Umbria & Lazio Itinerary - Spring 2017

It happened again. I saw a super cheap plane ticket and bought it without much thought or planning. I studied abroad in Rome in 2006 and have not been able to revisit Italy until now. Eleven years later, I felt I could better appreciate history and the finer things in life. While I would very much like to spend the whole week in Rome, I felt obliged to see the part of Italy I have never been to. Located just north of Rome, the region of Umbria is the underrated cousin of Tuscany. Like any Italian trip, this is a trip of earthly pleasure regarding gluttony and sloth. The slow pace of life and the superb food and wine culture made this a real vacation in my book.

Day 1 - New York - Munich - Rome - Vignanello - Soriano Nel Cimino

After landing at Fiumicino Airport, we made a beeline toward the rental car desk. To save a few hundred dollars, we opted for a manual car. Unfortunately, that makes Brian the default driver for this trip. Driving a manual car is never fun, and the traffic in Rome certainly did not help. Luckily, we left the hustle of Rome behind rather quickly. Before long, we were driving past the idyllic Italian countryside. Our destination for the day is Soriano Nel Cimino, a rather anonymous hill town in northern Lazio. We made an impromptu stop at Vignanello. The pint-size town has everything you expect from an Italian hill town: a castle, a main square, and a panoramic viewpoint. After a quick espresso at Cafe Moderne, we walked outside the nearby Castello Ruspoli. It was a preview of our week ahead.

Castello Orsini at Soriano Nel Cimino. — View of Castello Orsini from our hotel room window.

Right before sunset, we arrived at Soriano Nel Cimino. What drew us here is a remarkable deal I found at Palazzo Catalani by Diamond Resorts. It was a wonderful palazzo with plenty of original interiors preserved. At $27 a night, I suspect it had to be an error on the booking platform. I felt a little guilty lounging around our beautiful suite. For our first proper meal in Italy, we opted for dinner at Rottezzia Osteria Birreria Di Famiani Emanuele. The restaurant is atmospheric yet affordable and situated within a series of medieval caves. In Italy, cheap wine doesn’t mean bad wine. I forgot that you had to try hard to find bad food.

Day 2 - Soriano Nel Cimino - Caprarola - Bagnaia - Bagnoregio - Orvieto

After a restful night, I started our day by scouting breakfast at Caffe' Roma. Afterward, I took the opportunity to explore this relatively known town. This being the stronghold of the powerful Orsini family, I checked out their family castle, which was closed to the public. This was also Palm Sunday, so we decided to hang out in front of the cathedral and observe local festivities. Our first full day was jam-packed. Our first stop is the town of Caprarola. Driving there was quite an experience; Google Maps led us astray and on a donkey path. It was a stressful driving experience for Brian, especially driving a manual car.

Cathedral of San Nicola di Bari in Soriano Nel Cimino.

The main attraction to Caprarola is the famous Villa Farnese. It is one of the most important Renaissance villas and a masterwork of Italian landscape design. It brought back memories from my last visit ten years ago as a college student. I felt grown-up and eager to share my knowledge about this place with Brian. The interesting information includes the many cameos in historical dramas like Martin Luther or the Medicis. Sadly, the villa’s Mannerist garden, the most interesting part of the whole property, was closed for maintenance.

Our next stop is the nearby town of Bagnaia, a stone’s throw away from Viterbo. After lunch at Il Borgo, we headed a few blocks away to Villa Lante, another titan of Mannerist gardens in history. It is by far the most elaborate garden I know and one laden with historical symbolism and engineering ingenuity. And just like Villa Farnese, I enjoyed reminiscing about my previous visit as a wide-eyed college student all so long ago. I am quite happy that I developed a new appreciation for all the places I revisited; Villa Lante is no exception. I only wish I paid more attention to my professor back in the day.

I was ready to see something new after revising two places I had visited. Luckily, our next stop is the town of Bagnoregio. This workaday town oozes Italian charm, but the real attraction is the nearby Civita Bagnoregio. Considered by many as the ultimate “hill town,” this pint-size town is perched at the top of a tuff stone bluff. Throughout the centuries, sections of the town tumbled down the cliff because of the ongoing erosion. Even though Civita has no permanent residents nowadays, tourists are mobbed at all hours. Like it or not, it became a historical theme park.

The final stop for this busy sightseeing day was Orvieto, one of the largest hill towns in Umbria. The approach to the city is absolutely dramatic. From the distance, we could see the towering facade of the Duomo positioned high above the hill. We checked into our lovely rental apartment right at the cliff's edge. The views from the window were simply breathtaking. We spent the rest of the evening exploring this beautiful city and trying out a few classes of Orvieto Classico at recommended Febo - Officina del Gusto. This wine instantly became our new favorite white. After devouring a plate of pasta with fresh truffle at Ristorante Il Cocco, we joined the locals for passeggiata down the town's main drag. We could not think of a better day in Italy.

