Day 1 – Upon arrival at Fiumicino Airport, you will be greeted and transferred by private coach to your villa, where welcoming refreshments await you. For the remainder of the day you can make your own plans, whether resting or taking in the local sights. In the evening, you can dine in comfort as a delicious meal will be served at your villa.
Day 2 - Umbrian cuisine is simple by definition and benefits from its authentic nature, in which very simple ingredients surprise even the most sophisticated of palates. Typical dishes grew out of a rural environment, made with just a few plain ingredients, when a lack of luxury was wisely seasoned with a pinch of intelligence and creativity so that the final result was simply a great taste.
You will be transferred by private coach to Orvieto. Just a few kilometres separates Orvieto from the town of Porano which is surrounded by a breathtaking landscape. Your first cooking class will take you to a farm which produces a special type of wheat used to make bread and pasta. After a brief introduction to this special wheat, you will make your own pasta and bread while sipping a glass of wine and listening to soft music. At lunch time, the class will sit down around a lavishly prepared table to enjoy the fruits of their labour: your freshly prepared handmade pasta and fresh bread, along with cold cuts and cheese, vegetables and good wine produced by local farmers.
In the afternoon, take a guided tour of the beauty of Porano and Orvieto. Porano is home to the only painted Etruscan grave in the area. In Orvieto, one of this city’s main attractions, the Cathedral, will catch your eye straight away. Dating back to 1263, it is undoubtedly the most important architectural landmark in the city, with its splendid Gothic architecture, opulent ornaments and internal chapels. A relaxing walk through the ancient town will reveal all the magnificence of this medieval and Renaissance town. Dinner will be served back at your villa.
Day 3 – Umbria is the only region of central Italy with no ocean coastline: centrally located and immersed in absolutely amazing nature, the area is world famous as ‘the green heart of Italy’. However, the fourth largest lake in Italy, Lake Trasimeno is found here, and the region is crisscrossed by several rivers. Thanks to these bodies of water, Umbrian cuisine boasts delicious dishes based on freshwater fish.
A private coach will transfer you to Lake Trasimeno, where a guide will accompany you on a mini-cruise on a private boat. Stop in Isola Maggiore, the only residential area of the three islands which dot the lake.
Today, Isola is a small, pristine village with a population of only 16 people, but in the past it served as history’s theatre: the first person to discover the importance and value of the island’s tranquillity was Saint Francis, who built a monastery here and created a community with a brilliant future. The most active fishing community of Trasimeno was based here and, although many of these fishermen are now retired, you can still find a few to tell you stories of days gone by. Enjoy a delicious lunch in a restaurant that serves fish freshly caught from the lake.
On the return trip, stop in Castiglione del Lago. Surrounded by medieval walls, this lively location is known for its shopping opportunities, and you mustn’t miss a visit to Palazzo della Corgna (Corgna Palace). From there, you can take the path leading directly to Rocca del Leone (Lion Fortress) and its secret passages into the towers, where you can enjoy a spectacular view over the whole of Trasimeno. If you dream about doughy pizzas and crunchy sourdough bread, sample some local specialties from a local pizzeria with a wood-fired oven. Also, indulge in some great local beer without worrying about the drive back. After dinner in the pizzeria, you will be returned to your villa.
Day 4 - Umbrian cuisine is full of cereals, legumes, many varieties of vegetables, aromatic and wild herbs, mushrooms and truffles. The king of the ingredients is surely the extra-virgin olive oil used raw, to season or to cook with. Try it on bruschetta, a slice of toasted bread dressed with olive oil and salt…yum! In the comfortable atmosphere of your villa, with the help of ‘mamma’ you will enjoy learning the secrets of cooking seasonal vegetables in many different ways, which you will then enjoy as part of a colourful lunch served in the villa’s garden. The rest of the day is free time, followed by a candlelit dinner with live music at the villa.
Day 5 – Separating Umbria from its capitol town Perugia and dividing Perugia from the famous ‘Bacio’ is a very difficult challenge. Since1920, this famous praline containing sweet messages of love has been enjoyed around the world and has become an icon of Perugia. A few kilometres from the historical centre of Perugia is a place that smells of chocolate. This is the Perugina, one of the most ancient Italian chocolate factories. A visit to this amazing place starts with a tour of the Perugina Museum, where you’ll learn how just one cocoa bean is magically transformed into rich chocolate, how Perugina’s history started as a tiny workshop producing sugared almonds, and how it rose to become a chocolate icon and Italy’s most beloved chocolate maker. To make the experience more interesting, the visit is combined with a tasting session and a chocolate-making lesson with Perugina's master chocolatier, who not only explains step-by-step the fundamental techniques of chocolate making, but also offers a fascinating insight into the history of chocolate, its physical and emotional benefits, the various methods of conservation, and tips on the best way to consume it.
Be a chocolatier for a day creating your very own confectionery masterpiece! Have lunch in a restaurant in Perugia, followed by a guided walking tour of the city.
