MONTEFIASCONE Italy Walking Tour 4k 🍷 Wine Festival August 2023 – With Captions!
Montefiascone Italy Walking Tour Wine Festival August 2023 Montefiascone is a wine town in the region of Lazio, Italy It is located at an altitude of 600 meters above sea level. In this video walk we will visit the Fortress of the Popes, the Basilicas of St. Flaviano and St. Margherita.
I’ll show you what happens at the annual August Wine Festival held in Montefiascone and take you through the streets of the old town of Montefiascone One of the most important structure of Montefiascone is the architectural gem, the Church of San Flaviano
It is actually 2 different level buildings connected to each other through a large balcony Massive columns with beautiful capitals decorated with acanthus leaves or relief symbols support the arches of the lower church The interior of this beautiful building is decorated with ancient frescoes
Apart from the impressive stone architecture of the facade and interiors, and the tombs of important clergymen, this church is also famous for being the resting place of Giovanni Defuc, a German baron And perhaps this is the strangest story of this town The fact that this character is almost a local hero,
With his life and death is associated with the legend of the origin of the famous wine EST! EST!!! EST!!! It is impossible not to mention him, because Defouque is also one of the central characters of the wine festival currently taking place in the city
This is the upper church, also composed of three aisles, with rows of arches supported by low columns; in the center at the bottom opens a rectangular space where the lower church can be seen Montefiascone (VT) is a charming town in upper Lazio situated on
A hilltop lookout over Lake Bolsena renowned especially for the thriving wine industry that produces the highly prized and much appreciated wine Est! Est!!! Est!!! With a population of about 13 thousand people It is located at 600 meters above sea level and boasts a rare panoramic view
Of the calm waters of Lake Bolsena, which was formed 370 thousand years ago in the caldera of extinct volcanoes The Consular Way of Cassia runs along the shores of Lake Lago di Bolsena, which can be seen from the belvedere of Montefiascone There are also interesting ancient borgos on its banks
The volcanic nature of Montefiascone and its surroundings is very favorable to the cultivation of grapevines, and fine wines from this area are today exported throughout the world This is reflected in the city’s coat of arms, which depicts six small mountains supporting a barrel of wine!
For famous local wine and In memory of Baron Defuk, halfway between history and legend, every year in Montefiascone in the first fortnight of August the traditional Wine Fair is held, which consists of a historical re-enactment of the events that saw John Defuk as the protagonist and
A pleasant opportunity to taste the local wine, sweetened and sparkling, amidst folkloric and musical events Legend tells us that the German baron John Defuk, perhaps a prelate in the retinue of Henry V, harbored such a passion for fine wines that he entrusted his cupbearer Martino with the singular task of marking
The doors of taverns where good wine was mixed with the word EST (“there is” in Latin) Martino found such good wine in Montefiascone that he marked it with no less than three ESTs His master Defuk fully agreed with him and drank so much of that wine that he died of it, in 1113
The Cathedral of Santa Margherita is the true symbol of Montefiascone ts grandiose dome overlooking the town can be seen from afar With a diameter of 27 meters, it is the fourth largest dome in Italy, surpassed only
By the dome of San Pietro in Rome, the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence and the dome of the Pantheon The church was built to hold the remains of young Margaret, the patron saint of the town, who lived and died for the Christian faith
Started construction 15th c, was rebuilt in the 17th. The first written records of Montefiascone date back to the 9th century AD, but archaeological traces show that the hilltop where the historic center stands today was inhabited centuries ago It is said that not only the historic center of Montefiascone is interesting,
But also the lower part of the town that occupies the valley below But us we settled at the very top, at the foot of the imposing papal fortress (or rather, what’s left of it) From this point there is an unforgettable picturesque view of the volcanic lake
So we spent almost all of our time in the old town, which is located at the very top, within the fortress walls. The Papal Fortress is another significant historical structure of Montefiascone You can see it from afar, from Lake Bolsena and from other towns in the vicinity.
