restaurants, bars, and demonstrations. There were women spinning yarn from balls of wool, men making tools, and others making armor! They even had a leper colony!



















Everyone who was working or selling things there were dressed in the period of the Renaissance! It's really the first Renaissance Festival that we have been to that happened in a place that was built during the Renaissance!























This festa lasts for 3 days. We went on the final day (around 6:00) and stayed until after the fireworks at midnight! We actually got home at 2:30 in the morning--but, you will be happy to know that we still got up at 6:30 and went for our walk!!!