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Barbanera is the name of a famous calendar/almanac printed for the first time in Foligno around 1743. Still in production, it provides daily information, advice, and forecasts vital to both farmers and people who live in the big cities.
This almanac has also divulgated astrological notions and centuries-old wisdom for 252 years, while its oldest issue still available is a single sheet dating back to 1762, preserved in the historical archive of the Barbanera Foundation – in the enchanted village of Spello. The archive is actually housed in the very heart of Umbria, on a XVIII century agricultural estate of some 17 acres.

The Barbanera Historical Archive contains 50.000 documents and countless publications by Editoriale Campi publishing house, as well as paintings and sculptures: most of those works of art depict the 12 zodiac signs and have been created by different artists every year, as part of the almanac cover and artwork.

The archive building is surrounded by a vegetable garden, where endangered fruit and vegetable species are grown; there’s also a nursery which houses rare seeds and medicinal plants.
Everyone can consult the archive, after a mandatory and “purifying” visit to the botanical garden, where ripe fruit can be also picked.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)