Weepy Walls and All

The past few days have been rainy, more typical for Umbria during the month of November than the sunshine we have enjoyed since last month. Humidity is high. The paved streets and sidewalks can be a bit slippery so we walk slowly. We honestly don’t have to rush. This is, after all, Italia!!

And, each day still brings the joy of new discoveries. Seldom does one not. 

So, yesterday, over morning coffee, as Joe glanced at our surroundings, we made yet another one.

The living room walls of the apartment are at least twelve feet high and three outside walls are made of stone, one wall interrupted by two arched doorways that look out onto a courtyard. It’s the epitome of what a house in the historic center of an ancient Italian town would be. Can’t imagine in what year this was constructed. It’s probably as old as St Francis.

The walls were wet. Not dripping to the floor, but oozing. Sections of stone appeared to be “crying”. The sofa which was very close to one wall was getting wet. Our concern was aroused. This apartment is leased by friends who have sublet it to us. We had to alert them.

“We’re not complaining, we can live with it (damply), but you should come take a look at this. Either we’re experiencing some kind of miracle or there’s something wrong!”

Our call to Dolores promptly set her into action. She’s a warrior woman and Scott’s an engineer by profession (wait, wait…is that still a “profession” or has he also been insulted by Donnie?). Within the hour, a response containing the explanation came from the landlord. No, we were not on the road to canonization. We simply were witnessing a “physiological phenomenon from the geological point of view”. Our stone walls, they are known as “Pietre del Sanguinone”. They cry when the humidity is high. Not exactly a miracle but interesting. One might wonder why, knowing that this would happen over and over again, would home builders use this type of stone for interior walls? Simply put, they didn’t have a choice all those centuries ago. The stone that were used in construction is a rose and white color, typically found on nearby Monte Subasio. Subasio limestone runs from greyish or brownish white to beige and deep pink. It is the stone that was used to build most of Assisi, “Pietra Rosa di Assisi”                                                      

  

 

So, there you go. Simple explanation and a call to even more action. In researching this phenomenon I discovered references to some other uses of the stone and the agenda for the next few days includes further exploration of this mystical, magical city of miracles. While we weren’t experiencing any miracles first hand, we’ll settle for the mystery and the magic in our lives and will ask for miracles for those who truly need them.