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Under the Umbrian Spell

Discover the unique charm of this enchanting region.

Most devoted fans of Italy are familiar with the memoir-turned-movie Under the Tuscan Sun. In fact, the book and film adaptation were largely credited for drawing even more travelers to Tuscany. After its release, “location vacations” took off.

Luckily, enchanting countryside, rolling hills, made-from-scratch pasta, and perfectly preserved medieval towns can also be experienced in Umbria — at perhaps a more relaxing pace. Tuscany’s neighbor to the southeast is where Italians go to escape, relax, and reconnect with their country’s charms. While it is best known as Italy’s “green heart,” thanks to its flowing horizon of olive and grape vineyards, Umbria’s art and architecture are just as impressive as its agriculture.

“Tuscany’s neighbor to the southeast is where Italians go to escape, relax, and reconnect with their country’s charms…Umbria’s art and architecture are just as impressive as its agriculture.”

Inhabited since the Stone Age, Umbria is a fusion of present and past. Just below the bustling streets of Perugia there’s a subterranean museum hidden at the end of a narrow medieval passageway. The ancient Etruscan Well is a feat of hydraulic engineering even by today’s standards, and still serves as an important water source for the town. Near Terni, the underground chambers of Narni Sotterranea feature a complex tunnel of frescoes, Roman aqueducts, and even rooms where interrogations by the Inquisition Tribunal were once held. Giotto’s fresco cycle of the life of St. Francis adorns the walls of the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, and is considered a turning point toward Renaissance style.

In Umbria, food is its own work of art. The region is filled with trattorias serving family recipes that have been handed down for generations. You’ll find traditional dishes prepared with local ingredients including olive oil and prized truffles. Meals are almost always accompanied by one of the region’s award-winning vintages — a dry white orvieto perhaps. Little wonder Umbria has been recognized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture organization with the rural equivalent of a UNESCO listing.

Nature lovers will delight in Umbria’s trail system — walking, jogging, cycling, even horseback riding are just a few ways to relish the lush green landscape. For those a bit more daring, the region is ripe with adventure sports. Well known for its rock climbing, Ferentillo boasts some of Europe’s best limestone crags.