Day 3 - Orvieto - Todi - Orvieto

Since we were going to be in Orvieto for two nights, we decided to take our time to explore the town slowly. After breakfast at Caffè Montanucci, our day started at Duomo di Orvieto. The cathedral's Gothic exterior is highly unusual in Italy but still has an Italian soul. The strip-marble walls look surprisingly modern, and they are quite reminiscent of the works of Italian architect Mario Botta. Once inside, the architecture is decidedly Romanesque, with round arches and relatively small windows. But the true highlight for any visitor would be the magnificent frescos by Luca Signorelli. Legend has it that Michelangelo studied the frescos before painting the Sistine Chapel.

Not far from the Duomo is Saint Patrick's Well (Pozzo di S. Patrizio), one of Orvieto’s more unusual structures. In response to the Sack of Rome in 1527, Pope Clement VII commissioned Antonio da Sangallo the Younger to construct a deep well for Orvieto in preparation for future siege. The well is well known for its double helix ramp, which separates the two-way traffic. Hiking down the well was a fun experience but could be anticlimactic for some visitors. After a quick lunch at nearby Trattoria del Moro Aronne, we took a short drive to Todi, a magnificent medieval town that was the biggest surprise of this trip. Despite its world-class architecture and storied history, Todi seems to receive few International visitors.

Instead of a blitzkrieg of sightseeing, we decided to have a relaxing afternoon by enjoying coffee at Piazza del Popolo and observing the locals’ businesses. But truthfully, what drew me to Todi was the Church of Santa Maria della Consolazione. This tiny but dignifying church embodies the so-called “Renaissance ideal” with its strict symmetry and is among the most architecturally important buildings in this part of Italy. While disputed, the design of this church is commonly attributed to Renaissance master Donato Bramante. Architectural historians generally consider this to be Bramante's “study” for his plan for Saint Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. The geometric purity of the church interior resonated with both of us. Brian felt the presence of his mom, Julie, there. It was just one of those moments that we would always remember.

Orvieto Cathedral at night. — The floodlight on Duomo di Orvieto.at night was absolutely breathtaking.

Back in Orvieto, we spent the rest of the day exploring Orvieto's back lane. The city is large enough for us to get a good hang of it in a day but still large enough to discover various nooks and crannies. For dinner, we took a recommendation from our apartment host. Ristorante Il Duca di Orvieto is known locally for serving local dishes, including many old-fashioned recipes lost to the previous generation. But for us, what we would remember most vividly is their cheese selection. Until then, we didn’t even know that a piece of goat cheese could smell and taste so much like fresh manure.

Day 4 - Orvieto - Città della Pieve - Castiglione del Lago - Passignano Sul Trasimeno - Perugia

We were sad that our time at Orvieto had to end. Our first stop for the day is the village of Città della Pieve. Among Italians, the town is best known as the hometown of Renaissance painter Pietro Perugino. However, my main objective was to visit the State Institute of Higher Education by Mario Botta. In particular, I was interested in seeing how this ultra-modern building might fit within an ancient hill town. Afterward, we made our way to Castiglione del Lago, and that actually brought us briefly into the region of Tuscany. Until recently, this little town was an island in the lake. The town offers a wonderful view of Lake Trasimeno, which made an ideal place for lunch. After lunch at Ristorante La Cantina, we paid a visit to Palazzo della Corgna, the former home of a powerful local noble family. The admission also includes visiting Rocca del Leone, an impressive castle at the very end of the peninsula.

Our next stop is Passignano Sul Trasimeno on the north shore of the lake. I can’t find much information about the place, but its beauty drew us in. The lakeside promenade is perfect for a casual stroll and a great place to pick up a gelato. Funny enough, the highlight of our visit was “meeting” our doggie friend called Bello. This adorable little puppy led us through various of the city. As crazy as it sounds, we think he was giving us a tour of his favorite spots in the city. And in case you are wondering, we knew his name by the dog tag. But more amazingly, a couple of locals said hello to Bello.

Perfectly restored Rocca del Leone at Castiglione del Lago.

