The Villages That Make Umbria Special

When I think about the villages of Tuscany, I believe I've seen most of them. But neighboring Umbria? I know precious few. I've visited Perugia, Assisi, and Gubbio, but I've never spent enough time in the "green heart" to truly grasp what makes this area extraordinary. With a long weekend available to spend with my parents and limited time to plan, I reached out to Rob from Special Umbria, a property company that has made a tranquil corner of Umbria their home. I've written before about the elegant touch of Rob Landeweerd and Jeroen Macco, two Dutch entrepreneurs who fell for Città della Pieve and purchased a property near a small town just kilometers away (close to a tiny village called Piegaro), transforming it into a collection of beautifully restored villas for rent. Remembering the beauty of those villas, I thought, "what better place to begin exploring some of Umbria's villages!"

In the end, Rob's recommendations also helped me understand why visitors to Umbria never want to leave.

Umbria borders Tuscany, Lazio, and the Marche. The A1 motorway runs along its western edge, while the highway from Bettolle to Perugia cuts across the upper section. The rest is a network of winding roads connecting small municipalities. Perhaps the most unexplored corner of Umbria lies south of Lake Trasimeno; our base was near the town of Piegaro, famous for its glasswork (both ancient and contemporary), about an hour's drive from any destination. Upon arrival at the villa, we didn't want to leave. If I hadn't had the assignment to write about what I'd see, I would have risked simply wandering the estate and soaking in the views for all three days. Instead, I dragged the family to explore several destinations within an hour's drive.

The villages of Umbria are the perfect destination for true Italy lovers who have seen and cherished the great cities and now want to unwind and appreciate the good life: a bottle of wine, sausages, and sunset over rolling green hills.

Bevagna

I had heard of Bevagna because the town received the "Orange Flag" designation, an award given by the Italian Touring Club to beautiful and virtuous small municipalities. The medieval walled town of Bevagna (population 5,000) fits these criteria perfectly. It's known for the charming Piazza Silvestri, which features not one (as is typical) but two churches facing it, along with the town hall and a nineteenth-century theater. Bevagna was actually founded by the Romans in 90 BC, called Mevania, and indeed there are still remnants of a Roman temple and forum.

Beyond the square, another point of interest is the Clitunno River that flows along one side of the town, which underwent later urban development with the construction of a bridge and square over a small dam. There's a belvedere overlooking the river and a cycling path that connects Bevagna to several other Umbrian towns. Additionally, the pedestrian center features absolutely enchanting little streets.

Montefalco

Just 12 minutes from Bevagna (it's best to see the two towns on the same day), lies Montefalco, which gives its name to the wine region that produces Sagrantino di Montefalco, an excellent full-bodied red wine. Believe it or not, I first heard of Montefalco thanks to a project from several years ago in which Arnaldo Caprai, a wine and textile producer, funded the acquisition of a document that was the original contract between a church in Montefalco and artist Benozzo Gozzoli to fresco the building.

That was in 2013. Then, the textile group also funded the restoration of the chapel frescoed by this sublime artist, which is now part of the San Francesco museum complex and therefore open to visitors: a true gem entirely frescoed on three levels, with scenes from the life of Saint Francis. The frescoes were commissioned in 1452, seven years before Benozzo frescoed the Magi Chapel for the Medici in Florence.

In the same church there's also a fresco by Perugino, depicting the holy family in adoration. This curved wall lends itself splendidly to selfies, though I won't show you the irreverent selfie I took! Completing a visit to this complex is a small picture gallery and an exhibition of winemaking tools in what was once the monks' cellar.

Montefalco is nicknamed "the balcony of Umbria" for good reason: the town boasts a 360-degree panorama from which you can easily see Perugia, Assisi, Spello, Foligno, Trevi, Spoleto, and Bevagna, as well as the Apennines and Mount Subasio (where Saint Francis founded a hermitage). Even more interestingly, the town was previously called Coccorone, perhaps due to the circular medieval walls or the crown around the main tower; the current name probably derives from a 1240 visit by Emperor Frederick II of Swabia, a falconry enthusiast.

As throughout most of Umbria, you should definitely stop in Montefalco for a good meal. We enjoyed the Locanda del Teatro, run by true food lovers with excellent dishes and an outstanding wine selection. In summer you can dine on a lovely terrace at the back with magnificent views.

Torgiano

Torgiano is a town I've always associated with wine due to the presence of its dedicated museum, founded by the important Lungarotti winery. The MUVIT was created by the Lungarotti family in 1974 and presents 5,000 years of history organized through various themes, from objects and representations of wine in the ancient world, to modern ceramics used for games, to Dionysian images throughout various epochs. And there are also interesting contemporary ceramics and creations.

