A Castle on the Hill

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Yesterday was one of those days without a plan. We started kind of late (singers don't sleep) in the morning and walked down to Piazza Garibaldi for a little shopping. However, everything closes at 1 or 1:30pm for pausa. We ate a little pizza, had a good conversation and walked outside of the cafe to closed shops. So we did what anyone in our situation would do: we had gelato on a shaded outdoor cafe and decided what to do next.
Our next decision was one that took us to the top of a hill and to a beautiful castle: The Rocca Albornoziana. From Wikipedia, here's a quick overview:
The majestic Rocca Albornoziana, built in 1359-1370 by the architect Matteo Gattapone of Gubbio for Cardinal Albornoz. It has six sturdy towers which formed two distinct inner spaces: the Cortile delle Armi, for the troops, and the Cortile d'onore for the use of the city's governor. The latter courtyard is surrounded by a two-floor porch. The rooms include the Camera Pinta ("Painted Room") with noteworthy 15th‑century frescoes. After having resisted many sieges, the Rocca was turned into a jail in 1800 and used as such until the late 20th century.
It's a beautiful fortress and there are still many original paintings left on the walls. I don't know what kind of paint they used that could stick to a plaster wall for 600 years, but it's pretty great! The best part of the castle, though, is the views of Spoleto. You see the whole town and beyond. You can see the olive trees carved into hillsides and small towns lying just beyond our reach. I wish I could take pictures of what I really saw, but it doesn't exist. You just have to trust me when I say that it was gorgeous!
A funny thing we saw is that they've kept the old toilet intact - cleaned obviously - but you get to see what it's like to have an outhouse of sorts in a castle. The windows now have glass in them to keep out rain and pigeons, but the views are still amazing. You can either just tour the grounds (5 Euro for students 25yrs and under) or add on the museum (we didn't do this, but I think it's an additional 7 Euro).
After the castle, we went back to Piazza Garibaldi for shopping around 4:30pm. That's when pausa ends, so I was ready to buy something fabulous and Italian! I found a small shop almost at the end of the corridor that leads to Piazza Garibaldi called Fergi. Apparently, this is a discount purse store that's something of a franchise. They have incredible purses in so many shapes, colors, and sizes it took a lot not to just go crazy! But I did get a nice book bag for only 16 Euro. For women who get sick of carrying their backpacks or something, this is the place to check out!
Later, we attended the first big orchestra concert of the Festival. We heard some exquisite artistry! Samuel Barber's The School for Scandal, Beethoven's Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 5, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64. A great concert and such a lovely program! The Beethoven was my favorite because it requires a technique for the pianist that must be near perfection. And I have it on my mp3 player but never appreciated just what work it takes to make it sound fluid and connected. Wow!
Tomorrow, the younger singers have a concert which is very exciting! They will be performing a mix of arias and ensembles from various operas as well as a collection of pieces by Resphighi and Tosti. I'm looking forward to cheering them on and certainly will give a few "Bravo" and "Brava"!

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