ILCI of Todi (Pg-Italy)

Sacred places and festivals

The church of San Giovanni Battista (former parish church) is located within the village. After decades of neglect it has been recently restored with much respect for its original features. Inside the church there are two fifteenth-century frescoes which have been restored.
The first depicting the Crucifixion and the second San Sebastiano.
The "trussed" ceiling can also be admired

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Crucifixion

San Sebastiano

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In 1927 the bell tower was incorporated. It is quite modern, anyway it blends well with the surrounding structures.

Building the bell tower

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The voice of the bells

.... Once upon a time… a beautiful sunny day in 1927.
4 wagons pulled by 4 pairs of oxen arrived in Ilci: the bells arrived! (They had been unloaded from a freight train arrived in Ponte Rio station, coming from the Marche region)

Their ringing announced important times of the day: "Buongiorno" at dawn, "Buon appetito" at midday and "Buonasera" at sunset.
…weddings and funerals and all the "remembering" feasts

They communicated joy and pain with deep intensity

A particular sound was to announce "L'acqua ria" (Bad water), that is a bad storm with thunder and lightning and maybe even hail: it was a warning for farmers working in the fields who had to find a shelter.
"A FULGURE ET TEMPESTATE LIBERA NOS, DOMINE" was a latin prayer invoked during the rogation ceremony.

There was also the festive night of "VENUTA" when the Virgin Mary, walking on the Milky Way, he went to his home in Loreto and the bells accompanied him, playing for over an hour, from midnight onwards.

CBig bell, bell and little bell: The intertwining of the various sounds marked the life of the Community. Their language was decipherable anywhere and by anyone!
The "Campanaro" with his family (usually numerous) lent his commitment freely, but he had the right to "Questua", that could have in return some grain, oil, wine, grapes or tomatoes: it was the " barter "or" the exchange economy "maybe not useless to remember now, in a period, ours, of" merry finance "..

Arrival and blessing of the bells    

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The parish seat was moved around the eighteenth century just outside the walls, where it still stands today. The church was called the Visitation or Madonna della Minerva.

(Photo collection by Valeria Bani)

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About two kilometers away, "Santa Maria Maddalena" a spot where there was since 1206. a leper hospital governed by a governor elected every six months.

This place still hosts today a chapel dedicated to the Madonna, and, until a few decades ago, evert year on July 21st a "fair" was held, it was a place of meetings and exchanges for adults and children.On this occasion, even today, the private chapel opens to the public for the celebration of a holy mass.

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On the border with the hamlet of Ripaioli (until 1800 belonging to Ilci, now in Ripaioli) is the church of San Lorenzo.

Images by Andrea Ceccarini