A Painter

When art meets hospitality: A painter in Assisi

Once upon a time there was a painter, not just any painter, but one of those with a thick beard and intellectual glasses, who decided to stay in a guest house in Assisi. Not just any guest house, but one of those that make you feel as if you’ve stepped into a Renaissance painting.

Our hero, let’s call him Giotto 2.0, was searching for inspiration for his next great work. And what better place than Assisi, where the stones speak and the alleys whisper stories from centuries past? Giotto 2.0 was excited. He had booked a room with a view of Assisi, hoping that the panorama would whisper some artistic secret to him during the night.

The guest house was run by a young lady, Monica, and her husband Fabio. Monica welcomed him with a smile that could have lit up all of Umbria and showed him his room and the little terrace where the light was perfect for painting. Giotto 2.0 was fascinated by that place and by Monica’s smile.

The days went by and our painter painted, inspired by the surrounding beauty and by Umbrian cuisine which, let’s face it, is an art in itself. Between a brushstroke and a slice of torta al testo, Giotto 2.0 felt reborn. His work was taking shape, and even if it wasn’t the Sistine Chapel, it was certainly something that would turn more than one art critic’s head.

But not everything was perfect. There was a small problem: the pigeons. Yes, because pigeons are part of the landscape, and these pigeons had decided that Giotto 2.0’s easel was the perfect place to… well, do what pigeons usually do on easels. Our painter was not happy, but as the saying goes: “If you can’t beat them, include them in the work.” And so he did. His new series of paintings, “Posing Pigeons,” became an unexpected success.

At the end of his stay, Giotto 2.0 left the guest house with a portfolio full of new works and a heart full of gratitude. The lady of the guest house made him promise to return, maybe to paint the sequel: “Cats of Assisi.”

And so, dear readers, the next time you visit Assisi, keep your eyes open. You might come across a painter with a thick beard and intellectual glasses, or maybe just a pigeon with a particularly artistic air. Who knows, maybe you too will find inspiration among the ancient walls of this enchanted city.