MEDIEVAL HILLTOWNS
of ITALY
Central Italian Gems North of Rome, South of Florence
September 18 - 25, 2010
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INTRODUCTION
One of Venture Out’s most popular tours in our early days (1998-2001)
was our “Hilltowns of Tuscany” itinerary. Here’s another
take on that with a whole new assortment of amazing medieval towns that
you’ve probably never been to but are well worth your while to
experience! Our tour meets in Rome before heading north to explore the
wonderful towns and cities of Orvieto, Assisi, Gubbio, Perugia,
and Spoleto, among others. Also on our program are
unique opportunities to visit interesting local artisans’ workshops
and a modern art gallery; to go truffle hunting; and to taste superb
olive oil at its source!
This in-depth exploration of Central Italy’s marvelous medieval
hilltowns and bucolic landscapes will take us to the “must-see”
highlights as well as off the beaten track for some much less common
and very interesting sights and activities. This is an area with an
exceedingly rich art history, lavish natural beauty, stunning ancient
towns, and of course, delicious cuisine and excellent wines!
The countryside here is rustically pretty, with steep hills and narrow
valleys. The region is often called the "Green Heart of Italy”
(and is officially known as Umbria). Its tidy, beautiful hilltowns are
of pinkish gray stone. From some spots you can see several at a time,
like an archipelago of islands crowned with villages, one behind the
other, vanishing into the horizon. Each of them is crammed with artistic
and architectural treasures.
Gastronomic credentials here include the highly prized truffle, found
only here and one other area in the country. These strange delicacies
have been coveted since Roman times for their aromatic, not to mention
aphrodisiac qualities. The local pasta, meat and game, delicious olive
oil, and cheese all add to the alluring mix.
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ITINERARY
Day 1, Saturday, September 18, 2010 – Meet in Rome
We will come together at our hotel in
the incredible “Eternal City” in the early evening for a
welcome aperitivo before walking to our carefully chosen restaurant
for an excellent dinner in one of Rome’s lively and characterful
neighborhoods.
Overnight in Rome.
Meals included: Welcome Drink, Welcome Dinner
{Please Note: If you’ve never been to Rome before
we strongly encourage you to spend more time here since the focus of
this tour is not Rome. We can arrange extra nights for you at our group
hotel in Rome before and/or after our tour depending on your travel
plans. We can arrange a private transfer from the Rome airport to the
hotel if you wish. Taxis are also available from the airport as well
as an express train to the central station in Rome (“Termini”),
from where a taxi is recommended to reach the hotel.} |
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Day 2 - Orvieto
Leaving Rome this morning we head north
about 90 minutes to the spectacularly sited city of Orvieto,
sitting atop a magnificent crag — a 1,000-ft sheer-cliffed mesa
created by an ancient volcano, which also enriched the hillsides below
with special minerals to produce Orvieto's famous white wine. The city
is home to one of Italy's finest Gothic cathedrals. Its awe-inspiring
facade alone took over 300 years to complete and features amazing mosaics,
while inside is Luca Signorelli's stunning “Last Judgment,”
certainly one of the great Italian fresco cycles of the Renaissance.
Our lunch will be in one of Orvieto's best restaurants. We’ll
also see the Palazzo del Popolo, a splendid example of a 12th-century
civic building made of tufa stone and perfectly harmonized with the
medieval character of the city. Also on our route is the surprising
St. Patrick’s Well — a deep well with two spiral staircases
in a double-helix inside, each with 248 steps. Built in the 1500s to
provide an emergency water supply in the event of a siege, this amazing
structure was the work of the papal architect Sangallo the Younger.
The city has many pretty shops and cafes interspersed within alluring
narrow and winding streets to while away an afternoon.
After our visit of Orvieto we’ll continue about an hour to the
small, ancient town of Bettona where we will check in to our next hotel
and our base for three nights. Panoramic views towards Assisi and a
swimming pool are a couple of this hotel’s nice features. Dinner
is on your own this evening. You may wish to try the hotel’s restaurant
or stroll the small town and choose a place that piques your interest.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch |
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Day 3 - Assisi
Today is dedicated to the wonders of
Assisi — the city of Saint Francis — perhaps
one of Italy’s most famous small towns and one of its loveliest.
The Basilica of Saint Francis — with its upper and lower churches
containing masterpieces of Italian medieval art by Giotto, Cimabue, and
Martini — is one of our stops. We also take in the Piazza del Comune
(the town’s main square) with its medieval buildings and the interesting
ancient Roman temple of Minerva, recently beautifully restored. Below
the piazza is the newly opened Museum of the Roman Forum where we explore
the remains of a large Roman public area.
After lunch we’ll visit a couple of beautiful Franciscan sites.
