Made any plans yet for New Year’s Eve? No? Why not spend it
in Italy and live “La Dolce Vita”?! At the end of the day… you only live once.
The place to be this time of the year is Orvieto. This town is the setting for
the Umbria Jazz Winter festival (the
smaller sibling of the biggest jazz festival in Italy, held every year in
Perugia, in july). Fly to Rome, rent a car or take the train to Orvieto and
your unforgettable New Year’s Eve trip can begin!
In case you’re a wine or architecture lover, you’ll probably
know Orvieto. It’s a small town on top of a tuff stone cliff and it’s famous for its white
wine (Orvieto Classico), its beautiful medieval cathedral with frescoes by Luca
Signorelli, various Etruscan relics, etc. In summer it draws swarms of tourists… in winter
on the other hand, it is a quiet little provincial town… until the “jazz circus”
arrives! Musicians, journalists, photographers, jazz lovers, groupies… they’re
all there!
A jazz fan will only need one glance at the festival programme
to know that Orvieto is the perfect location to celebrate New Year’s Eve. More
about that later. For everybody else: let me guide you through this wonderful
part of Umbria. I have to admit, it’s small, but Orvieto has a fantastic rural
cuisine, mouthwatering wines, nice little shops with local delicacies and
handicraft such as ceramics, wood carving and tablecloths. Need I say more?
The day starts with a cappuccino and a delicious pastry at Bar Montanucci. A bar-slash-bakery which
is a feast for the eyes! Try their homemade chocolates in the form of
Pinocchio’s nose. They’re all beautifully wrapped, so they’re perfect souvenirs.
After breakfast you can start sightseeing and shopping. And who knows… maybe
you’ll bump into a famous jazz musician!
As I said, there is a wide range of cute little shops. Let
me name a few. For special gifts I can highly recommend Menabò (espresso cups, keychains and magnets among other things).
The main street is filled with souvenir stores that sell local ceramics, but if
you’re looking for something special, check out Ceramicarte Orvieto in Via Duomo. Furthermore, you do not want to
miss the many “delicatessen” stores. There you’ll be able to buy truffles, sausages
and of course that renowned wine!
Oh and how about all those shopwindows displaying red lingerie…?!
In Italy it’s a tradition to give each other red underwear for New Year’s Eve, wear
it the 31st… and hope that it will bring you good luck in love in the year to
come! Especially at Intimissimi you’ll
find sexy, as well as funny red
underwear for both him and her.
At 11:30 a.m. there is a street parade in the historical
centre. The italian band Funk Off has been a regular guest of Umbria Jazz and has
a large fan base ever since. Funk Off gets everybody in the right mood early in
the day! At noon you can go to several concerts, either in the impressive Palazzo del Popolo or in the more
subdued and very elegant Museo Emilio
Greco (to listen to Danilo Rea, Massimo Moriconi and Tullio de Piscopo playing
a tribute to the late Renato Sellani).
Then it’s time for lunch! One of my favourite restaurants is
Trattoria dell’Orso. It’s not only a cosy
place but they also serve fabulous food! Tantalizingly delicious dishes like
stirfried “forgotten” vegetables, pasta with zucchini or truffles, grilled meat…
ahhh.
In the afternoon and evening there is a number of jazz
venues you can choose from. And really, there’s something for everyone. Founder
and Artistic Director of Umbria Jazz,
Mr Carlo Pagnotta, has discovered many “gems” over the years. (Many musicians
came to Europe for the first time thanks to him and subsequently played in
Perugia and Orvieto.)
This year famous musicians like Joe Lovano, Chris Potter, Anat
Cohen, Chiara Civello and Nicola Conte will play in the magnificent Teatro Mancinelli. Not only the music,
but also the balconies and paintings will take your breath away!
If you want to hear trumpet player Fabrizio Bosso, Doctor 3,
Jon Batiste or Davell Crawford, you’ll have to go to the
ancient Palazzo del Popolo. Don’t
forget to pass by the merchandise stand after the show to buy a nice Umbria
Jazz sweater as a souvenir. They usually sell like hot cakes and it would be a
shame to “miss out” on them.
For some tasty snacks & drinks and at the same time
great live music, you should go to the Palazzo
dei Sette. That’s the building in the main street with the bell tower. By
the way, everything is within walking distance… you’ll find it in a heartbeat. Otherwise
just follow the music! K.J.Denhert has
become a familiar face in the Palazzo dei Sette over the years. This year it’s
also the venue for Four Vegas who will bring the house down!
For a more formal jazz lunch or dinner one should go to Ristorante al San Francesco. On New Year’s Eve this is the place for a sumptuous dinner
while enjoying one great show after another. Bring your best suit or your
sexiest dress and your dancing shoes… because boy oh boy, those Italians can
party! That’s what I meant… La Dolce Vita!
If you have any energy left after midnight… you can go to
either the theatre, Palazzo del Popolo, or Palazzo dei Sette where there are
concerts and jam sessions until the middle of the night. Last but not least, make
sure you’ll be able to attend mass the next day… Mass? Yes! At 5 p.m. on the
1st of January there is an unforgettable New Year’s Mass in the Duomo,
accompanied by glorious gospel music. Talking about finishing in style…!
Without a doubt I must have forgotten venues and musicians, but there is simply too
much to mention. Or as the italians say: “C’è l’imbarazzo della scelta”.
For information, please visit:
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