HIDDEN
CORNERS OF UMBRIA
Contents:
- Introduction
- Accommodation and Meals
- Day by Day Tour Description
- Dates
- Cost
Hidden Corners of Umbria – a House Party
There is nothing wrong as such with Florence and Rome and Assisi and
Siena. It is just that they are not the only spots worth visiting
in Central Italy. We shall take you to places equally beautiful and
artistically significant but not as well known, and, most importantly,
not heaving with tourists. This is a unique opportunity to discover
delightful artistic and architectural gems that are totally off the
beaten track.
See many wonderful medieval walled cities –we call it “hilltop
town hopping”. Learn about surprising Etruscans and wily Romans
through buildings and statues. Follow in Hannibal’s footsteps.
Let castles and citadels tell the colourful stories of upheavals in
medieval times. Enjoy exquisite treasures of the Renaissance in palaces,
paintings and statuary.
Besides enriching cultural experiences, there will be an opportunity
to enjoy glorious scenery, boat trips, gentles walks and swimming
in Casa Fontana’s large pool. There will be leisurely dinners
on the Casa terrace, situated in an olive grove and offering splendid
panoramic views.
Accommodation
Your accommodation is a private apartment in an Umbrian villa.. Casa
Fontana (www.casafontana.net ) is a recently converted farmhouse,
set in five acres of terraced hillside with a secluded pool offering
panoramic views over valleys and mountains.
Each comfortable apartment is subtly individual in style. They all
have lounge / kitchen, double bedroom, shower room with WC, outside
patio and dining area. Your apartment is equipped with cooker, fridge
and dishwasher..
Meals
Your apartment contains breakfast provisions The main meal is in
the evenings (except for lunch on one occasion), taken on the spacious
loggia with wonderful views - sunsets are magnificent!.
Sourced from fresh local ingredients, meals consist of several courses,
such as:
Bruschete con Pepperoni
(Chargrilled Roast Pepper toasts, dressed with a hint of garlic and
Casa Fontana’s own cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil)
Prosciutto di Parma, dolce e staggionato (A platter
of two kinds of Parma ham:
The tender fresh as well as the mature, well seasoned varieties)
Insalata di Fagioli e Sedano
(A salad of rich borlotti beans with crisp celery and aromatic, mild
red onions)
Fettucine con Finocchi
(Home made fresh pasta with fennel in a creamy saffron sauce)
Faraone con rosamarino e pancetta
(Locally farmed guinea fowl baked with rosemary and smoked bacon on
a bed of
fluffy potato puree and leeks)
Panna Cotta alla Frutta di Bosco con Limoncello
Frappe
(A cream mould with vanilla seeds, served with berries and leaves
of mint, accompanied by Limoncello liqueur on crushed ice)
Wines:
Sparkling: Prosecco del Veneto
White: Grechetto della Cantina Goretti
Red: Nero d’Avola
Day One
Arrival at Rome Airport – First aid: great Italian
coffee and croissants – Transfer by car / minibus to Casa Fontana
- En route: hilltop town hopping – Welcome dinner at Casa Fontana
If there is one feature that is uniquely Umbrian, then it is the
profusion of spectacular medieval towns perched on top of hills. There
are various theories why people of old would live in high, walled
towns and only go down to the valley to tend their fields. Safety
within the sturdy walls must have been one reason. The other is said
to be malaria. Mosquitoes bred in profusion in the marshy lands below,
whilst on the top of hills there was more wind and less stagnant water
.Thankfully, the marshes are now gone and the insects no more than
a minor nuisance.
These towns are medieval with ancient Etruscan roots. Remains of
temples and amphitheatres show the later influence of Classical Rome.
They are places where Gothic reigns and the Renaissance is the innovative
newcomer! Though there are touches of Baroque here and there, architecturally
speaking time seems to have stood still on the whole. These are no
sterile tourist towns, however, people still live and work within
thick medieval walls and in houses whose foundations are centuries
old. Stylish shoe-shops rub shoulders with ancient churches and the
cash machine is embedded in the wall of a cinquecento palazzo! In
these towns we shall discover many hidden gems of late Gothic and
Renaissance art and architecture during our exploration of Umbria.
