I can’t believe it’s been 2 weeks. The Hotel Elitis is now quiet with the last of the choirs leaving this morning. The Festival Chorale International definitely kept us busy – 12 consecutive shows in 14 days. Of course in that 14 days, 2 of them were spent traveling to and from Italy.
We have met some fantastic people and I’ve traded emails with Claudia from Germany, Isacco from Italy, and Anne-lise from France, along with Facebook pages and YouTube Videos.
Our final concert was lovely. We entered the picturesque town of Azzio near Lake Maggiore in the mountain region of Northern Italy. Traversing through narrow and winding streets, we found ourselves in the midst (and mist) of this lovely community of about 700. We pulled up in front of the Convent church and I was just in awe. This is exactly what I have been yearning for on this whole trip – an old church to sing in.
The chapel was built in 1608 and was owned by the Church up until the war in the 1800s when the priests were put out, or maybe exiled. It was hard to get the clear explanation from the Italian gentleman I was talking to at the reception after the concert. At that point, 2 local men bought the complex and kept it in their family for about 100 years. It was later sold back to the Church where Franciscan Sisters now care for the buildings and gardens.
We, of course, arrived in the rain so I wasn’t able to capture as many photos on the outside as I would have liked. In the exterior courtyard, there are hand painted frescos for the Stations of the Cross. The ground is covered in stones that have been embedded for centuries.
The inside was just as I had hoped. Not much modernization, just the addition of electricity from what I could tell. Most of the frescos are no longer complete, but what remains is a vivid reminder of the master painters that traveled their way through this region on their way to Rome.
In the back behind the altar we were ushered to what would be our ‘green room’ changing area. Wooden choir stalls and more frescos greeted us and as you gaze toward the front of the church, two Gregorian chants painted on cloth lined the back side of the Altar. 
You have to forgive the quality of this photos – there were two spot lights on either side that didn’t allow me to get a clear shot.
Coming out of the Chapel is a dark stone hallway that lead us to the facilities (modern, thank you) and I had to let out a chuckle as I noticed the basketball hoop in the corridor. I can only imagine a game taking place on a summer’s evening.
The gardens surrounding the Convent are lovely. My friend Kris was pointing out a fantastic stone wall as I shot this photo.
Acoustically, we couldn’t have asked for a better venue and well as audience. We had a packed ‘house’ for our last Slavic/Mediterranean show and we performed well.
I only wish that we were able to take advantage of all of the beautiful churches we have seen dotting the countryside of this country.
Northern Italy reminded me somewhat of our trip to Northern Spain – the lush foliage, the warm people and kind hospitality. We are honored to be part of this Festival and to have met such great friends.
Our last official concert is this evening at the new music school in Legnano. We were given a tour of the facility on Saturday and it is quite impressive. Our concert will feature the Hawaiian & Early American music that has impressed the Italian audiences greatly. It is a reserved ticket event and we were chosen to perform the Concert Finale for the Festival. One last show before we leave for Minneapolis-St. Paul at 7:30am Tuesday.
Thank you, Legnano, The Festival Corale International, Francesco, Isacco, Yixou, Giaccamo and front desk clerks at the Hotel.
Arrivederci & Ciao!