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Umbria

Do you enjoy a green, soulful countryside, exploring towns with layers of history and many architectural styles, hearty country cuisine, fine wines and fewer crowds? Yes? Umbria is for you! Landlocked Umbria, “the Green Heart of Italy”, lies east of Tuscany. In its green, peaceful hills and valleys, you enjoy panoramas of mountains, forests, olive groves, fields of grain, vineyards, plains, and Lake Trasimeno.

lovely piazza in town of Norcia

Cities and Towns

Its capital, Perugia shows you its layers of history from its Etruscan gate to its underground medieval city to its modern main promenade filled with elegant shops. The university for foreigners draws students from all over the world to study Italian. Chocolate lovers know the famous “Baci—Kisses” chocolates come from Perugia.

Pink hill town Assisi is a mecca for tourists coming to admire the Church of St. Francis with its restored Giotto frescoes and learn about St. Francis.

Umbria is famous for ceramics with lots of factories and artists’ studios in Deruta.

Montefalco, called the “balcony of Umbria” for its forever views, produces the fine red Sagrantino wine.

Norcia in the mountains is famous throughout Italy for its salami, sausages, prosciutto and meats, and its exquisite medieval piazza.

Trevi, the olive oil capital of Umbria, is dramatically perched on a hill with 200,000 olive trees blanketing surrounding hills.

Spello is a little pink stoned jewel on a hill with lovely views. My favourite Umbrian hill town – quiet and very pretty.

Bevagna, set in a valley, has a pretty Romanesque piazza, a jewel like 19th century theatre and a public wash basin where women wash clothes by hand. It is famous for its Gaite festival around the third week of June. The whole little town transforms itself in every precise detail back to the medieval town it was, with citizens in costumes, shops, medieval artisans, décor of streets, restaurants and piazzas, restaurant menus, public amusements. An incredible and unique week!

Orvieto's old centre lies high on a plateau and offers a beautiful cathedral, Etruscan museum and tombs, good white wines, and many fine shops.

Umbria cooking school tours

Cuisine and Wines

Umbria’s gastronomic delights include top quality olive oil, black truffles, mushrooms, Norcia salami, farro grain, lentils, grilled meats, game birds, chocolate and honey.

Umbria’s range of good wines includes red Sagrantino from Montefalco and Rubesco and others from Torgiano, and good white wines like Grechetto and those from Orvieto. Vin santo too!

Some typical dishes are: bruschetta with just olive oil and garlic, soups with lentils, or farro grain or chick peas, tagliatelle or risotto with porcini mushrooms, pasta with black truffles, sausage with fennel, trout with garlic, fennel, vinegar and olive oil, lamb roasted with pancetta, lentils and red wine. Many Umbrian dishes you’ll find in Tuscany as well.

For cooking school tours in Umbria please see www.italycookingschools.com/umbrialist.html