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Thursday, February 8, 2018

See Romantic Italy, St Valentine, waterfalls, wedding chapels and Umbria - Updates


Italy for Romance.

Marmore Waterfalls.

First stop for Valentine's Day or a romantic trip is Terni where St Valentine is buried. Next, off to the waterfalls. If it's been raining recently, never mind, because that means you can be sure of plenty of water at the waterfalls.

Marmore Waterfalls
The magnificent Marmore Waterfalls are named after Marmore, the little town at the top of the falls. 
  Marmore Waterfalls. Balcone degli innamorati.
Marmore Waterfall (in Italian Cascata - Italian for cascade, del Marmore, of Marmore) iWebsite about the waterfall: http://www.marmorefalls.it/?lang=eng  

There's a little anecdote about how St. Valentine created Marmore falls as a bridal veil, by hitting the cliff with his crozier: https://www.umbriatourism.it/-/umbria-itinerari-d-amore-tra-arte-e-natura

ROMANTIC HOTELS
Palazzo Delle Signorine
Cannara
Cannara has the most romantic bedrooms, and so Italian, with paintings above, like staying in a room decorated by Michelangelo, just two guest bedrooms, one overlooking the small public square outside. My contact called the lady at this stunning little place in Cannara, which has not just ornate painted ceilings but also a tiny chapel where you can get  married. The owner says two of her cousins were married in their little chapel (not to each other! Two separate weddings). The B&B is closed for low season but reopens in mid-March. Here's their website:
http://www.palazzodellesignorine.it/Home_En.html

For additional romantic hotels, search the "where to stay" page with the "historic residences" filter (https://www.umbriatourism.it/en_US/where-to-stay?_accomodationsearch_WAR_Tomportlet_seed=1866166402040&_accomodationsearch_WAR_Tomportlet_attribute%5Btype_id%5D=15 )  
The first one on the list, Abbazia San Pietro in Valle, is just a few miles from the Marmore Falls, on the pretty road between Terni, where St Valentine is buried, and Scheggino where we saw truffle hunters trudge uphill with dogs and baskets and come back with huge truffles. The property includes an ancient chapel that can be used for weddings. (My friend in Italy says she has been to a wedding there!). A nearby restaurant or two will serve dishes containing truffles. You might also see truffles for sale in shops. Ask around.

"Country house" is another filter that will produce romantic-type places. (Not all of the listings on the umbriatourism site have been posted in English yet, but mostly if you click through to the hotels' own websites you will find an English version, like this: http://www.sanpietroinvalle.com/en/home-2/). Italian is pretty similar to English, and if you like the look of a place, copy the vital words or paragraphs into google translate.

I saw wedding preparations and the bride when I stayed at Castello di Monterone, a grand castle hotel. 

Terni, where St Valentine is buried.

See Saint Valentine and Other Saints
Put St Valentine on your list if you are going back to Italy. Other saints from Umbria are St. Rita (Cascia), St. Benedict (Norcia), St Augustine (Gubbio), St. Clare (Assisi), and St Francis of Assisi, as well as many less well-known protomartyrs and such. So, if you are looking for Valentine's Day venue, a romantic location, a wedding venue, or your name is Ben for Benedict, Augustine, Clare, Francis, Rita - or Valentine, you know a good place to go in Italy, for romance, weddings, or watching others get married. 

Here are all the handy websites grouped together:
https://www.umbriatourism.it/-/umbria-itinerari-d-amore-tra-arte-e-natura
(https://www.umbriatourism.it/en_US/where-to-stay?_accomodationsearch_WAR_Tomportlet_seed=1866166402040&_accomodationsearch_WAR_Tomportlet_attribute%5Btype_id%5D=15 )  
http://www.sanpietroinvalle.com/en/home-2/)
Ciao!

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. See my previous posts on St Valentine and Umbria.

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