Northern Umbria

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Table of Contents

Gubbio | Deruta | Spello | Montefalco

To the north of Perugia, placid, walled Gubbio watches over green countryside, true to its nickname, City of Silence—except for its fast and furious festivals in May, as lively today as when they began more than 800 years ago. To the south, along the Tiber River valley, are the towns of Deruta and Torgiano, best known for their hand-painted ceramics and wine—as locals say, go to Deruta to buy a pitcher and to Torgiano to fill it.

Gubbio

35 km (22 miles) southeast of Città di Castello, 39 km (24 miles) northeast of Perugia, 92 km (57 miles) east of Arezzo.

There’s something otherworldly about this jewel of a medieval town tucked away in a mountainous corner of Umbria. Even at the height of summer, the cool serenity and quiet of Gubbio’s streets remain intact. The town is perched on the slopes of Monte Ingino, meaning the streets are dramatically steep. Gubbio’s relatively isolated position has kept it free of hordes of high-season visitors, and most of the year the city lives up to its Italian nickname, La Città del Silenzio (City of Silence). Parking in the central Piazza dei Quaranta Martiri—named for 40 hostages murdered by the Nazis in 1944—is easy and secure, and it’s wise to leave your car in the piazza and explore the narrow streets on foot.

At Christmas, kitsch is king. From December 7 to January 10, colored lights are strung down the mountainside in a shape resembling an evergreen, the world’s largest Christmas tree.

Getting Here

The closest train station is Fossato di Vico, about 20 km (12 miles) from Gubbio. Ten daily buses connect the train station with the city, a 30-minute trip. If you’re driving from Perugia, take the SS298, which rises steeply up toward the Gubbio hills. The trip will take you one hour. There are also 10 buses a day that leave from Perugia’s Piazza Partigiani, the main Perugia bus terminal.

Visitor Information

Gubbio Tourism Office.
Piazza Odersi 6 | 06024 | 075/9220693.

Exploring Gubbio

Duomo.
On a narrow street on the highest tier of the town, the Duomo dates from the 13th century, with some Baroque additions—in particular, a lavishly decorated bishop’s chapel. | Via Ducale | 06024 | Daily 8–12:45 and 3–7.

Fodor’s Choice | Palazzo dei Consoli.
Gubbio’s striking Piazza Grande is dominated by the medieval Palazzo dei Consoli, attributed to a local architect known as Gattapone, who is still much admired by today’s residents. Studies have suggested that the palazzo was in fact the work of another architect, Angelo da Orvieto. In the Middle Ages the Parliament of Gubbio assembled in this palace, which has become a symbol of the town.

The Palazzo dei Consoli houses a museum, famous chiefly for the Tavole Eugubine, seven bronze tablets written in the ancient Umbrian language, employing Etruscan and Latin characters and providing the best key to understanding this obscure tongue. Also in the museum is a fascinating miscellany of rare coins and earthenware pots. The museum has exhilarating views over Gubbio’s roofscape and beyond from the lofty loggia. For a few days at the beginning of May, the palace also displays the famous ceri, the ceremonial wooden pillars at the center of Gubbio’s annual festivities. | Piazza Grande | 06024 | 075/9274298 | www.comune.gubbio.pg.it | €5 | Apr.–Oct., daily 10–1 and 3–6; Nov.–Mar., daily 10–1 and 2–5.

Palazzo Ducale.
This scaled-down copy of the Palazzo Ducale in Urbino (Gubbio was once the possession of that city’s ruling family, the Montefeltro) contains a small museum and a courtyard. Some of the public rooms offer magnificent views. | Via Ducale | 06024 | 075/9275872 | €5 | Tues.–Sun. 9–7:30.

Funicular.
Just outside the city walls at the eastern end of town is a funicular that provides a bracing ride to the top of Monte Ingino. (It’s definitely not for those who suffer from vertigo.) | Follow Corso Garibaldi or Via XX Settembre to end | 06024 | €4, €5 round-trip | Sept.–June, daily 10–1:15 and 2:30–6; July and Aug., daily 9–7:30.

