"E anche quest'anno siamo pronti per guidarvi tra le strade della Sabina, tra gli ulivi e le montagne dai mille colori...
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| Montebuono and Fianello in autumn by Giorgio Clementi |
...i borghi medievali che
come per incanto, il tempo non ha usurato. I frantoi del paese vi
aspettano per farvi assaggiare la spremuta più antica che c'è, tra
piatti tipici, musica e compagnia. Chiese con affreschi duecenteschi o
di Iacopo di Roccantica...
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| San Pietro ai Muricento courtesy of I luoghi di Cuore |
Terme di Agrippa mangiate ormai dalla natura,
sono qui, con una storia di oltre 2000 anni. Qui, il tempo si è fermato."
Translation:
And also this year we are ready to guide you through the streets of Sabina, among the olive trees and the mountains of a thousand colours...
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| The medieval borgo of Fianello. Photo courtesy of Giorgio Clementi |
the medieval villages that like magic, time has not eroded. The mills of the country are waiting for you to taste the oldest juice that there is, including local dishes, music and companionship. Churches with thirteenth-century frescoes, or those by Iacopo Roccantica, the Baths of Agrippa, eaten now by nature...
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| External view of the apse of San Pietro ai Muricento with the ruins of the Terme of Agrippa in the foreground, by the author |
They are here, with a history of over 2000 years. Here, time stands still...
This kind of poetry one would expect in some exclusive travel magazine aimed at well-heeled world travellers with an interest in high end gourmet tours of Italy. These words though, are aimed at a specific type of tourists, and those tourists are bikers... And I am not talking about spandex clad cyclists, I am talking about REAL BIKERS, the kind who ride motorcycles.
On November 9th and 10th the Tourism Association/ProLoco of Montebuono is organizing its second annual Guided Motorcycle Tour of Montebuono and its historic environs. The name of the tour is Andar per Olio e per Cultura in Motocicletta, which roughly translated means and Olive Oil and Cultural Tour by Motorcycle.
The tour is timed to coincide with Sabina's annual olive harvest and includes visits to local olive oil producers, where the lucky participants get to view close up the process of transforming freshly harvested olives into pungently fragrant spicy green Sabina D.O.P. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and taste it on fresh toasted bruschetta. The itinerary also includes visits to a number of important historic and cultural sites in the Montebuono area including the churches of San Pietro ai Muricento and Santa Maria in Assunta in Fianello--both of them built atop important Roman villa ruins--as well as the fortified hill town of Cottanello, and the Sanctuary of Santa Maria in Vescovio.
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| Biker Breakfast in Montebuono. Photo courtesy of Gustavo Fabri |
Both tours, in good Italian fashion, begin with an ample breakfast, and include a hearty outdoor lunch. The longer Saturday tour finished with a social dinner at a local restaurant. Mamma mia! Knowing what these folks will see, eat, drink, and experience, it is enough to make me want to learn how to ride a motorcycle so I can join in the fun next year!
One of the key organizers of this tour is our friend Fiorenzo Francioli. We met Fiorenzo last year and spent an unforgettable afternoon with him touring the historic sites of Montebuono and Fianello.
Fiorenzo is not only the key tourism officer of the Comune of Montebuono, a truly wonderful ambassador for his town and the Sabina, he is also an avid biker.
Here is the schedule for the two days of tours.
SATURDAY 9 NOVEMBER
Ore9.00-09.30:ISCRIZIONI, colazione e gadget.
Registration and breakfast and mementos.
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| Santa Maria in Vescovio |
Ore10.30-11.00:Motogiro e visita guidata al Santuario di S.Maria in Vescovio.
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| On the road by Foto di Claudio D'Artibale |
Ride on motorbike to the Santuary of Santa Maria in Vescovio for a guided visit.
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| Drizzling freshly pressed Sabina D.O.P. olive oil on bruschette. Yum! Photo courtesy of Gustavo Fabri |
Ore11.30-12.00:Aperitivo e visita al Frantoio “SAPORA”
Snacks/Drinks and a visit to the Olive Mill "Sapora"
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| Lunch al fresco in the olive grove. Photo courtesy of Claudio D'Artibale |
Ore13.00-13.30:Pranzo presso il borgo medievale di Fianello.
Lunch near the medieval walled town of Fianello.