No hilltop town does spectacular better than Orvieto. As we speed
down the motorway, it rises in front of us, perched on a pedestal
of golden rock, surrounded by 150 m high sheer cliffs and crowned
by a cathedral above. A breathtaking sight from afar and equally impressive
close up. A walk through its winding streets takes us to the cathedral.
I always envy people who have never seen Orvieto Cathedral before.
It is wonderful to watch their astonishment and delight as they first
glimpse the magnificent façade, the sun illuminating the golden
mosaics and rich carvings. This must surely be one of the world’s
most beautiful cathedrals! The Signorelli frescoes inside are a powerful
contrast to the peaceful beauty of the façade. They depict
apocalyptic scenes with terrifying force. Michelangelo was said to
have made a stopover on his way to Rome to paint the frescoes of the
Sistine Chapel and considered Signorelli his master.
After grand Orvieto, little known Monteleone is a pleasant contrast,
a small, tranquil town. It is, nevertheless, even higher than Orvieto,
with an equally dramatic situation. It occupyies a high spur overlooking
the Val di Chiana.
Our next stop is “Citta della Pieve” which sounds rather
more mellifluous than “Town of the Parish Church” which
is it literal meaning. An elegant and lively little place, it is right
on the border of Umbria and Tuscany. Its watchtower thrusts to 35
m high and was used in medieval times to warn Perugia of enemy approach.
They would make a powerful bonfire on top of the tower that could
be seen miles away. By the time the intruders covered the distance
to Perugia, the good townspeople were ready for them! Citta is rather
less turbulent these days, the surrounding Tuscan - Umbrian landscape
speaks of beauty rather than lurking dangers. This is the landscape
that forms the backdrop to many of the paintings by the Renaissance
artist Perugino,Citta’s best known son. We shall see in his
lovely fresco, The Adoration of the Magi, which portrays Christ’s
birth in Arcadian springtime, the view from Citta towards the lake.
Lago Trasimeno is the fourth largest lake in Italy. Our last stop
before we reach Casa Fontana is at Panicale, whose high elevation
provides a magnificent panorama of the lake and the countryside surrounding
it. We shall stroll through Panicale’ narrow streets and take
refreshments in the central square of unparalleled medieval beauty
. The day’s sight-seeing ends with a look at Perugino’s
the Martyrdom of San Sebastiano, one of his finest works. As so often,
it includes the Umbrian landscape and we can spot its features as
we drive towards the Casa, dinner and rest.
Day Two
Bijoux hilltop town Agello – – Umbria’s
best kept secret Montefalco- Torgiano: Olive and Wine Museums –
R&R at the Casa
Just to prove that everything I have previously said about the frequency
and beauty of hilltop towns is true, we shall visit a few more today.
Each of them is beautiful, each has its unique character.
Agello is worth a brief stop simply because it is so pretty. The
little walled town is hardly more than a hilltop village and it houses
no great art or significant church - it is simply a work of art in
itself! .
Everyone goes to Assisi, but very few make it to Montefalco. And
yet the two are but a short distance from each other. This makes Montefalco
a best kept secret – and may it long remain so! It is not by
chance that the town is known as the Balcony of Umbria. It offers
a vast panorama with all round views over the Valle Umbra, from Assisi
to distant Spoleto. Montefalco seems such a cheerful town –
could it be the profusion of wine shops and bars? The Sagrantino grape
produces some excellent vintages which we shall sample over lunch.
Culture first, however. There can be few museums more agreeable than
the deconsecrated 14th c. church housing some wonderful Gothic and
Renaissance art: it is light and airy and almost empty of visitors!