Rocca dei Papi is located on the highest point of Montefiascone, it is impressive in its grandeur This place was of great historical importance and this is where the pontiffs preferred to spend their vacations Incredible views of the volcanic lake and of beautiful Lazio
The fortress was built in the 12th century for defensive purposes and was rebuilt and expanded several times In those troubled times of feuds, wars and revolutions the popes from time to time had to flee from Rome, and they fled here, hiding in the fortress
Later the situation in Europe settled down and it was no longer relevant to run away, and the pontiffs liked the place, and the popes simply came here to spend the summer I understand why, imagine – in Rome in August it is 40, and here,
At an altitude of 600 meters above sea level, at this time fresh and pleasant. The imposing fortress has seen a huge number of popes, cardinals and bishops take refuge behind its thick walls over the centuries Today it has become a venue for concerts and exhibitions
Part of the fortress has long since been destroyed, with a small archaeological park in the center, while part of the structure still stands It houses the Antonio da Sangallo Il Giovane Architecture Museum, and large historical cellars with precious reed vaults, where wine tasting and local specialties, including typical soups
The fortress is surrounded by a beautiful garden From this garden and from the fortress itself you have a dizzying view of the lake and the surrounding area, even more beautiful than from the point at the foot of Rocca dei Papi Baron Defuk, as a sign of gratitude towards Montefiascone who hosted him,
Bequeathed 24,000 scudi to the town on the condition that annually, on the date of his death, a small bottle of wine was poured on his tomb They do it here on the monument that depicts the tomb of Defouk This tradition has been repeated for several centuries and, even today,
This character is remembered with a historical costume parade dedicated to him, during which this legend is relived. But this symbolic tomb of Baron Defouk at the foot of the Papal Fortress is only a monument The real tomb with the remains of John Defouk is in the Basilica of St. Flavian,
Which I showed at the beginning of this video What a stunning view of Lake Bolsena and the new part of the town of Montefiascone Now, in the sunset light, this view is even more beautiful The sun is setting and soon the festivities will begin
It’s the first days of August, and just at this time Montefiascone is having its wine festival Montefiascone Wine Fair will take place from 7:30 p.m. in the cellars of the historic center on evenings In 2023 wine festival was from 1 till 15 auguts, 2023
It included the traditional historical parade through the streets of the town accompanied by the roll of drums, sound of trumpets and flag-wavers Live music is scheduled every evening, art exhibitions, disco music, concerts, theater performances, dance and painting performances
Also for the town’s wineries was the wine trail ‘In the Cellar with Defuk’ starting at 7:30 pm. This year throughout the Fair there was no real money circulating, but Euros was exchanged at the tills for Baiocchi (one, two, five and ten Euros), which was the Fair’s currency.
Many cantinas open their doors every night during the festival, or set up a sales point in the main square of Montefiascone, to take part in tasting their best wines The most famous cantinas of Montefiascone, which are a must-visit, are the following Antica Cantina Leonardi and Cantina Stefanoni
Before the festivities begin, let’s take a walk through the old streets of Montefiascone, covered in mist The roots of the place name Monte-Fiascone Are perhaps to be traced back to the Latin mons faliscorum, with reference to the Faliscans, who would have landed in the area after the destruction of the various centers of the ager faliscus by the Romans. Across the old and adorable square Largo del Plebiscito we are approaching
The main square Piazza Vittorio Emanuele where concerts and other festival events take place You can see the paintings that the artists are preparing for the wine festival evening Piazza Vittorio Emanuele formerly Piazza del Popolo or Town Hall Square, it is the old “heart” of the city
The high side of the square, characterized by the dome of St. Margaret, outlined by the apse of the Romanesque church of St. Andrew and the town hall, indicates the extent of the primitive nucleus of Montefiascone The other sides consist of less ancient palaces of various kinds
The most recent is Palazzo Frigo, built in the Fascist era on the site of the old Misericordia church and the adjoining hospital that arose in the early decades of the 1500s The fountain placed in the center of the square, the work of engineer Cesare Tuccimei
And inaugurated on August 28, 1898, on the occasion of the completion of the aqueduct from Cimino, is characterized by a recovery of Renaissance types and is part of the late 19th-century production In Piazza Vittorio Emanuele to the right of the door of the Renzi Palace is the Municipality “s Tourist Information Office.