Perugia would be our home for the next three nights. The largest city and administrative center of Umbria, Perugia, has the feel of a thriving metropolis. Given the craziness of Italian city traffic, Perugia built its unique public transit system, MiniMetro. The autonomous people mover was such a fun ride. We arrived at the center of Perugia to meet our Airbnb host. The attic apartment was absolutely beautiful. From the balcony, we had a beautiful sunset view of Perugia. We felt instantly at home. Our Airbnb host left us an excellent list of restaurant recommendations. We went for wine hour at Bottega del Vino. It was such a lovely experience that we stayed for dinner.

Day 5 - Perugia - Gubbio - Perugia

The day trip today was to Gubbio. Made famous by the story of Wolf of Gubbio with Saint Francis, the town has a level of religious mystique. Set along a foothill, Gubbio is a picture-perfect medieval town that looks straight out of a Renaissance fair. In particular, the slender tower of Palazzo Pretorio is very striking. My favorite activity on this trip was Funivia Colle Eletto, a funicular with birdcages large enough for two adults. It was unlike any other lift I have ever seen, in person or online. Since Brian has a pretty severe case of acrophobia, it took quite a bit of cajoling to convince him to join me. Although the monastery at the top of the hill is not particularly interesting, the ride alone was well worth a trip to Gubbio, in my opinion.

Beautiful view of Gubbio from Funivia Colle Eletto.

Our lunch at Alla Balestra was legendary in my book. We did not remember much about the food. Instead, we somehow finished 1.5L of their house wine in about 90 minutes. Luckily, we had enough time to sober up with a visit to historical exhibits at Palazzo dei Consoli. Honestly, it was probably a good thing to have a little bit of alcohol in the system when looking at religious art. We spent more than an hour at this relatively small museum.

After Gubbio, we had something special planned for the afternoon. We drove back toward Perugia to meet with Brian’s old friend Antonella, who was born and raised here. They studied abroad together in Cork, Ireland, back in college, and had not seen each other for over fifteen years. Needless to say, he was beyond excited. Though we spent the afternoon in her suburban apartment, hanging out with her and seeing them catching up and reminiscing was great.

We decided to spend the rest of the evening hanging out on our apartment balcony in central Perugia. We picked up some cheese, cold cuts, and a bottle of wine from a local supermarket. Because this is Italy, random cheese and meat are even better than the ones we got from Whole Foods Market back home. Though I did feel a little guilty about not venturing out to see more of Perugia, we felt perfectly content just spending a quality evening with Brian. Perugia is a pretty “young” city known as a university town, so it gets pretty rowdy at night. Even if we did not go out, we could still feel the energy of this dynamic city.

Day 6 - Perugia - Assisi - Perugia

Since we parked the car on the city's outskirts, we opted to take a train to the nearby town of Assisi. While Assisi was the main objective of the day, I was very excited to visit a particular building next to Perugia’s main train station. Centro Direzionale di Fontivegge is a masterpiece of post-modern architecture by architect Aldo Rossi. Post-modernism doesn’t always have the best reputation, and I bet to differ. The mixed-use development is older than I am but still looks spankingly new. The design seems to come from one of Giorgio de Chirico’s paintings. You may think this was not your architectural style, but you can’t say it is not memorable or impressive.

Aldo Rossi’s Centro Direzionale di Fontivegge in Perugia.

Assis is Saint Francis's birthplace and headquarters of the Franciscan Order. From the train station, it was a quick bus ride to the old town. For food reasons, Asissi was a lot more touristic than Perugia and other places we visited so far on the trip. In addition to the day-trippers, we did see some religious pilgrims, clergymen, and nuns from other religious orders. Like most people, we made a beeline to the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi. The town did a great job in putting up signage around town to tell the life story of Saint Francis. Religious reasons aside, I could see how Assisi is perhaps the tourist-friendly hill town in Umbria. After a very pleasant lunch at Osteria La Piazzetta Dell’Erba, we took a short hike to Rocca Maggiore. From there, we had a beautiful view down toward the medieval town.

Piazza del Comune, the central square of Assisi.

Back in Perugia, we retreated back to the comfort and familiarity of the Bottega del Vino. This was our third day in Perugia, and we enjoyed getting to know the city as temporary locals. While we did not visit most of the city’s tourist attractions, we felt very much at home. A highlight of our evening was dropping by a local concert at the Hall of Notaries. We ended our day with a lovely dinner at Fontanella di Porta Sole, an old-school restaurant recommended by Antonella.

Day 7 - Perugia - Assisi - Foligno - Spoleto - Amelia

After bidding goodbye to perhaps the best Airbnb we ever had, we were ready to ride the Minimetrò for one last time. Ironically, our first stop today was right back to Assisi. But instead of revisiting the historic old town, the destination this morning was the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels, which is about five kilometers southwest of the Basilica of Saint Francis. This massive basilica is purpose-built to house Porziuncola, a small chapel where Saint Francis preached and started the Franciscan Order. The temple within a temple reminds me much of Jerusalem's Church of Holy Sepulcher. Even though the basilica's architecture is rather dull, Brian and I enjoyed this basilica more than the main shrine up the hill.