Yet it has an attractive Perugino Nativity with Lake Trasimeno in
the background, as well as the Gozzoli frescoes depicting the life
of St Francis. If you have been to the Medici Chapel in Florence you
cannot fail to remember the astonishing fresco by Benozzo Gozzoli
adorning it walls. The painter spent two years in Montefalco, creating
the St Francis panels. They might not be as well known as the work
by Giotto in Assisi but they are easier to enjoy.
On the way home we stop in Torgiano to have a look at two museums,
those of wine and olives. From ancient pottery to Renaissance plates,
the museum documents the importance of wine in the collective imagery
of the civilizations that over the millennia have lived in the Mediterranean
basin and continental Europe. As well as being an essential element,
wine has acquired religious and profane traditions and meanings with
Bacchus as a leitmotiv. We shall stroll through the twenty rooms not
so much to examine each piece separately, more in order to get a feel
for the place and for the importance of viniculture in these parts.
Created as a companion collection to the Wine Museum, the Oil Museum
tells you more than you probably ever wanted to know about growing
olives and extracting the oil, through some pretty and interesting
objects connected with the process.
We end the day with well deserved rest and recreation back at the
Casa and a leisurely dinner on the loggia.
Day Three
Monte Oliveto Maggiore: beauty, serenity and art –
Pienza: Renaissance Utopia – Val d’Orcia: it looks just
like the postcards - Cortona, a glimpse of what the book was all
We are slipping over the border today for a foray into Tuscany. Our
main destination today is the Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore. It
is a working Benedictine monastery, founded in 1313. It occupies a
solitary position – a green oasis amongst the cropped hills
of Tuscany. A beautiful avenue of Cyprus trees leads up to the late
Gothic church which has had an 18th c. Baroque facelift. Lunch before
art, however, we shall dine in the monastery’s own restaurant.
Simple but good local food is available but there must be a word of
warning: the good friars offer a “digestivo” of their
own make. It is a cross between bitters and liqueur which they claim
to consist of 24 herbs. Well, it is at least 23 too many, in our opinion!
Thus fortified, we are ready to tackle the main artistic attraction
of Monte Oliveto, the cloisters. They are decorated by a magnificent
series of frescoes. Five of the thirty six panels were painted by
no lesser a person than Signorelli. The rest are by da Bazzo, better
known as “Sodoma”. Vasari in his Lives has quite a few
sardonic remarks on that subject! Sodoma has not lacked self confidence
and painted what he saw fit. It is strange to see such realistic depictions
of temptation, greed, voluptuousness and many other sins in the heart
of a working monastery…
After a beautiful drive through picture postcard Tuscan landscape,
we arrive in the Ideal City. To rebuild the town of his birth as a
“Citta Ideale” was the aim of the scholar and humanist
Aenea Piccolomini when he became Pope Pius II. He aimed for urban
Utopia and, though never completed, Pienza has become one of the most
beautiful cities built during the Renaissance. The cathedral and the
Piccolomini Palace are on the central square, the core of a harmonious
ensemble of buildings built of honey coloured stone that glows at
dawn and dusk. No wonder that at least two famous films were shot
here: Zeferelli’s Romeo and Juliet and The English Patient.
In the “Citta Ideale” nature and architecture were meant
to coexist in harmony and the Piccolomini Palace was built to take
full advantage of panoramic views over the stunning valley, the Val
d’Orcia..
Who has not seen those postcards of typically Tuscan scenes: in a
golden field of corn, a line of pencil thin Cyprus trees wind a path
uphill to an ancient farm house, its rose coloured walls reflecting
the golden hues of the fields? This is the Val d’Orcia, is characterised
by gentle, carefully-cultivated hills occasionally broken by gullies
and by picturesque towns and villages. It is a landscape which has
become familiar through its depiction in works of art from the Renaissance
painting to the modern photograph. Villa la Foce, its gardens and
3,500 acre estate are the creation of the historian Iris Origo and
her husband. We shall get glimpses of the beautiful grounds as we
drive past towards Cortona.
