We got to Deruta in the late morning, and wandered through the shops in the old town. If you want to do serious majolica buying (i.e., a whole dinner set or the like), you do it in the big shops down in the newer town. But up in the old town you can still see the artists at work in their shops, and buy pieces done by them. It is painstaking work, but the results are so unique and gorgeous. There is a school there for people to learn the craft, it was most interesting to see the modern manifestations of this old form. Really cool stuff! Here is a picture of one artist with two painted pieces before firing:
We had lunch in Deruta and then headed for Assisi. We found good parking and walked through the town jammed with school students to see the famous Basilica San Francesco. This had been severely damaged in the 1997 earthquake which shook many of the Giotto frescoes of Francis' life into tiny pieces on the ground. It has all been painstakingly restored to its simple beauty, and it was good to be there, despite the crowds. It was interesting, however, to observer the teenagers. There is something about Francis and his story that really connects with them.We wandered down a lovely side street to go back to our cars. We drove in a huge rainstorm back to Vasanello. We spent the evening cooking our chicken and enjoying the results! Beautiful roasted potatoes and vegetables to go with it, and the requisite amount of wine!
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