Undeniably understated, yet such quiet talk is what has left Umbria a charming and undiscovered Italian destination for those seeking old world beauty. Bordered by two lakes, Trasimeno and Piediluco and many rivers including the Tiber, Umbria offers visitors not only a countryside of truffle-laden forests and vineyard-covered valleys, but delights us with its fascinating hill-top medieval villages that seem to spill from their natural foundations.
Enjoy the routes that pass by these medieval cities and former Etruscan settlements that overlook lush ravines and valleys. Come breathe within "the Green Heart of Italy".
Day 1: Orvieto Classcio
From a tiny Etruscan spa town we bike into Umbria via quaint, tiny villages spilling from the hills of this lovely countryside where a tranquil yet wild beauty typifies life in rural Italy. This route embraces a way of life that has been far removed from all the typical tourism stops. We leave the secluded hillsides villages and swoop down into Orvieto Classico wine country; but unlike the fancy wineries of Tuscany, Umbria offers us a much more relaxed approach to wine. We stop for a tasting, then roll through the vineyard-laden hills and catch our first glimpse of what has been described as “the Golden Lilly of Cathedrals”. As you enter town the sun shines against its façade and we are left with an everlasting impression of this splendid medieval town.
Orvieto, perched on a tufa plateau, is known for its beauty; fine wines, ceramics and Duomo, one of the most revered gothic cathedrals in the world. The wine produced from the fertile volcanic soils around town was once so highly regarded that the architects working on the Duomo were happy to be paid with it. We make sure to visit the outstanding Duomo that also hosts Signorelli’s “Last Judgment”, as well as the 16th century well cut into the tufa on which Orvieto stands. By the way, it was Pope Leo XIII who described the Duomo as the “Golden Lily of Italian Cathedrals.”
Lodgings: Converted Palace in the center of town****
Dinner: Trattoria in the historic centre, typical Umbrian cuisine; particularly mushrooms and truffle.
Day 2: Lago Bolsena Loop
Coasting down from Orvieto a tiny country roads loops through a lovely lake-dotted region to Cívita di Bagnoregio, a city perched on an isolated rocky outcrop and home to fewer than 20 people due to the erosion of the rock beneath. Also known as “la citta che muore” (“the city that is dying”) residents have been departing from here since the sixteenth century and leaving behind a dwindling population in a strange, eerily deserted village that recently gained international interest and is now being re-inhabited. There is a longstanding rumor that an Italian computer company had plans to buy up the entire place at a cheap wholesale price, but for the moment it is safe and well worth a visit just for its beauty and strangeness…
We pedal into the Volsini Mountains and to the shores of Lago di Bolsena. This beautiful lake is actually situated in the Lazio province and occupies the remains of a broad volcanic crater. The surrounding soil is immensely fertile, and there is a very mild microclimate, with most of the shores intensely cultivated. From there we return to Orvieto with plenty of time for a taste of the region’s famed white wineand tour the underground Etruscan caves.
Lodgings: same as previous night
Dinner: An Osteria in the heart of town
Day 3: Orvieto to Todi
Our morning ride takes us into the hills above Lago Corbara. The tiny village of Prodo is the perfect place for a relaxing picnic. The ride remains very panoramic all the way into medieval Todi, renowned for its labyrinth of passageways and narrow streets. As we approach from a distance Todi begins to reveal its charm as an attractive city perched on a secluded mountainside. It has retained three distinct protective walls dating from Etruscan, Roman and medieval periods. The Piazza del Popolo, the square in the centre of Todi, is surrounded by buildings, which give evidence to the town’s flourishing commercial life in the Middle Ages. Explore the Tempio di Santa Maria della Consolazione and you will notice that it resembles the original plan of St. Peter's in Rome. Due to only one day here we allow for ample time to explore.
Lodgings: Palatial **** in medieval center
Dinner: Excellent family run Osteria
Day 4: Todi to Spello
Peaceful hills and valleys are the perfect backdrop for our ride to Spello. Small, scenic country roads take us through a village called "Bastardo" to Montefalco, meaning Falcon’s Mount. It was also glorified with the appendage “la ringhiera dell’Umbria” – “the balcony of Umbria” and is the birthplace to eight saints… In the 15th century important artists were working in Montefalco’s churches, decorating them with frescoes well worth a visit as is the liquor store in the town square where, those that dare, we offer a tasting of the strong blackberry-flavored local wine “Sagrantino Passito” which is made from a grape variety not found anywhere else in Europe.
Luckily the ride is all downhill from here. Spello is our destination and is situated on broad terraces above the Vale of Spoleto. Faithful legionaries who had reached the end of their careers turned the town (previously known as Hispellum) into a sort of Roman retirement home. Medieval and pink-stoned Spello is the best place for a taste of small-town Umbria and a perfect base to explore the surrounding area. It also offers an abundance of art to examine, such as frescoes by Pinturicchio’s in the Church of Santa Maria, a chapel built on the ruins of a pagan temple.
Lodgings: Another **** Converted Palace
Dinner: Free night
Day 5 - 6 : St. Francis, Ceramics & Fine Wine
A short ride, uphill of course, loops us into Assisi, birthplace of Italy’s patron saint. While wandering through this magical city spread across the slopes of Monte Subasio, we visit the newly reopened Basilica of St. Francis, which feature famed Giotto frescoes. The Basilicata is considered one of the greatest monuments to thirteenth and fourteenth century Italian art. From Assisi it is just a few pedal strokes to the town of Torgiano, home to a great little wine and olive oil museum as well as Umbria’s finest wines, produced by Giorgio Lungarotti. After visiting this very interesting wine museum a formal tasting is enjoyed!
Bike two more miles into the town of Deruta and visit Grazia, its famed, centuries-old maiolica ceramics studio. For ceramic fans this is a must see and time is allowed for extensive shopping. If time allows we ride through medieval Bevagna where surreal gargoyles watch you carefully from over the doorways of the church San Michele. Back in Spello, we would like to invite you to a farewell aperitif in the square before a delicious dinner.
Lodgings: same as previous night
Dinner: farewell dinner in my favorite Osteria in Umbria
Transportation Logistics
The following is a list of train schedules for transportation to and from the tour start and end locations. Train departure times and tracks are subject to change, so verify before boarding.
Trains from Rome: ~2 hours
#704 Roma Termini-09:14--à arrival Chiusi ---11:01
From Florence/Firenze: ~1 hour
#585 Firenze Campo di Marte -10:37--à arrival Chiusi---11:34
Departing your tour: (departs frequently)
From Spello to Rome: ~2 hours
#2483 Spello -11:51--à arrival Roma Termini ---13:46
From Spello to Florence/Firenze: ~2.5 hours (departs frequently)
#1806 Spello -09:24--à arrival Firenze S. M. Novella ---11:51