The thing about Cortona is that it used to be a perfectly nice town
until a certain book has hit the best seller lists. Though it has
now become somewhat commercialised it is still worth a look, a walk
through the streets might give you an understanding why Under the
Tuscan Sun has become such a success. This will be our last stop before
putting our feet up back at the Casa and get ready for Edith’s
dinner.
Day Four
Lake promontory Castiglion del Lago: street market and panoramic
hospital - Isola Maggiore: St Francis and his Loaf but we have a better
lunch -In Hannibal’s Footsteps – Casa Dinner
Today we explore Lago Trasimeno, Italy’s fourth biggest lake.
In the past it was a crucible of history, with dukes and popes fighting
for possession. Today it is a beautiful recreational area with fishing
and water-sports, also known as the Umbrian Riviera.
We first visit Castiglion del Lago, built on a promontory jutting
onto the lake, its castle and cathedral an important part of the Trasimeno
skyline. It is a planned town, with three gates, three roads and three
squares. The only difference between it and, say, Milton Keynes is
that the former was designed and built in the 13th c.! A walk along
the battlements takes us to what must be one of the prettiest hospitals
in the world. Not so much the buildings as its aspect. It looks down
on the lake which shimmers like a mirror embedded in gentle rolling
hills covered in olives and vineyards. Also, not many working hospitals
boast a chapel with a fresco by the famous cinquecento master, Giovanni
Battista Caporali. It is market day today and we can inspect the stalls
for gifts for home, admire the appetizing food stalls and accept free
tastings of local delicacies such as pecorino cheese and wild boar
sausages.
A stroll down to the pier and we are on a small ferry, heading for
Isola Maggiore, one of three islands on the lake. It is a charming
15th c. village, inhabited by fishermen and famous for lace-making
women. In 1211 St Francis has spent a month alone on the island and
was able to survive all that time on half a loaf of bread. Luckily,
we do not need such miracles as there are a number of pleasant restaurants
on the shore to serve us lunch. A post-prandial walk along the footpath
encircling the island will help us settle a good meal before we take
another boat to Tuoro.
In Tuoro we are catapulted back in time even further than 13th c.
Italy, to the Punic Wars. “Hannibal ante portas!”, or
“Hannibal at the gates (of Rome)!”, wrote Livy in his
account of the Battle of Trasimeno which took place here in 217. Hannibal
set out on his legendary march from New Carthage (Cartagena, Spain)
in 218 BCE. At first he crossed the Pyrenees; later he traversed the
Alps through narrow and dangerous passes of up to more than 2000 metres
above sea level, winning important victories in the north of Italy
on the way. In the following year Hannnibal reached the shores of
Lake Trasimeno. This is where he achieved one of his most decisive
victories, inflicting a massive defeat on the Roman army commanded
by Gaius Flaminius, builder of the Via Flaminia, or Flaminian Way.
There were far reaching consequences to this defeat, Rome was obliged
to tighten up its military organisation which paved the way to expansion
and eventual empire. The human cost of the conflict is preserved in
two local place names: “Ossaia” from (ossa = bones) and
“Sanguineto” (sangue = blood). Where armies clashed, there
are now vineyards, where men perished in mire, there are now olive
groves, where soldiers were driven into the lake, there are now pleasure
beaches. The best place to view the battlefield from is sthe terrace
of a café called, appropriately, The Squirrel, as it is high
up in the hills above Tuoro. Looking from above we shall see how cleverly
Hannibal has made use of the advantages of the terrain. After all
this strife, we head back to a peaceful dinner at the Casa.
Day Five
- Etruscans vs. Romans at Goretti’s - Perugia: hard
to find, hard to forget – Deruta: Mecca of pottery - Mamma’s
cooking at Masolino’s
We set off to Perugia and on the way there we call at our favourite
wine makers, the Goretti’s. Not only do they produce excellent
wines from pleasant ordinary to prize-winning cuvees, they also have
a 12th c. medieval tower that is worth a look in itself. It has a
bronze statue known as L’Arrringatore, or Orator which was found
on the Goretti estate. The figure is dressed in the Roman style yet
the edge of its toga bears an inscription, a votive offering, in Etruscan.
