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General information Ceramics in Gubbio , Truffles and cooked meats from Norcia . Dramatic landscapes of the Monte Sibillini and one of Europe ’ s highest waterfalls called the Cascate delle Marmore near Terni . One of Italy ’ s beauty spots is the Fonti del Clitunno south of Trevi . Carpentry and woodworking in Todi , a wine museum in Torgiano . Forests of holm oak near Spoleto . Antique fair in April and a national craft fair in August and September in Todi .

Cultural highlights Mixture of religious and secular art and architecture makes Umbria fascinating . The cities of Perugia and Assisi are great centres but the smaller towns of Gubbio , Todi , Spoleto and Spello are also of outstanding interest . Highlights of the region include the Fontana Maggiore in the Piazza IV Novembre in Perugia . Perugia ’ s Galleria Nazionale containing works by Perugino and Pinturicchio . Gattapone ’ s Palazzo dei Consoli in Gubbio and his Ponte delle Torri in Spoleto . The ‘ Adoration of the Magi ’ by Perugino in the church of the Madonna della Lacrime in Trevi . Frescoes by Matteo da Gualdo in the Pinacoteca of Gualdo Tadino . ‘ San Sebastiano ’ by Luca Signorelli in the Pinacoteca at Citta di Castello . Frescoes by Giotto and Lorenzetti in the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi .

Festivals Perugia has a jazz festival in the summer and the Sagra Musicale music festival held in its churches in September . Orvieto holds concerts in August and has a firework display on the 15th . Spoleto ’ s Festival of the Two Worlds , a world�class cultural event , takes place June and July . Spello holds its Infiorata in June when the streets are decked with flowers . Foligno holds jousting in September during its Giostra della Quintane .

Gastronomic highlights Umbria ’ s gastronomy is very much a product of its earth and waters : Mushrooms and truffles flavour many dishes , Game and wild boar , Trevi produces black celery , olive oil and black truffles , Pecorino cheese from Torgiano , Todi offers Panzanella , dried bread soaked and marinated in sliced tomato , basil , onion and olive oil , Sweet macheroni with walnuts , Salami and sausages are a regional speciality , Trout from the rivers and perch from Lake Trasimeno , Strangozzi and Bici are local pasta , often flavoured with porcini and truffles . Umbria produces some high quality robust red wines near Torgiano ( Rubesco produced by Lungarotti for example ) and Orvieto is known for its white wine .

Our two centre recommendations A few popular suggestions : Umbria and Tuscany . Umbria and Lazio . Umbria and the Italian Lakes , perhaps stopping in Tuscany en route .

How you get there By air Rome is the recommended airport ( numerous flights by British Airways from London ) with Perugia , Pisa , Florence and Bologna also being possible with a mixture of scheduled ( British Airways ) and ' No-frills ' or charter airlines . Hire�cars We include a hire�car will all our holidays to Umbria as you really do need a car to make the most of your holiday in this region . If you just want to stay in Perugia or Assisi we can take out the hire�car and you can make your way from Rome , Pisa or Florence by train . With your own car Umbria can be reached comfortably with two overnight stops from the UK if you want to take your own car . For example you could overnight in Alsace and then the Italian Lakes and then return via Lake Geneva and the

Champagne region . Ask us for advice and let us make these arrangements for you . An interesting itinerary for a day ’ s excursion into the countryside if you ’ re based at the Villa di Monte Solare in Colle San Paolo

From Colle San Paolo head eastwards across country to Torgiano , an important centre for wine production in Umbria . Stop to taste and purchase the Lungarotti wines including the famous Umbrian Rubesco . Continue southeast to Bettona , which lies south of Perugia . Bettona is surrounded by low hills of olives trees and is famous for its Etruscan wall . In Deruta , your next stop , you should make time for the Ceramics Museum . Production of majolica was started here in the 13th Century and continues today in workshops throughout the town . Deruta is an excellent place to stop for lunch . From Deruta you could take a detour a few miles east to the village of Castelleone where there are frescoes by Matteo da Gualdo in the parish church .

Alternatively , you might want to take the fast dual carriageway south from Deruta to Todi , a hill town surrounded by expanses of rolling hills and woods of oak , beech and chestnut . In the afternoon , you can head back northwards across country via the village of Montecastello di Vibio . The walled mediaeval town high above the Tiber valley is famous for the Teatro della Concordia , a miniature replica of La Scala . Continue north to Cerqueto pausing to see part of a fresco of St Sebastian and the Plague Saints by Perugino in the parish church . Then continue back to the Relais Villa Monte Solare .

Perugia

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Orvieto UMBRIA EXH1155

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Phone 01392 441250 to make a reservation or to discuss your holiday plans 111