Basilica di Sant’Ubaldo.
At the top of Monte Ingino is the Basilica di Sant’Ubaldo, repository of Gubbio’s famous ceri—three 16-foot-tall pillars crowned with statues of Saints Ubaldo, George, and Anthony. The pillars are transported to the Palazzo dei Consoli on the first Sunday of May, in preparation for the Festa dei Ceri. | Monte Ingino | 06024 | 075/9273872 | Daily 8:30–noon and 4–7.

Where to Eat in Gubbio

Grotta dell’Angelo.
$ | UMBRIAN | The rustic trattoria sits in the lower part of the old town near the main square. The menu features simple local specialties, including capocollo (a type of salami), stringozzi (thick spaghetti), and lasagna tartufata (with truffles). The few outdoor tables are in high demand in summer. The restaurant also offers a few small, basically furnished guest rooms, which should be booked in advance. | Average cost: €17 | Via Gioia 47 | 06024 | 075/9273438 | Reservations essential | Closed Tues. and Jan. 7–Feb. 7.

Fodor’s Choice | Taverna del Lupo.
$ | UMBRIAN | One of the city’s most famous taverns, this popular place gets hectic on weekends and during the high season. Lasagna made in the Gubbian fashion, with ham and truffles, is an unusual indulgence, and the suprema di faraono (guinea fowl in a delicately spiced sauce) is a specialty. The restaurant has two fine wine cellars and an extensive wine list. Save room for the excellent desserts. | Average cost: €22 | Via Ansidei 21 | 06024 | 075/9274368 | Closed Mon. Oct.–June.

Ulisse e Letizia.
$ | UMBRIAN | The building dates to the 1300s, and its original stone-and-wood structure has been kept intact. (In the 1400s the space housed an important ceramics factory.) The menu, with seasonal changes, includes traditional but creative fare: tagliatelle al tartuffo (in a truffle sauce), gnochetti al finocchio selvatico (potato dumplings with wild fennel), and raviolini di faro con asparagi (tiny ravioli with spelt and asparagus). | Average cost: €20 | Via Mastro Giorgio 2 | 06024 | 075/9221970 | Closed Mon.

Where to Stay in Gubbio

Hotel Bosone Palace.
$ | A former palace is now home to this elegant hotel. Elaborate frescoes grace the ceilings of the two enormous suites, which are furnished with painted antiques, and the hotel’s small and delightful breakfast room. Standard rooms are comfortably, though more soberly, decorated with heavy wooden furniture. Ask for a room facing away from the sometimes noisy street. The restaurant is good and has a 200-seat garden. Pros: friendly welcome; excellent location. Cons: some noise in tourist season; simple lobby. TripAdvisor: “I lost my heart in Gubbio,” “lovely town and hotel,” “most beautiful.” | Rooms from: €110 | Via XX Settembre 22 | 06024 | 075/9220688 | www.bosonepalace-gubbio.com | 28 rooms, 2 suites | Closed 3 wks in Jan. | Breakfast.

Deruta

7 km (4½ miles) south of Torgiano, 19 km (11 miles) southeast of Perugia.

This 14th-century medieval hill town is most famous for its ceramics. A drive through the countryside to visit the ceramics workshops is a good way to spend a morning, but be sure to stop in the town itself.

Getting Here

From Perugia follow the directions for Rome and the E45 highway; Deruta has its own exits. There are also trains from the smaller St. Anna train station in Perugia. Take the train in the direction of Terni, and get off at Deruta.

Visitor Information

Deruta Tourism Office.
Piazza dei Consoli 4 | 06053 | 075/9711559.

