Tag: event in umbria

Umbria and summertime: perfect match for your trip

Love to go to Central Italy, full of history, wine and oil?

The Umbria region is for you then: in the center of Italy, the  many Etruscan sites and medieval hill towns will embrace you and your family in a relaxing and lovely journey. Umbria is Italy’s “green heart” (cuore verde) full of nature parks and reserve. Umbria also offers one of Italy’s largest lakes, Lago Trasimeno, waterfalls and it is less expensive than Tuscany! let’s start our tour from the beautiful hill town of Orvieto build on tufa stones high peak with a contryside full with Etruscan tombs and vineyards. The origin? You can trace it back to Etruscan times, milleniums ago!

The stunning cathedral shows a mosaic facade and it is a incredible building and one of the most important medieval monuments in Italy. Close to Rome, from Orvieto you can visit southern Umbria and the close-by Tuscany.

Furthermore, from Orvieto you can reach easily Assisi, the pilgrimage home town of San Francesco, the patron saint of Italy. The Basilica in Assisi has the tomb of Saint Francis together with a lot of other interesting churches, ruins, medieval sites, museums within  its walled medieval center. 

Spoleto is the largest towns in southern Umbria with Etruscan, Roman, and medieval sites. The medieval Rocca is above the town: a deep gorge is on one side of the Rocca, the other shows the Ponte delle Torri for a breathtaking sightseeeing. A fab Festival dei due mondi is held in Spoleto too,  in late June – early July.

Perugia is Umbria’s capital and the largest town. Again an hill town with Etruscan and medieval roots famous for its University, a good Italian language school, an international jazz festival, and a jummy chocolate festival (Eurochocolate in Spring). Don’t miss out here the Chocohotel: if you love chocolate you will find a restaurant with chocolate menu!!!

 

 

Festival and truffle Fairs in Italy

The Fall time is the best period for gourmet to come to Italy. Many activities, medieval festival and truffle fairs are all around, especially in the North of this beautiful country. This is a fab reason to travel to Italy in the fall, properly a foodie’s dream. Mushrooms, chestnuts, truffles and chocolate are waiting for you!
Here is some examples of events worth to try: for instance, a festival recreating the man in the iron mask, Maschera di Ferro, took place in the Piemonte town of Pinerolo the first weekend of October. The man in the mask is played by someone different each year. Sunday afternoon after the story is acted out, the mask is removed to reveal the man wearing it.
Gorgeous are the fall festivals in Umbria, which include: La Festa del Bosco (Woodland fair) from 28 October up to the 1 November in  Montone a beautiful truffle fair such as Mostra Mercato del Tartufo (Trade fair of Truffles) staging 14 /15 October in Pietralunga. Or enjoy the Sagra della Castagna (Chestnut fair) on 21/22 October in Preggio (near Umbertide).
Another Chestnut fair the same date is in Morra (near Citta’ di Castello) while a Trade fair of the truffle and woodland products is on at Monte Santa Maria Tiberina. Inside this festival category you can’t miss the Trade fair of the truffle and woodland products on early November at Citta’ di Castello’s (Citta di Castello).
    And fab is the Gubbio Chocolate Fair ,organised by Altrocioccolato at the end of October!!! alternative and with a focus on sustanability, it is really a nice experience, maybe after going in Perugia to check Eurochocolate, an event we already singled out in this blog. So if you are like my a food-addict, or better a fair-addict, just come around and have a look…not to mention the historical richness and beauty of each small town that hosts the single event!