As those of you who have traveled in Italy already know, it can be difficult to get inside smaller churches and historical sites. This is the case especially in small towns. Here on the Amalfi Coast, many towns have four, five or more smaller churches in addition to the one major church. Those of you reading for awhile have already been along with me to Torello, to Ravello, and to Sorrento. So you can imagine my glee (and I mean kid in a candy shop glee) when I saw the sign above last week advertising Scala Porte Aperte, or Scala Open Doors. I nearly (or maybe I did) jump up and down as I read the list of all the churches that would be open. No surprise then that I was dressed and ready to go first thing Sunday morning with my camera fully charged.
La Piazzetta S. Giovanni di PontoneSunday was beautiful and sunny as we drove all over Scala stopping at six churches and a courtyard to a 17th-century palazzo. Then we headed down to nearby Pontone to see a few more churches and stop by the tasting of local foods and wines that was set up in the Piazzetta San Giovanni. Let’s see . . . architecture, free samples of local wine, cheese, salami and pancetta, and a booth selling strawberries and herbs . . . that is certainly my equivalent to a candy shop! Here are few photos from Pontone to wet your appetite:
Display of local wines
Ceramic display
Display of local pasta made in GragnanoAs I have been delayed and distracted by technical difficulties here (complications with our new wireless internet), the church photographs will have to wait until the coming weeks. Check back soon for a series of posts on the churches of Scala!
Tempting Tuesday: Ravello’s Villa Rufolo
Tempting Tuesday: Ravello Festival 2009
How wonderful…open churches *and* strawberries! Great opportunity. In Ascoli during the summer they have a similar project called Chiese Aperte, when the gems that are rarely seen are open. Great fun to run around and take them in!
Wow, this is fantastic news, to share these beautiful churches to all. Laura, that picture on the poster is a sight I enjoy to see! Again, thanks for sharing your information in a land I love and is in my heart! 🙂
Ciao Valerie! Yes… couldn’t get much better! 🙂 I am glad they do something similar in Ascoli. I hope it spreads along the coast!
Ciao Chuck! You are very welcome! You would have loved this event. The ruins of Sant’Eustachio were even open! I hate to admit that it was the only site we didn’t make it to. 🙁 But we ran out of time, and I knew that would be open this summer again several times. Next time!
This is just beautiful! I think the car rental place, in Naples, gave us a few bags of that pasta (big tubes) two years ago.
Ciao Gil! Nice present! 🙂 It is certainly good pasta. They make some nice wines over in Gragnano, too. Thanks for stopping by and commenting! 🙂
How fantastic, what a great day out…another place to tempt me back to Italy 🙂
Ciao Anne! Yeah… it’s working! 🙂 Scala is a really love town – very quiet, very real and very untouristy. Plus it is just next to Ravello! I recommend staying there for people who come to the coast (with a car) who want to see what real life is like here. You would love it!
Hi Laura, Such a helpful and fun blog! I remember reading somewhere that one of the bars in a town above Ravello has great pizza and live music. Is that bar Blu in Pontone? Can one walk safely to and from Ravello to Pontone at night in April?