We’re walking down Corso Cavour. And it seems as if the city is empty and there is no one else in it But it’s a deceptive sensation In just a couple of hours, locals and visitors alike will take to the narrow streets of Montefiascone
To stroll, dine, taste wines and dance at the night’s festive endeavor. in addition to august wine festival, in montefiascone there are the other intrasting events: Living Nativity (December and January) and Medieval Festival A.D. 1074 (July) Garden of The Popes’ Fortress Cardinal Pompeo Aldrovandi, bishop of Montefiascone around the middle of the 18th century,
Was responsible for the arrangement of part of the Rocca’s garden with the placement of a hundred statues in the area of the bishop’s palace The surrounding wall was built about a century later at the behest of Bishop Cardinal Nicola Paracciani Clarelli
The garden was then rearranged after 1898, when the construction of the aqueduct carrying water from the Cimino to the large cistern of the Rocca was completed The gardens have a romantic semblance reminiscent of characteristic Italian gardens Wide paths of gravel radiate from the centrally located fountain through evergreen
Hedges such as boxwood, holly (Ilex aquifolium), rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), and many other plants. The trees distributed throughout the garden, limit the view that can be enjoyed from the beautiful panorama that can be enjoyed from every single part of the rim of the fortress: to the north Tuscany with Mount Amiata and Lake Bolsena,
To the west the Maremma with the coasts of upper Lazio and lower Tuscany To the south Viterbo, the Cimini mountains and to the east in the distance the peaks of the Umbrian Apennines. In this weather, at dusk and with fog, the gardens of the papal fortress
And the view of the lake and new Montefiascone seem atmospheric and mysterious It’s evening and the wine festival begins You can see the wine cantinas’ tents, tables and chairs for dining and tastings But before enjoying some delicious wine and dinner, I want to stop by a church that isn’t always open
The Church of Sant’Andrea in Campo in Montefiascone constitutes a somewhat special attraction to visit From the Romanesque period, among the oldest churches in the town, it has a nave and two aisles, with valuable pre-Romanesque capitals The covering of the apse in peperino is singular
Today services are held there in the Orthodox rite for the local Romanian community. Unfortunately, the church was dark and the video doesn’t show the Orthodox icons I saw inside Whenever you are in Montefiascone, you should definitely visit this church But this evening, there’s plenty of light on the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele
And you can watch the wine festival tastings take place If you’re a wine connoisseur, you definitely need to get here in the first half of August to catch this event What to visit around Montefiascone In addition to a visit to nearby Lake Bolsena, one of the largest lakes in Italy
In terms of size, other places in the surroundings of Montefiascone are worth a visit First and foremost is the beautiful village of Gradoli about 26.5 km from the town center, while 14.6 km away is Bolsena. Continuing, however, westward, in the southern part of the lake, about 13 km
From the village, rises the small but lovely center of Capodimonte and Marta, also bathed by the waters of Lake Bolsena Continuing for another 9 km we reach the characteristic village of Valentano. From here, we can take the road that winds along the western side of the lake
And reach the charming medieval village of Grotte di Castro. Heading west, close to the Tuscan border, lies Farnese (31.5 km), an ancient and interesting village in Tuscia, and, finally, a visit to a incredible dying town with 11 residents Civita di Bagnoregio, about 14.8 km northeast of the town, is not to be missed.
Going to Civita di Bagnoregio you can also see Sant’Angelo – The Land of Fairy Tales. Great cities to visit – are Orvieto and Viterbo. They are a little further from the lake, but it is an opportunity not to be missed, because these 2 cities are beautiful and importane in medieovale history
Tonight we will take a look at another interesting Montefiascone tradition Now there is a Historical Procession, a similar one was already in this video before But there are some differences Today, in the middle of the parade, there are groups of young athletic men who will take part in competitions
4 teams that will roll barrels uphill and trample grapes in barrels with their feet, as they did in the old days. Let’s take a look on these competitions This is all, I hope you enjoyed walking with me through this wonderful old place Like and subscribe to the channel
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MONTEFIASCONE Italy Walking Tour 4k 🍷 Wine Festival August 2023 – With Captions!
Montefiascone is a wine town in the region of Lazio, Italy. It is located at an altitude of 600 meters above sea level. In this video walk we will visit the Fortress of the Popes, the Basilicas of St. Flaviano and St. Margherita. I’ll show you what happens at the annual August Wine Festival held in Montefiascone and take you through the streets of the old town of Montefiascone.
00:00 Montefiascone Italy Walking Tour
01:20 Montefiascone Viewpoint
01:31 Basilica di San Flaviano
04:40 Historical Parade on the Wine Festival of Montefiascone
08:53 Basilica di Santa Margherita
10:44 A walk through the old city
13:01 Rocca dei Papi
18:53 Johannes Defuk Monument
19:29 A walk through the old city
40:29 August Wine Festival Atmosphere
44:57 Historical Parade on the Wine Festival of Montefiascone
48:58 Sunset overlooking a volcanic lake
49:03 Montefiascone Viewpoint
49:13 Montefiascone by car
50:32 Lake Bolsena
50:56 Montefiascone by car
51:31 Historical Parade on the Wine Festival of Montefiascone
53:28 Barrel race
55:02 Grape treading
59:29 Good night, Montefiascone
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