Exploring Deruta

Museo Regionale della Ceramica (Regional Ceramics Museum).
The notable sights in Deruta include the Museo Regionale della Ceramica, part of which extends into the adjacent 14th-century former convent of San Francesco. Half the museum tells the history of ceramics, with panels in Italian and English explaining artistic techniques and production processes. The museum also holds the country’s largest collection of modern Italian ceramics—nearly 8,000 pieces are on display. The most notable are the Renaissance vessels using the lustro technique, which originated in Arab and Middle Eastern cultures some 500 years before coming into use in Italy in the late 1400s. Lustro, as the name sounds, gives the ceramics a rich finish, which is accomplished with the use of crushed precious materials such as gold and silver. | Largo San Francesco | 06053 | 075/9711000 |
www.museoceramicaderuta.it | €5 | Daily 10:30–1 and 2:30–5.

Shopping in Deruta

Deruta is home to more than 70 ceramics shops. They offer a range of ceramics, including extra pieces from commissions for well-known British and North American tableware manufacturers. If you ask, most owners will take you to see where they actually throw, bake, and paint their wares. A drive along Via Tiberina Nord takes you past one shop after another.

Spello

12 km (7 miles) southeast of Assisi, 33 km (21 miles) north of Spoleto.

Spello is a gastronomic paradise, especially compared to Assisi. Only a few minutes from Assisi by car or train, this hilltop town at the edge of Monte Subasio makes an excellent strategic and culinary base for exploring nearby towns. Its hotels are well appointed and its restaurants serve some of the best cuisine and wines in the region—sophisticated in variety and of excellent quality. Spello’s art scene includes first-rate frescoes by Pinturicchio and Perugino and contemporary artists who can be observed at work in studios around town. If antiquity is your passion, the town also has some intriguing Roman ruins. And the warm, rosy-beige tones of the local pietra rossa stone on the buildings brighten even cloudy days.

Getting Here

Spello is an easy half-hour drive from Perugia. From the E45 highway, take the exit toward Assisi and Foligno. Merge onto the SS75 and take the Spello exit. There are also regular trains on the Perugia–Assisi line. Spello is 1 km (½ mile) from the train station, and buses run every 30 minutes for Porta Consolare. From Porta Consolare continue up the steep main street that begins as Via Consolare and changes names several times as it crosses the little town, following the original Roman road. As it curves around, notice the winding medieval alleyways to the right and the more uniform Roman-era blocks to the left.

Visitor Information

Spello Tourism Office.
Piazza Matteotti 3 | 06038 | 0742/301009 |
www.prospello.it | Daily 9:30–12:30 and 3:30–5.

Exploring Spello

Santa Maria Maggiore.
The basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore has vivid frescoes by Pinturicchio in the Cappella Baglioni (1501). Striking in their rich colors, finely dressed figures, and complex symbolism, the Nativity, Christ Among the Doctors (on the far left side is a portrait of Troilo Baglioni, the prior who commissioned the work), and the Annunciation (look for Pinturicchio’s self-portrait in the Virgin’s room) are among Pinturicchio’s finest works. They were painted after the artist had already won great acclaim for his work in the Palazzi Vaticani in Rome for Borgia Pope Alexander VI. Two pillars on either side of the apse are decorated with frescoes by Perugino (circa 1450–1523), the other great Umbrian artist of the 16th century. | Piazza Matteotti 18 | 06038 | 0742/301792 | Daily 9–12:30 and 3–7.

Where to Eat and Stay in Spello

Fodor’s Choice | Il Molino.
$ | UMBRIAN | Almost a destination in itself, this former mill is one of the region’s best restaurants. The types of olive oil used in the dishes and the names of the local farmers who grew the produce are noted on the menu. Appetizers are varied, and often highlight foods found only here, like the risina, a tiny white bean. Pasta sauces can vary from exquisitely rich to extremely delicate. The meat is first-rate, either elaborately prepared or grilled and topped with a signature sauce. The service is attentive, and the wine list has plenty of local and Italian options, including the pungent Sagrantino di Montefalco and fresh Orvieto whites. If you want something with a bit more depth, go for one of the Montepulciano wines, or even a Brunello di Montalcino, one of Italy’s greatest reds. Outside seating lets you soak up the passing street scene; inside is a series of impressive 14th-century arches. | Average cost: €22 | Piazza Matteotti 6/7 | 06038 | 0742/301021 | Closed Tues.