Perugia is the capitol city of Umbria, located at the top of an undulating hill with a long series of peaks. A lot of history passed through here and we can find its mark in the old town centre: from Rocca Paolina, Piazza Italia and Corso Vannucci to Piazza IV Novembre with its beautiful Fontana Maggiore, the Cathedral, Palazzo dei Priori and the museum Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria (National Gallery of Umbria) which dominate the old centre. Perugia features small alleys that rise and fall as they intertwine amongst medieval palaces and squares, and unique corners where the inhabitant's shouts mix with the voices of the many multilingual students who live in the city. It is the home of an important Athenaeum in operation since the 1300s, as well as the oldest University for Foreigners in Italy. Dinner will be served at your villa.
Day 6 - One of the best ways to enjoy good food is to combine it with excellent wine. Wines from Umbria are starting to gain importance not only in Italy but also on the international market. Learning about where the wine is produced is not only an opportunity to taste it at its place of origin, but also to understand the deep connection between the wine and its historical and cultural background.
Montefalco has rightly been nicknamed the ‘Railing of Umbria’, because of its special position overlooking a breathtaking view. This little town has many well-preserved buildings from the 14th century, such as the Palazzo Comunale (Council Palace) and the ex-church of Saint Filippo Neri, today the site of the town theatre, and other Renaissance overlapping and renovations. The most precious thing in Montefalco is, without doubt, the church-museum of Saint Francis: a synthesis of the history, culture and tradition of Montefalco. Built between 1335 and 1338 by the Order of Friars Minor, since 1895 it has been home to the Museo Civico (Civic Museum), where you will find prestigious artworks of the most famous painters, such as the cycle of Benozzo Gozzoli dedicated to the ‘Life of Saint Francis’. The oldest part of the town, the Quartiere di Porta Camiano (Neighbourhood of Porta Camiano), has a fascinating curiosity. Among the stone walls and the alleys that run down from Piazza del Comune (Town Square), Sagrantino grapevines symbolise the connections between different periods and reveal the ancient presence of domestic grapevines in the vegetable gardens’ walls. Montefalco is proud of this grape variety, which embodies the symbol of wealth. Research into the genetics led to the identification of the Sagrantino genotype for a new plantation, an important project that strengthens the link between wine and the region even more. A tasting lunch with Sagrantino and other local wines will be the best way to appreciate the ancient relationship between this nectar and its place of birth. At lunch time, stop at a local farmhouse for a light lunch and a Sagrantino wine tasting. In the afternoon, visit a farm practicing organic and biodynamic farming, using horses and geese as their ‘special partners’. A pleasant carriage tour through the vineyards and an entertaining wine tasting session will complete this amazing experience. Dinner will be served at the villa.
Day 7 - Even though Umbrian cuisine is characterised by simple ingredients, during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance more elaborate dishes appeared on the tables of noble families and in convents. Assisi is no doubt the most renowned Umbrian town in the world. It is considered the cradle of mediaeval art and is famous for being the birthplace and home of Saint Francis. It was founded by the Umbrians and reached its splendour during Roman times. You can still admire the signs of that period, in monuments such as the Temple of Minerva, the Amphitheatre and the Forum. After a dark period in the 9th century, Assisi bloomed again as a free comune. Churches, monasteries and sumptuous houses were built, and thanks to the Benedictine monks the marshy plain was reclaimed. Saint Francis was born into this thriving framework.
To celebrate St Francis, a Basilica was built in which the most famous artists of the time worked: Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini and Lorenzetti, whose paintings can still be admired today. Assisi today is unspoilt, and it is a symbol of peace for all humanity. A half-day guided tour of the town will allow you to dive into the spirit of the place. A light lunch will be served in local wine bar, a destination rich in atmosphere, good food and excellent wine. Once back at the villa a cooking class based on medieval recipes" will be taught by a chef from the Culinary University of Perugia. Your candlelit dinner will be based on medieval dishes.
Day 8 – After breakfast, a private coach will take you to the airport. Your week in Umbria will remain in your heart for a long time. When you return home, invite friends for dinner and cook your favourite Umbrian dishes for them!
The Tour will include:
Private car & driver for the whole tour, transfer from/to Rome Fiumicino airport included
7 nights’ Accommodation in villa ***
Included in the villa rental: 3 hours daily cleaning and final cleaning, consumption of electricity, gas, water, free access to the vegetable garden, private swimming pool, one access to the wellness area
7 breakfasts + 6 dinners at the villa, including a special medieval dinner
Handmade pasta & bread class, lunch included
Trasimeno Lake mini-cruise on a private boat, aperitif on board included
Lunch in a fish restaurant
Dinner in a pizzeria
Vegetable cooking class with lunch
Chocolate making class at Perugina Factory
Lunch in a restaurant in Perugia
Wine tasting with a light lunch in Montefalco
Wine tasting with snack + carriage tour
Light lunch in a wine bar in Assisi
Medieval dishes cooking class (Culinary University of Perugia)
Private Guided visits (HD) in Orvieto, Perugia, Assisi, Montefalco
Not included in the price:
Extra drinks, tips, insurances (on request) everything not expressly mentioned above.
For Further Details Or To Book Quote ref: 4464a.