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| Meat on the grill by Gustavo Fabri |
Ore15.00-16.00:Concerto del gruppo "Tom Shepperd's Production"
Concert by the group "Tom Shepperd's Production"
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| Fianello by Matteo Bordini via vagabondo.net |
Ore 16.30-17.00:Visita al borgo di Fianello
Tour of the walled town of Fianello
Ore 20.30:Cena sociale presso Ristorante: "Il Muretto" di Montebuono
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Photo courtesy of Mucca Viola
|
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| Biker's Breakfast by Ramona Abati |
Ore 9.00-9.30: ISCRIZIONI, colazione e gadget.
Registration, breakfast, and mementos
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| Fresh pressed Sabina D.O.P. Olive Oil |
Ore 10.30-11.00: Motogiro e visita al frantoio a pietra "Leonardi" di Configni.
Motorbike to Configni to visit the stone olive mill Leonardi di Configni
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| Bruschette. Foto di Claudio D'Artibale |
Ore 12.00-12.30: Visita alla chiesa di San Pietro ai Muricento di Montebuono con esibizione del gruppo musicale “Lemon Three”
Visit the Church of San Pietro ai Muricento with a musical exhibition of the group "Lemon Three"
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| Concert at San Pietro ai Centimuro Photo by Jacques Francois di Cesare |
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| Note the glass panel on the floor of the church of San Pietro ai Muricento under this biker's boots. Photo by Mucca Viola |
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| Below the glass panels on the floor, visitors can see the excavated remains of the ancient Roman Villa under the church. |
Ore 13.00-13.30: Pranzo presso il frantoio "Minicucci Cairo".
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| Lunch among the olive groves. Photo by Jacques Francois di Cesare |
You can follow the course of each day's tours on Google Maps by clicking on the the links embedded in the dates noted above.
So what does all this cost participants, given all that is included, not very much at all.
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| A visit to the Antica Fattoria Sabina by Gustavo Fabri |
There
participants pay €15.00 a day. The dinner on Saturday costs extra. If you participate on both days you end up paying a mere €30.00. For those who want to stay overnight there is a special overnight offer of Hospitality at a local B&B or Agriturismo for just €20.00, or free camping.
This will be the 5th Annual Andar per Olio e per Cultura In Motocicletta. It draws people from all over Lazio and Umbria, possibly even other parts of Italy.
Fiorenzo sent me this explanation from a previous years tour explaining the motive behind the project.
"The Tourist Association Pro Loco of Montebuono continues its activities to promote the area adding this event to the many events already organized. The idea comes from the observation of a contemporary phenomenon that since the 80s there has been a significant increase in interest from many users, young and old, of motorized two-wheelers: the motorbike. In recent years an increasing number of trade journals, magazines, websites and groups of enthusiasts dedicated to motorcycle sports have featured articles on motorcycle tours that combine the spirit of knowledge of places and cultures and the search of good food and wine gastronomy. Even in the villages of our province it is now increasingly common to meet numbers of motorcyclists who come here seeking a weekend retreat in search of places of Art, Culture, Faith and local flavours.
Based on this preliminary analysis, it seemed like a natural evolution to propose to the many fans of mototouring an opportunity to get together and tour that would give us a further opportunity to promote our area, a region not only rich in monuments of great historical, cultural and artistic value, but also has a rich history of important olive oil production that stretches back millenia and has resulted in the Sabina D.O.P. designation. Thus was born, in 2009, the idea for the "Andar per Olio e per Cultura in Motocicletta" tour programme which has been repeated every year since then growing in popularity and appreciation.
Last year, at the end of the day, the tour was summed up as follows:
"130 participants with more than 100 bikes with two days of programming provided ... an idea of promotion of the territory" a network "that slowly grows and spreads and promotes knowledge of the local economy .....its monumental and cultural riches through the desire of groups of cyclists to gather and participate in activities together ...... Activities that offer opportunities and spaces for artistic expression to the youth of the region ... Activities that promote awareness of the typical gastronomy of quality and DOP Sabina extra virgin olive oil bringing participants in contact directly with local producers....... and finally promotes friendships that binds people and unites the emotions."
Montebuono has so much to offer. People wishing to find out more about this event, or who are interested in learning more about the history, the many fascinating attractions, and gastroniomical possibilities, and options for staying in the region should contact the office of the ProLoco for MonteBuono.
Associazione
Turistica Pro-loco
- Indirizzo:
Via delle Scuole n. 10, 02040 Montebuono (RI)
- Telefono:
0765.607631
o Dalila: 389 2539870
o Matilde: 334 1096424
I highly recommend a visit.
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| Photo courtesy of Fiorenzo Francioli |
Now for my motorcycle lesson!
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Grazie a Fiorenzo Francioli e a tutti tutti coloro che gentilmente mi ha permesso di usare le loro foto in questo blog.