Hotel Palazzo Bocci.
$$ | Quiet and elegant, this hotel is on Spello’s main street. The original building dates to the 14th century, but extensive restorations in the 18th and 19th centuries added bucolic ceiling and wall frescoes. You could settle in for a week and take a cooking course, or have the staff book you bicycle or horseback excursions through the countryside. The hotel has lovely sitting areas, a reading room, and a garden terrace off the bar. Several rooms have valley views. Consider splurging on the suite with the fireplace or reserving the room with the small terrace. Pros: central location; splendid views of the valley. Cons: noisy in summer months; not all rooms have views. TripAdvisor: “comfortable,” “a fascinating Umbrian town,” “charming and relaxing.” | Rooms from: €150 | Via Cavour 17 | 06038 | 0742/301021 | www.palazzobocci.com | 23 rooms | Breakfast.

La Bastiglia.
$ | This cozy hotel is in a former grain mill, but polished wood planks and handwoven rugs have replaced the rustic flooring. The comfortable sitting rooms and bedrooms are filled with a mix of antique and modern pieces. Rooms on the top floor—some with terraces—have views of the valley below, silvery green with olive trees. A separate building with additional rooms is surrounded by a garden. Pack light, as there are plenty of steps and you have to carry your bags. The hotel’s wood-beamed restaurant serves refined international cuisine and unusual adaptations of traditional recipes. The menu changes with the seasons, so look for roasted pigeon or a sorbetto of wild berries in the summer; toward winter, truffles will appear. The regionally known sommelier dispenses advice about wines. Pros: lovely terrace restaurant; cozy rooms; fine views. Cons: some shared balconies; breakfast is underwhelming; no elevator. TripAdvisor: “ambitious food,” “beautiful hotel,” “great view.” | Rooms from: €110 | Via Salnitraria 15 | 06038 | 0742/651277 | www.labastiglia.com | 31 rooms, 2 suites | Closed early Jan.–early Feb. | Breakfast.

Montefalco

6 km (4 miles) southeast of Bevagna, 34 km (21 miles) south of Assisi.

Nicknamed the “balcony over Umbria” for its high vantage point over the valley that runs from Perugia to Spoleto, Montefalco began as an important Roman settlement situated on the Via Flaminia. The town owes its current name—which means “Falcon’s Mount”—to Emperor Frederick II (1194–1250). Obviously a greater fan of falconry than Roman architecture, he destroyed the ancient town, which was then called Coccorone, in 1249, and built in its place what would later become Montefalco. Aside from a few fragments incorporated in a private house just off Borgo Garibaldi, no traces remain of the old Roman center. However, Montefalco has more than its fair share of interesting art and architecture and is well worth the drive up the hill.

Getting Here

If you’re driving from Perugia, take the E45 toward Rome. Take the Foligno exit, then merge onto the SP445 and follow it into Montefalco. The drive takes around 50 minutes. The nearest train station is in Foligno, about 7 km (4½ miles) away. From there you can take a taxi or a bus into Montefalco.

Visitor Information

Montefalco Tourism Office.
Piazza del Comune, 17 | 06036 | 0742/378490 |
www.stradadelsagrantino.it.

La Strada del Sagrantino.
The staff at this tourist office in the piazza will advise you on selecting a wine, direct you to nearby enoteche for tastings, and give you free maps with which to find your way around the Sagrantino Road and some remarkable wine territory. They can also book you a room in a hotel or hillside apartment, or at an agriturismo or vineyard (some of the wine producers, including Antonelli, have casale, or small apartments, near the vineyards that are usually rented by the week, but in low season are often available for a weekend). | Piazza del Comune 17 | 06036 | 0742/378490 | www.stradadelsagrantino.it.


