Umbria

Our journey begins in the dramatic hill town of Orvieto, which the Etruscans built upon a flat butte of volcanic stone. Elevated at more than 1,000 feet, it was advantageous for warding off invaders.  Today, the city’s heights make for striking and memorable views from above and below.

After lunch on your own we start with an introductory meeting in the lobby of our hotel at 2 p.m., followed by a walk in town together.  The cathedral of Orvieto is a definite highlight, with one of the most colorful and ornate facades of any in Italy.  Inside, we find the Italian Renaissance painter Luca Signorelli’s massive frescoes of the Last Judgment, considered his masterpiece. Signorelli was revered for his talent in conveying stories through actions and gestures. He inspired the young Michelangelo, who meticulously studied Signorelli’s work.   

Tonight we toast the start of our tour in a local restaurant featuring traditional regional recipes and grapes.

This morning, we move from one pedestaled city to another, crossing from Umbria into Lazio in the process.  Like Orvieto, Civita too was built by Etruscans, over 2,500 years ago.  We enjoy an invigorating two-hour hike (we’ll make a loop) or simply take a lift in our van.

Following an earthquake in the 17^th century, the seat of government was forced to move to nearby Bagnoregio (formerly, just a suburb of Civita). By the 1800s, the pace of erosion had quickened, and the Italian began to refer to the perched city as il paese che muore (“the town that is dying”). Despite this, Civita is an architectural feat, one that has been relatively unaltered since its founding. The population today varies from a dozen in winter to about 100 in summer.

Following ambles in Civita and lunch on your own, we return to Orvieto in the late afternoon. After some time to rest and freshen up, we explore the city’s spectacular labyrinth of underground caves and tunnels. Created over the centuries, today the underground includes more than 1200 tunnels, galleries, wells, stairs, cellars and cisterns.  Many of Orvieto’s noble families had direct access to the underground, giving them means of escape when the city fell under siege.  A local family gives us a guided tour of their privately owned caves and afterwards we enjoy dinner in their restaurant with homemade Umbrian recipes. 

After breakfast, we set out for Castiglione del Lago, uno dei Borghi più Belli d’Italia (one of the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy in English). This is a project that promotes the great heritage of history, art, culture, environment and traditions found in small Italian towns off the beaten paths. Situated on the shores of Lake Trasimeno, we allow plenty of time to stroll and soak in the elaborate fortress, ordered by Frederic II of Swabia around 1247.

As part of the commission, the entire original ancient village was destroyed and rebuilt. Upon Frederic’s death, three years later, Perugia took possession and completed the imperial plan. The fortress has an irregular pentagonal shape. Eventually round towers replaced the original ones as round surfaces proved better defense against cannon fire.

In a nearby agriturismo, we take in a cooking demonstration, farm visit, and enjoy lunch together before returning to Orvieto in the late afternoon.  Dinner tonight is on your own but please ask us for suggestions!

Today we head for Assisi.  On the way, we stop in Spoleto to explore the Roman and Lombard imprints on this quintessential Umbrian town. Situated at the head of a large valley and surrounded by mountains, Spoleto has long enjoyed strategic positioning. It was important to the original Umbri tribes, who built walls around their settlement in the 5^th century BC, some of which are still visible today.

Under the Roman Empire, Spoleto flourished. Owing to its elevated position it was an important stronghold. Later, under the Lombards, it was made the capital of an independent duchy before, in 774, becoming part of the Holy Roman Empire. Together with other fiefs, it was bequeathed to Pope Gregory VII by the powerful countess (and one of the most interesting women in political history) Matilda of Tuscany.

Make sure not to miss the UNESCO site of the Basilica of San Salvatore, one of the seven Longobards (or Lombards) monuments in Italy. After lunch on your own, we continue on to Bevagna, another of the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy. Here, we visit a local artisan who will show us how he still makes paper using a medieval technique. Every June, his work is featured at the local festival of Le Gaite, alongside with other noble crafts such as similar techniques working stone, wood, glass and iron.

Later today en route to Assisi we’ll visit a local farmer to learn more about permaculture, for sure one of the most sustainable forms of agriculture. Continue to Assisi and after check-in you can start to explore Saint Francis’s birthplace. We’ll unwind together over dinner in a local restaurant.

Start your day today enjoying the wonders of Assisi on your own. For a bit of a challenge, make the invigorating hike to the Eremo (Hermitage) of Saint Francis on Mount Subasio (or catch the van for a ride). The path here is well marked as this is part of the Via Francigena (the French Way, a pilgrimage route that used to connect Canterbury all the way to Rome), which overlaps with a walking trail inspired by the saint’s life. Your destination, the Eremo, is utterly captivating. You can walk through the hermitage, ducking your head and tucking through narrow doorways to see where Saint Francis prayed and contemplated. The grounds are beautifully tranquil, and worth some time.

Later this morning we meet our local friend and guide for an informative ~one-hour walking tour and a visit to a local pastry shop for a tasting. Afterward, or earlier this morning, be sure not to miss the extraordinary frescoes in the UNESCO site of the Basilica of Saint Francis, which was begun in 1228 and is built into the side of a hill. Comprised of two churches known as the Upper Church and the Lower Church, there is also a crypt containing the remains of the saint.  Both Churches contain important frescoes by late medieval painters Cimabue, Giotto, Martini and Lorenzetti. Some are possibly by Cavallini as well.

From here we travel to Spello, yet a third of the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy, for a walk and lunch with a local family featuring macramé art in the old tradition and a performance by a local songwriter, originally from Rome, who is being honored in an upcoming book alongside no less than Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan!   In the afternoon, we visit a local organic winery to taste the Umbrian native grapes of Grechetto and Sagrantino di Montefalco. 

Dinner in Assisi tonight is on your own. Again, we are happy to make suggestions, so please ask!  

Our final full day begins with a trip to Gubbio.  On arrival, we visit a pottery maker to learn more about this noble and ancient art form for which Umbria is famous.  In fact, one of the fifteen oldest businesses in the world is an Umbrian ceramics maker (the business is currently in its 24^th generation!)  Later, enjoy a 1-2-hour walk up to the church of Saint Ubaldo.  Or, if you prefer, you can visit it taking a chairlift. 

Lunch today in Gubbio is on your own.  Explore this easy to walk authentic medieval town before we head back to Assisi to visit a local olive oil producer and enjoy a tasting.  From here, we’ll commemorate our time together over a delicious local, traditional dinner and final toast to the journey! 

After breakfast at 8:30am our 30-mins group transfer ends our tour at the train station in Foligno where you can catch a two-hour train to Rome Airport. Or, extend your stay in Umbria or in Rome. We are here to help.  Arrivederci! (Goodbye in Italian)  and we hope to see you again soon!