Umbria
Hilltowns crowned with basilicas, black truffle and lentils from Castelluccio, and a spirituality that softens the light.
Five reasons Umbria stays with you.
- Giotto's frescoes in the Basilica of San Francesco, Assisi
- Black truffle from Norcia and lentils from Castelluccio
- Hilltowns at every turn — Spello, Spoleto, Orvieto
- Sagrantino di Montefalco — a profound, age-worthy red
- A spirituality and quiet that Tuscany has lost to the crowds
Start here if you have a long weekend.
Assisi
St Francis's pink-stone hilltown above an Umbrian plain.
Spello
Roman gates, geranium-draped lanes — possibly Italy's most floral village.
Orvieto
A tufa-rock plateau crowned by one of Italy's great Gothic cathedrals.
Eat and drink like you mean it.
Our editor's picks — the tables and bottles we'd cross the country for.
Slow-Food chiocciola, dine in the garden.
Wood-fire grill, deep cellar of Sagrantino.
Tannic, age-worthy native red of central Umbria.
Three rooms with a view.
Three ways to go deeper.
Hunt, then lunch with the family.
The 'Fiorita' on the Piano Grande.
The Basilica before the buses arrive.
Best time to visit · May–June (wildflowers) and September–October (harvest, truffle).
The green heart of Italy.
A curated edit — what to see, where to eat what the locals eat, and where to sleep with intention.
Assisi
St Francis's pink-stone hilltown above an Umbrian plain.
- — Basilica di San Francesco (Giotto frescoes)
- — Eremo delle Carceri
- — Rocca Maggiore
- Trattoria PallottaStrangozzi al tartufo, family kitchen.
- Nun Assisi RelaisSpa hidden inside a 13th-c convent.
Spello
Roman gates, geranium-draped lanes — possibly Italy's most floral village.
- — Cappella Baglioni (Pinturicchio)
- — Porta Venere
- — Roman Amphitheatre
- La BastigliaRefined Umbrian tasting menu.
- Palazzo BocciFrescoed historic palace inside the walls.
Orvieto
A tufa-rock plateau crowned by one of Italy's great Gothic cathedrals.
- — Duomo di Orvieto
- — Pozzo di San Patrizio
- — Underground City
- I Sette ConsoliSlow-Food chiocciola, garden seating.
- Locanda PalazzoneRestored medieval tower in vineyards.
Spoleto
Roman stones, Romanesque cathedral, and a famous summer festival.
- — Ponte delle Torri
- — Duomo di Spoleto
- — Rocca Albornoziana
- Il Tempio del GustoTruffle-driven tasting menu.
- Palazzo LetiRenaissance palazzo with valley views.
Norcia
The Sibillini foothills — Italy's capital of cured pork and black truffle.
- — Piazza San Benedetto
- — Castellina
- — Piano Grande di Castelluccio
- Granaro del MonteWood-fire grill, deep cellar of Sagrantino.
- Palazzo SenecaRelais & Châteaux family-run jewel.