The Sagrantino Story

Sagrantino grapes have been used for the production of red wine for centuries. The wine began centuries ago as Sagrantino passito, a semisweet version in which the grapes are left to dry for a period after picking to intensify the sugar content.

One theory traces the origin of Sagrantino back to ancient Rome in the works of Pliny the Elder, the author of the Natural History, who referred to the Itriola grape that some researchers think may be Sagrantino.

Others believe that in medieval times Franciscan friars returned from Asia Minor with the grape. (“Sagrantino” perhaps derives from sacramenti, the religious ceremony in which the wine was used.)

The passito is still produced today, and is preferred by some. But the big change in Sagrantino wine production came in the past decades, when Sagrantino secco (dry) came onto the market.

Both passito and secco have a deep ruby-red color that tends toward garnet highlights, with a full body and rich flavor.

For the dry wines, producers not to be missed are Terre di Capitani, Antonelli, Perticaia, and Caprai. Try those labels for the passito as well, in addition to Ruggeri and Scacciadiavoli.

Terre di Capitani is complex, and has vegetable and mineral tones that join tastes of wild berries, cherries, and chocolate—this winemaker hand-pampers his grapes and it shows.

Antonelli is elegant, refined, and rich. The Ruggeri passito is one of the best, so don’t be put off by its homespun label.

Caprai is bold and rich in taste, and has the largest market share, including a high percentage exported to the United States. Perticaia has a full, rounded taste.

Some wineries are small and not equipped to receive visitors.

Centro Agro-Alimentare dell’Umbria.
Sagrantino di Montefalco is celebrated twice yearly in the town of Montefalco, during September’s Festa Della Vendemmia (Grape or Harvest Festival) and spring’s Settimana Enologica (Wine Week), during which area grape farmers turn out for a parade through the streets and a tasting of past years’ labors in the Piazza del Comune. Details can be obtained from the Centro Agro-Alimentare dell’Umbria or the Strada del Sagrantino. | 075/56811 | www.umbriadoc.com.

Salute!


Where to Eat and Stay in Montefalco

Montefalco is a good stop for sustenance: here you need go no farther than the main square to find a restaurant or bar with a hot meal, and most establishments—both simple and sophisticated—offer a splendid combination of history and small-town hospitality.

L’Alchemista.
$ | ITALIAN | “The Alchemist” is an apt name, as the chef’s transformations are magical. Try the fiore molle della Valnerina, baked saffron cheese, bacon, and zucchini—served only here. In summer, cold dishes to try are panzanella, a local vegetable salad mixed with bread, or the barley salad tossed with vegetables. The farro (spelt) soup made with Sagrantino wine is a local specialty. The desserts are delicious: all are made on the premises and not too sweet. | Average cost: €10 | Piazza del Comune 14 | 06036 | 0742/378558 | Closed Tues. and Jan.–Mar.

Fodor’s Choice | Villa Pambuffetti.
$$ | If you want to be pampered in the refined atmosphere of a private villa, this is the spot. Just outside the town walls, it’s a short walk from all the town’s sights. Guests appear to be part of the ambience, and dress on par with the elegance of the villa and of the excellent cuisine in the dining room. In winter you’re greeted by the warmth of a fireplace as you enter the front door. In summer a pool cools you down, and cozy reading rooms beckon year-round. Cooking courses are given on the premises; horseback-riding and golf trips can be arranged; and shopping excursions for local textiles, cashmere, and ceramics are popular diversions. Pros: peaceful gardens; refined furnishings. Cons: outside the town center; can get crowded on weekends. TripAdvisor: “wonderful stay,” “beautiful relaxing setting,” “lovely hotel.” | Rooms from: €150 | Viale della Vittoria 20 | 06036 | 0742/379417 | www.villapambuffetti.com | 15 rooms, 3 suites | Breakfast.

Previous Chapter | Beginning of Chapter | Next Chapter | Table of Contents