|
| |
|
CLUSONE |
| |
|
|
| |
CLUSONE is the first stop worth making in the Valle Seriana, a
picturesque hilltop town whose Chiesa dei Disciplini (above the centre,
a ten-minute walk from the bus station) draws people from all over.
There's little of interest inside the church, but the two fifteenth-century
frescoes on its outside wall more than compensate. The upper fresco, The
Triumph of Death , concentrates on the attitude of the wealthy towards
death, with three noblemen returning from the hunt, discovering an open
tomb containing the worm-infested corpses of the pope and emperor. A
huge skeleton, representing Death, balances on the edge of the tomb,
while other skeletons take aim at people gathered around the tomb -
incorruptible figures, uninterested in the bribes being offered them.
The Dance of Death below continues the moral tale, contrasting the
corrupt upper classes with a procession of contented commoners, each
dancing his way towards death quite happily, above an inscription
inviting those who have genuinely served God to approach without fear
and join the dance.
Clusone itself is worth a wander, especially on Mondays when the steep
curving streets are taken over by a market selling local sausage and
cheeses. The tourist office (Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri 10am-noon & 3-5pm,
Sat 9am-noon & 3-6pm, Sun 9am-noon; tel 0346.21.113) is on Piazza
dell'Orologio, named for the fiendishly complicated sixteenth-century
clock on the tower of the Palazzo Comunale. If you have the time and
patience, you can work out the date, the sign of the zodiac, the
duration of the night and the phase of the moon. The tourist office has
information on local walks and hotels, and they will also be able to
provide details of the internationally renowned jazz festival which is
held in July. Of several one-star hotels, the cheapest is the San Marco
on Via G. Marconi (tel 0346.21.269; up to L60,000/¬30.99).
|
| |
|
