Post

CARDS

Casteluccio

image

Ricardo Lucidi

Let the tour buses have Tuscany; you’ll find the same magical convergence of rolling landscapes, postcard villages, and incredible country cooking just south in Umbria. At the foot of the Apennine Mountains, bobbing in a vast sea (of wildflowers in the spring, snow in the winter), Casteluccio stands as an island of old-world wonder, of cobblestone corners and slow-simmered culture. Make your base in nearby Norcia, where porchetta and truffles and some of Italy’s finest salumi can sustain you for a week (or a lifetime).

imageLOCANDA DE’ SENARI

If driving up a narrow, winding road to a gorgeous mountain village just to eat a bowl of lentil stew seems like a bad idea to you, you probably shouldn’t be traveling through Italy.

imageAGRITURISMO ANTICA CASCINA BRINDAMARTE

The kind of place you come for a day and stay for a week: a refurbished farmhouse with generous mountain views and a gift for feeding people.

imageMANTICA NORCINERIA FRATELLI ANSUINI

A treasure trove of Umbria’s finest products, from golden-green tides of peppery olive oil to local black truffles to a dozen works of porcine art.

imagePALAZZO SENECA

For when you need to splash out. Beautiful rooms in an ancient palace, a world-class restaurant, and a breakfast spread that will make you want to wake up twice each morning.