One is San Damiano, an austere stone monastery just on the outskirts of
town. For those who wish we can walk here on a lovely off-road path. Afterwards
we’ll drive up into the hills above Assisi to the Eremo delle Carceri,
a hermitage located in a gorgeous setting on the edge of a ravine, deep
in the woods on Mount Subasio. This was St. Francis’s retreat, and
a handful of friars still live a traditional existence here.
After our return to Bettona you have a free evening with dinner on your
own.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch |
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Day 4 - Città
di Castello – Truffles - Gubbio
About an hour’s drive from Bettona is the town of Città
di Castello. Here we’ll see the beautiful exhibition of
Alberto Burri, a major 20th-century abstract painter and sculptor. His
largest and most recent canvases and works are on display in a former
tobacco-drying facility, an impressive ex-industrial plant.
Next up, in the countryside outside Città di Castello, we embark
on a special “truffle track” excursion. This northern area
of Umbria, close to Tuscany, is one of the few areas in Italy where it
is possible to “hunt” the precious white truffle. We’ll
take you into the fascinating and mysterious world of this delicacy, on
a family-run “truffle farm” where the expert
owners will show us how these extremely pricey gastronomic delicacies
are found (with specially trained dogs), dug up, processed, and used in
cooking! We’ll learn all the secrets of the truffle and how to distinguish
its different varieties all the while getting to see the beautiful countryside
while we’re at it. Additionally we’ll observe a cooking demonstration
and receive a recipe book you can take with you. And we have a fabulous
lunch, of course! {Please Note: Truffles found on this excursion remain
the property of the farm.}
After this very fun experience we’ll head over to the charming hilltown
of Gubbio — one of the most beautiful and best-preserved
medieval towns in Central Italy. Our visit will include the beautiful
13th-century piazza with its highly impressive Gothic Palazzo dei Consoli,
one of the most remarkable public buildings in Italy. From the piazza
there is a gorgeous view onto the valley. The Palazzo dei Consoli is now
a museum displaying a unique treasure, the bronze Eugubine Tablets which
record early Umbrian civilization. The palace also contains a gallery
of paintings and a collection of ceramics by famous Renaissance potter
Mastro Giorgio. We’ll see the Church of St. Francis, which displays
great 15th-century frescoes by local artist Ottaviano Nelli. And we’ll
have a wander around Gubbio’s neighborhoods, with characteristic
narrow alleyways and medieval architecture.
After our return to Bettona you have a free evening with dinner on your
own.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch |
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Day 5 – Deruta
– Perugia
This morning is dedicated to traditional Umbrian handicrafts. We’ll
have entrance into the finest crafts workshops, off the tourist track,
where master artisans will welcome us to show us some of the secrets of
their production processes. Ceramics and textiles/weaving are the arts
that we have chosen to represent the territory so that you can appreciate
the quality of the objects produced here and those who create them with
great passion.
We’ll check out of our hotel in Bettona, and just a bit down the
road is very famous Deruta where, since the early Renaissance,
some of the most beautiful majolica in Italy has been hand-made.
Well take you into one of the most prestigious and unique ceramics workshops,
where we can observe the entire production cycle, from throwing to glazing
to decoration and admire the typical Renaissance forms and decorations
that have made the name Deruta famous the world over for its ceramics.
Later, in a small village near Perugia, we pay a visit to a family-run
weaving/textile workshop, founded at the beginning of the 1800’s.
Here we’ll be introduced to how these gorgeous fabrics are created
by the expert hands of able artisans, jealous custodians of ancient traditions.
We then move on to the regional capital: Perugia —
one of Italy’s greatest art cities, an intensely atmospheric place
sheltering some of the most authentic medieval streets in all Europe,
and also very well known for its chocolates! After lunch near the main
square, our visits will include the beautiful Palazzo dei Priori with
the Hall of Notaries; the city’s wonderful “main drag”
of Corso Vannucci; the 13th-century Fontana Maggiore (one of Italy’s
nicest) with its 48 double relief-panels sculpted by Pisano father and
son; the Collegio del Cambio with extraordinary frescos by Perugino (teacher
of Raphael); and the National Gallery of Umbria with its masterpieces
of Gothic art by Pinturicchio, Perugino, Fra Angelico, and Piero della
Francesca.
After soaking up marvelous Perugia we’ll head down the road to our
next accommodation where we will settle in for another three nights near
the town of Trevi. Our hotel is a gorgeous villa set within beautiful
grounds.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
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Day 6 – Bevagna,
Montefalco, Spello
We begin today in nearby Bevagna,
a charming ancient town. The main square of Piazza S. Silvestro is flanked
by two Romanesque-period jewels: the Church of San Michele and the Church
of San Silvestro, both facing the 13th-century Palazzo dei Consoli. Bevagna
is famous for its Mercato delle Gaite, an annual 10-day event
during which village life is transformed to medieval times, where every
aspect of daily life is reproduced as it was during those times. The most
interesting aspect of the fair is the authentic old workshops that still
operate using medieval techniques. For the rest of the year these workshops
are normally closed to the public, but we have arranged a special visit
of four of the principal medieval workshops: the Cartiera (paper
making), the Cereria (candle making); the Setificio
(silk making), and the Dipintore (painting on wood).