Speaking of comparing churches, our next stop was the town of Foligno to see an ultra-modern church. The Church of San Paolo Apostolo is not the kind of Catholic shrine you would expect in Italy. Massimiliano Fuksas designed the church to symbolize resilience after a devastating earthquake of 1997. While I find the architecture beautiful and inspiring a sense of spirituality, I could see how the ultra-contemporary architecture may rub many local traditionalists the wrong way.

Half an hour further south of Foligno is the fabled town of Spoleto. Blessed with a castle, a Roman theater, and a 13-century aqueduct, Spoleto got my vote for the most enjoyable hill town we visited on this trip. Though it may not have the bustle of Perugia, Spoleto’s monuments and historical architecture collection are world-class. In particular, the frescos inside the main cathedral by Renaissance artist Filippo Lippi are particularly breathtaking. After a surprisingly elegant lunch at Il Tempio del Gusto, we walked to the nearby Basilica of San Salvatore. This humble Romanesque was built by the Northern Lombard and is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Though the basilica is closed for renovation, we enjoyed walking in the adjacent cemetery.

The Arch of Drusus and Germanicus in Spoleto.

To take a break from the cities, we opted to stay at a hotel in the countryside just outside Amelia. The six-room boutique La Gabelletta is definitely “different. The owners combine the charm of rural Italy with the quirky contemporary style. From the hotel’s terrace is the rolling hill of the Italian countryside, although the nearby high-voltage lines did ruin the scenery a little bit. But the weirdest thing about the hotel was that we appeared to be the only guests for the night; we felt like the staff was tracking our every movement.

Day 8 - Amelia - Cascata delle Marmore - Narni - Rome

After a good breakfast at our hotel, we made our way to check out the town of Amelia. Amelia was probably the least interesting among all the hill towns we visited on this trip. We made the trek to the church at the very, and we were disappointed. According to the guidebook, the star attraction here is its ancient fortification, which, over the millennium, had been incorporated into the residential fabric of the town.

To take a break from days of hill town hopping, we decided to enjoy nature with a visit to Cascata delle Marmore. Totaling 541 feet in height, this man-made waterfall is reported to be the second tallest in the world and is dated back to Roman times. We were very lucky that our visit coincided with their release of the daily deluge. The power of the artificial cascade was overwhelming.

By the time we finished our hike, we were starving. Out of separation, we had lunch at Ristorante da Ersilia. It was, for sure, the worst of this trip. But to be fair, the food there was still a tad better than most meals I would have back home in New York. With our bellies full, we head to the final hill town of his trip: Narni. What prompted the visit was the non-historical to C. S. Lewis’s Chronicle of Narnia. The author saw the name Latin name of Narni on a map when he was a child and somehow stayed with him. By now, we both. I had a bit of “hill town fatigue”; they all started to look alike after a while. For me, the absolute highlight would be the ruin of the Bridge of Augustus. Built by Emperor Augustus two millennia ago, it was supposed to be the largest Roman bridge ever constructed.

The Bridge of August is the largest Roman bridge in history.

Before the hotel chck-in, we treated ourselves to a shopping spree at a local grocery store. Besides a few packs of my favorite Ringo cookies, we also picked up a bottle of Brunello for €30. We felt very fancy with our Brunello stowed in the luggage. Today also happened to be our one-year wedding anniversary. So we decided to splurge by staying at a “castle hotel”: Castello della Castelluccia. It is just one of those properties that we will always remember. A romantic anniversary dinner made a wonderful finale for this trip.

Day 9 - Rome - Montreal - Newark

After a delicious breakfast spread at the hotel, we made the 40-minute drive to Fiumicino Airport. The hustle and bustle of Roman outskirts were such a great contrast to rural Umbria. I think Brian was genuinely relieved to drop off our rental car. He vowed on the spot that he never wanted to drive on vacation ever again. For the most part, I think he got his wish. Luckily, we did not do any damage to the vehicle and were able to board our flights back home. The new terminal of Fiumicino Airport was amazing; it put most American airports to shame. Who said Italians don’t have great infrastructure?

This has been one of the shortest we have taken in recent years. But still, we felt like we had a really good time and to see some of the less-visited parts of Italy. While tourists mob places like Assisi and Orvieto, most other places we visited were free of the worst of over-tourism. Hopefully, it won’t take me another ten years to come back to Italy.

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