ANOTHER HORSE SHOW

The weekend after the San Venanzo horse show we decided to drive up to Citta di Castello to see the annual horse show there. We invited Shelly to go with us, and called ahead to reserve some fresh mozzarella cheese for us and several friends. We also planned to stop by the art exhibition of Giampaolo, an artist we met through our friend Judith. Giampaolo had told us that several artists had joined together for this show, whose theme was “The Seven Deadly Sins”. We had no idea what type of work Giampaolo or the others produced, but thought it would be an interesting exhibit to see.

Shelly drove to San Venanzo from Massa Martana so we could all ride together. The people at the mozzarella place had asked if we could be there before one, and of course we’d said yes. We planned to pick up the mozzarella and keep in cool in the cooler, just because the car would be sitting in the sun. Fresh mozzarella like this doesn’t get refrigerated until the third day….assuming there’s any left! A nice caprese salad…flavorful tomatoes, delicious milky mozzarella, some torn basil leaves and plenty of Umbrian olive oil….I think we could eat that every day of the week!

We arrived at the horse show just in time for lunch…and the fact that it was lunchtime also explains how we found a parking spot I’m sure. We called Judith, who directed us to the large hall where the food was, and we all enjoyed lunch. Judith and her friend had ordered from the buffet restaurant that was set up in the large hall, but Art, Shelly and I decided to walk back to the exhibition hall for porchetta sandwiches….an Umbrian specialty I think I could also eat on a very regular basis.

After lunch we tried to figure out the program and the locations of the various performances. Judith told us she loved to watch the cowboys of the Meremma in Tuscany perform, so we just wandered around until then watching various performances and looking at all the beautiful horses. Once the competition started, I was surprised to see that these Italian cowboys looked more like proper English gentlemen with their white shirts, brown vests and (almost) bowler hats.

Although I love horses, I did find the competition rather monotonous as each horse and rider went through the obstacle course, trying for the fastest time. I would have preferred an exhibition of their skills, or just the chance to admire the horses up close. Maybe next year we can go earlier and stay later.

We said goodbye to Judith and her friend and headed to the centro of Citta di Castello. If you don’t know this city, it’s an interesting place, with lots to offer. There’s always something going on, and I think living in the centro would be a lot of fun. We found Giampaolo, and he told us the palazzo where the art was exhibited would reopen in about an hour, so we found a sidewalk café, had a coffee and watched the Sunday afternoon passeggiata.

The semi-restored palazzo for the art show was an interesting building, one that made you squint your eyes and imagine what it must have looked like in it’s prime. A bank is house in part of the building, and the art show was in a section that was half restored….and still in need of some TLC.

The artwork on display was modern, funky, and sometimes downright bizarre. Some of it I merely appreciated for the creativity involved, some of it was weird, and some of it was quite unique. I wondered how artists like this make a living….I mean, do people really wander into a show like this and say, “Yes! I must have this strange creation that looks like a giant spider but is made out of hundreds of CD’s”? Sorry, but I don't have any pictures of the artworks to share.