This is witness to the Romanization of ancient Etruscan traditions
at the time.
They say that the most frequent cause of marital disagreement between
tourists to Perugia is getting lost in the road system. Actually,
“system” might be an optimistic misnomer… As we
negotiate the network of two-lane roads and tunnels in the ugly modern
suburbs of Umbria’s capital, we find it hard to believe that
it will be a delightful experience when we reach the historic centre
high above. If we ever do, that is.
Yes, it is delightful. A car park, a lift and a couple of escalators
later we find ourselves back in medieval times. “What a town
for assassinations!”, wrote H.V. Morton. He must have been referring
to Perugia’s authentically medieval streets, mostly steps, closes
and narrow alley-ways. It is easy and much fun to loose ourselves
in this maze and to discover a church here, a statue there. In contrast
the central square is wide, open and imposing. On one side is the
Commune, or Town Hall which, in time honoured Umbrian tradition upstages
the cathedral on the other side. The two stare at each other over
Italy’s most beautiful fountain, the polygonal pink and white
Fontana Maggiore. A visit to the Galleria Nazionale is a must as it
houses the finest collection of trecento paintings in Italy as well
as many works by Pinturicchio and Perugino. The town is famous for
its sweets, particularly chocolates. As we stroll along the Corso
Vannucci, however, it behoves us to eat a snake. Not a real one, you
will be pleased to hear, but a coiled almond pastry. It is not just
for the taste-buds, the café where we stop is set inside medieval
walls with magnificent frescoes adorning its ceiling. We conclude
our Perugia visit by going underground, down an escalator to a world
that, for 300 years has been forgotten –a fascinating excavation
of medieval and Etruscan buildings. Not a bad way to reach the car
park!
We make a short detour on our way back to Deruta, Umbria’s
major centre for ceramics and majolica since the 13th c. It is a pleasant
little town on the hilltop and ceramic shops and workshops below.
We can see the process of hand painting the famous blue and white
Vassaio china and view the stylish modern designs. Those with room
in their suitcases, this might be the moment to purchase a gift.
Dinner this evening is at a rather special restaurant in Panicale.
Masolino’s is no mere restaurant, it is an institution! Mamma
does the cooking, daughter Stefania the delicious desserts whilst
son Andrea heads the service and manages his impressive wine list.
The food is authentic Umbrian at its most delicious. Amongst the many
offerings we love the truffle and leek pasta, the tender pork loin
with a rosemary flavoured chickpea puree and the flambéed crema
catalana that is an aristocratic distant cousin to the ubiquitous
crème caramel. The house speciality is guinea fowl in a delicious
creamy dressing, served on a king sized bruschetta. For the figure
conscious, we would recommend a light but delectable dish of fillet
of beef with ruccola and balsamico. Buon appetito!
Day Six
Todi for beauty and longevity - Spellbound in Spoleto: precipitous
arrival - a fortress with a tumultuous past – great art and
oversexed monks
I am not sure where I have read that Todi has the highest life expectancy
in the EU but if tranquillity and contentment is a factor, than I
am not surprised. It is such a pleasant place, a harmonious blend
of beauty and comfort. All this is in total contrast to its tumultuous
history, fighting between Umbrians and Etruscans, between Etruscans
and Romans, between Romans and barbarians, between popes and warlords
and so on throughout the centuries. It is difficult to believe all
this strife as we sit in one of Todi’s cafes, looking out at
the unspoiled countryside far below. Elegantly understated palaces
frame the main square dominated by the Town Hall on one side and the
cathedral on the other. Todi’s churches incorporate various
artistic epochs with Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance features.
It is all rather lovely - stopping here has been a worthwhile experience
, a nice break before we drive onto Spoleto.