Brufa

In the countryside just outside Torgiano, keep your eyes wide open: you might spot several sculptures scattered about. These works are part of a project called "Sculptors in Brufa," which installed one sculpture in the landscape each year from 1987 to 2011 (or perhaps even later; I'm not sure if the project was abandoned or if simply the website wasn't updated anymore).

Deruta

Heading south from Torgiano you reach Deruta, a small municipality long associated with ceramics. Therefore, the main thing to do once here is visit the Ceramics Museum or purchase a ceramic object for your home (they produce wonderful tables that you can have shipped home). I've always loved ceramics: I appreciated the small room dedicated to ceramics in the Bargello Palace and visited the ceramics museums of Montelupo Fiorentino and Faenza (the latter is truly amazing).

The Ceramics Museum of Deruta is one of the most complete, with the entire Italian history of ceramic decoration through the centuries and an incredible four-floor archive that can be consulted at any time! Deruta was famous in the Renaissance for decorative painted plates. Here it's interesting to see how various themes repeated throughout the centuries. This was one of the topics of my doctoral thesis concerning putti (those chubby children usually depicted dancing), who are often painted on majolica and, consequently, frequently present in museums I've visited.

Città della Pieve

One of the most charming municipalities in this part of Umbria (and the one that literally enchanted Rob and Jeroen) is Città della Pieve, the birthplace of artist Pietro Vannucci, better known as Perugino. Like Bevagna, it's an Orange Flag municipality, and truly deserves this recognition. Beyond being naturally charming, the town has done excellent work with signage, accompanied by an app with QR codes and free wifi.

If you love art as much as I do, you absolutely must see the three works the artist left in this town: "The Adoration of the Magi" in the Oratory of Santa Maria dei Bianchi, "The Baptism of Christ" in the Cathedral, and "The Deposition from the Cross" in the Diocesan Museum of Santa Maria dei Servi. If you stay in the area you can easily recognize the famous pastel-toned landscapes of the Val di Chiana and Lake Trasimeno area. The Adoration in the Oratory was painted for a confraternity founded in the thirteenth century that still counts 40 members today. The person who greets you (and collects 2 Euros for entry) is a member of the confraternity and will tell you the entire story of the fresco that Perugino painted in 1504. I love this story about typical Italian values of creativity and money. At the time the artist was already quite famous, having worked in Rome and Florence, but the prior of the confraternity was his father, so he felt obligated to do it (this is my interpretation). He initially asked for 300 florins, but ultimately accepted 25 florins, a house, and a mule! He did another painting in nearby Panicale, but was never paid. So better a mule than nothing?

Tired of Perugino? Visit the Lauro Collection of contemporary art in a post-industrial building: a private collection of over 300 pieces of contemporary art by quite important names. Unfortunately it's only open Friday and Saturday (by appointment) so I couldn't visit.

Don't forget to stroll through the town's many alleys. The most famous and photo-worthy is Vicolo Baciadonna, so narrow that two people passing cannot avoid getting very well acquainted!

Lake Trasimeno

Lake Trasimeno is the largest lake in central Italy (though to us North Americans it's just a kind of pond). When I worked in Cortona, I enjoyed looking at this lake from the town, but some Umbrian friends took me to visit it in person (thanks to Linda and Steve from The Beehive in Rome, who live in Orvieto, and Rebecca who has apartments in Assisi). It takes about an hour and a half by car from Florence to reach a lovely restaurant on the lake called Rosso di Sera, in the town of San Feliciano, where we occasionally meet our friends for a long lunch. If you go, get the fish and chips! Last time we took the ferry to Isola Polvese, which hosts a charming park with a castle (open only in spring and summer). We still have the other two islands to see.

Piegaro

The small municipality near our villa deserves mention as a quiet and remote medieval town, with an extensive modern section promoting glasswork, an important part of this village's heritage. This activity has been practiced at least since the fifteenth century, as you can learn by visiting the Glass Museum, created inside a historic glassworks. Just outside the town is a modern glassworks that today employs many of the residents.

Alexandra Korey

With this article published on the online publication ArtTrav.com, Alexandra Corey participated in the 2018 edition (Tourism, Environment and Culture section) of the International Journalism Competition "Raccontami l'Umbria," established by the Chamber of Commerce of Perugia with the participation of the Chamber of Commerce of Terni.

Articles from "Raccontami l'Umbria" can be consulted at: www.obiettivoimpresaweb.it