TODI

A visit to Todi, another town in the Umbrian hills, was not originally on our tour itinerary.  But Bettona, the tiny Umbrian hamlet we were staying in, seemed to have little to offer, so a visit to Todi was added to the tour.

Like many of its neighbors, Todi is situated on a hill.  It is surrounded by three sets of walls, the outermost built in Medieval times, the middle constructed by the Romans, and the innermost of Etruscan origins.  During our visit we toured a historical/archaeological museum not unlike the one we toured in Cortona, except the Todi museum was not as interesting (and neither was the somewhat inexperienced guide).

We also visited the local duomo, which was more interesting.  This cathedral, with its unadorned, humble qualities, was more in the tradition of the one we visited in Pienza than were the ones in, say, Siena or Orvieto that were over-the-top massive and ornate.  The Todi duomo didn't have a separate bell tower and its facade was devoid of sculptures or ornamental stonework.  I liked it for its simple elegance.

Following a fire, the current building was completed in 1190, though the central rose window was added in 1513.  Here is a shot of one of the side entrances.

The gothic interior was architecturally interesting, but again it was largely unadorned.  Here is a symmetrical shot from the rear of the nave.

And here is a photo of the distinctive crucifix extending above the sanctuary.

In addition to the central portion of the nave, there is a single aisle on the left side, which is typical.  However, what makes the architecture somewhat unusual is that there are two aisles on the right side. That feature is visible (sort of) in the following shot from the left rear corner of the nave.

And here is a photo of the inner of the two aisles on the right side, which leads up to the duomo's pipe organ.  Note that the supporting columns on left side are more massive than those on the right.

The rear of the duomo is graced with a giant fresco by Ferraù Faenzone under the great rose window,  depicting the Universal Judgment.

Here is a closer shot of that fresco.

Not a great shot but it was quite dark in the duomo's interior.

Here, finally, are a few more keeper shots that I took during our visit to Todi.

I liked this side "street" for its rusticity and archways, and I didn't mind the motor scooter parked along one wall.  However, that's my bride standing next to the scooter--too far away to be recognizable.  The following shots of our fellow travelers were a bit better composed.

I liked the table and chairs below for their simplicity.

And probably nothing needs to be said about the following sign.

John