We enter Spoleto by crossing the Ponte delle Torri, a viaduct at
a dizzying height of 80 m above the beautiful Tessino gorge. Spoleto
clings to the hillside opposite, dominated by the formidable fortress
of Rocca Albornoz. The history of this monumental structure reflects
all the turbulent events that have taken place in Spoleto: occupying
Goths, then Lombardians, a spell under the Borgias and many centuries
of papacy. At one point the fort was converted to a luxurious papal
retreat but after the Risorgimento it was used as a prison. With yet
another reversal of fortunes it has a more agreeable purpose these
days as a centre of culture and venue for a famous summer music festival.
Further back in history, Spoleto became in 241 BC the Roman colony
of Spoletium and the town is peppered with remains of antiquity. Undoubtedly
the jewel in Spoleto’s crown is its stunning Romanesque cathedral
with exquisite rose windows and floors of inlaid marble. Best of all
in the cathedral are the frescoes by Fra Filippo Lippi, the Life of
the Virgin. According to Vasari, the inspiration was anything but
virginal, since they were portraits of his mistress. Although a Carmelite
friar, Lippi was a notorious womaniser, and Vasari writes that, if
he was unable to “enjoy the woman he wanted… he would
cool his passion by painting her picture”. He is said to have
been poisoned and died at the height of his powers, unable to finish
the Life. We can judge for ourselves whether his portrayal of the
Virgin is more earthy than saintly. One thing is certain, his vibrant
colours and lyrical, tender figures make this visit to Spoleto’s
cathedral truly memorable.
We head home to the Casa and a farewell gala dinner.
Day Seven
From ancient to modern, off to Rome Airport - en route: Chiusi,
a town with schizophrenia – Montepulciano, views and wine -farewell
to Etruscans, Romans and the Renaissance - Arrivederci!
We started our tour with hill town hopping and we shall end with
the same, this time on the other side of valley. The reason Chiusi
(and a number of other towns along the way to Rome, such as Fabro
and even Orvieto) can be said to have a split personality is because
there are two of them, “Scalo” and “Alto”.
The “Scalo” is the modern bit that sprawls on both sides
of the railway line. Alto, on the other hand, is the picturesque old
town, sitting up on top of the hill. The two are interconnected, of
course, though car traffic becomes a gladiatorial contest in the narrow
streets of the old town. Though it is a lovely place in its own right,
the reason we are making a stop in Chiusi are the Etruscans. It was
a thriving town as far back as the first millennium before Christ
and in the 6th c. BC one of the most important cities in the Etruscan
federation. They fought and defeated the Romans. As we stroll through
the Archeological Museum, we shall discover many beautifully crafted,
sophisticated objects that tells us the history of this important
people.
The road from Chiusi to Montepulciano is picture postcard pretty.
We can see the beautiful contours of the town miles away, as, at 605
m, it is one of the highest situated cities in Tuscany. Another Etruscan
town originally, the chambers dug by them deep beneath the city are
now used as wine cellars. And what wines! The famous Vino Nobile is
justly famous and particularly precious if it is a Riserva. Architecturally,
the town is a fascinating mixture of Sienese Gothic and Florentine
Renaissance. It is a long steep walk to the highest point in the city,
the Piazza Grande but the view of the surrounding countryside makes
it worthwhile. The most interesting building is the Renaissance masterpiece
of Madonna di San Biagio, much influenced by St Peter’s in Rome.
And Rome is where we are heading now, back to the airport and the
21st c. Arrivederci!
Dates:
6th to 12th June 2010
5th to 11th September 2010
12th to 18th September 2010
Cost per person £897
Includes: airport transfers, all transport in Italy, accommodation
in an apartment for two, half board, all entrance fees.
Not included: flight to and from Italy, refreshments taken outside
Casa Fontana
For full details contact:
g.cockbill(@)btinternet.com
tel. +39 075 832 093
See you at Casa Fontana!
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