Umbria trip, Day 1 - Bevagna

The first stop is Bevagna -- a small town that developed hands-on exhibits of medieval crafts, sort of like Colonial Willimasburg or the Old Sturbridge Village. The trip organizers thought it would be a fun activity for students. I guess it was.



Making candles from bee wax. It is not completely separated from honey, so the smell is really pleasant. Melted wax is repeatedly poured over a hanging wick until the candle reaches the required thickness, about 1/2 inch, then two candles are twisted together to make the finished product. The candle maker explained that melted wax was also used to seal small cuts and wounds.



A medieval pharmacy and spice shop.



Making paper from scraps of old rags -- a fairly complicated process that takes almost a month from start to finish. This is the final stage before drying: scooping some goo from a salty solution with a wire net and transferring it to a piece of fabric to dry.



Also painting and gilding: "This is red, we add some mercury to it; the white paint is based on lead..." Ouch! They used static on a donkey hair brush to pick up and move around very thin golden leaf.