Up the hill from Bevagna is Montefalco, home of the superb
Sagrantino wine. We will call in at one vintner, renowned for their high-quality
wines where we will taste the classic Montefalco Rosso and the
prized Montefalco Sagrantino. A typical lunch
with wine pairings will follow in a local enoteca/trattoria in a lovely
setting on the main square of Montefalco.
After lunch we pop over to beautiful Spello where we’ll
enjoy a guided tour of this medieval village, admiring its pink and cream
stone houses lounging under Mount Subasio and overlooking the Valle Umbra.
The highlights here are the noteworthy Renaissance fresco by Pinturicchio
in the Cappella Baglioni and three excellently preserved Roman-era gates.
This area is also very well known for its superb olive oil, and we’ll
get to visit a typical olive oil mill, one of the top producers of D.O.P.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and enjoy a tasting here.
After returning to our villa hotel you have a free evening with dinner
on your own. You may wish to dine in the hotel’s restaurant or stroll
through the village and try out the local trattoria/pizzeria.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch |
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Day 7 - Spoleto
On our last full day we go to the remarkable town of Spoleto,
with its very long history from pre-Roman days to the present-day "Festival
of the Two Worlds," Italy's most prestigious international arts festival.
Highlights of the city include a masterpiece of engineering from the 1300s:
the spectacular 755-ft Ponte delle Torri, a bridge and aqueduct of ten
towering arches. It spans a 260-ft-deep ravine far below. Spoleto's cathedral
contains exquisite rich frescos, including a masterpiece by Fra Filippo
Lippi.
After visiting Spoleto, we’ll have lunch nearby to taste the hearty
local specialties of the area, which include suckling pig, pork sausage,
and lentils. Returning then to our beautiful hotel, we’ll have time
to relax in the villa’s pretty grounds and have a swim (weather
permitting) before our farewell dinner.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
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Day 8, Saturday, September 25,
2010 - Departure
This morning it will be difficult to
tear ourselves away from our beautiful accommodation here. We’ll
head back down to Rome, a drive of approximately two hours. Our drop-off
points will be the central train station (“Termini”) and/or
the group hotel that we used at the beginning of the tour, depending on
your onward travel plans. If you are flying out of Rome this day there
is an express train from the central station to the airport, but your
flight would have to depart after 1:00pm.
Meals included: Breakfast
{Please Note: If you are planning to travel northward
in Italy (such as towards Florence, Venice, or other areas), instead of
returning to Rome with the group transfer you should consider taking a
train from the nearby town of Trevi, which is only about two miles from
our hotel.} |
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ACCOMMODATIONS
The following are the hotels that we plan to use for the tour at the time
of publishing this itinerary. We reserve the right to make changes to
the accommodations. |
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Rome – 1 night
We have selected a beautiful hotel in an excellent central location.
Located right by the Tiber River, it is perfectly positioned to reach
many of Rome’s attractions by foot. It is located just off the Via
Giulia, easily one of Rome’s prettiest streets. Just a few minutes’
walk will take you to the Campo de’ Fiori – Rome’s most
famous and lively outdoor market place. A few more minutes and you could
be at the amazing Piazza Navona, the old Jewish quarter, the Pantheon,
the Trevi Fountain, or the Spanish Steps. In the other direction from
the hotel you cross a pedestrian bridge over the Tiber and find yourself
in the heart of Rome’s characterful Trastevere district. The hotel
has one of the prettiest patio-courtyards in Rome, an enchanting spot
shadowed by palm trees, set with tables, and adorned with pink and white
flowers, all surrounded by the ochre walls of the hotel, which was renovated
from a Renaissance palazzo built by a noble Venetian family. Inside, the
sleek decor features cherry wood accents, recessed lighting, and luminous
marble floors. All rooms have internet acces, minibar, satellite TV, air
conditioning, and a safe. |
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Bettona – 3 nights
Our chosen 4-star hotel lies in the heart of the old town
center facing the main square. The building, which dates from the 14th
century, stretches out in a series of enchanting terraces that encourage
lounging and admiring the stunning panoramic view over the valley towards
Assisi. The property’s restoration has united elegance and sophistication
without losing the original spirit of the place. There are spacious
common areas for chatting and for enjoying a drink to the bright tunes
of occasional live music. Wi-fi internet access is available in common
areas. The 39 guest rooms are furnished in an elegant, sophisticated
manner. As you would expect of a building of this age, the guest rooms
are all different, and each one shows the careful attention that was
paid during the restoration/conversion project. The rooms come with
satellite TV, minibar, safe, and wired internet access. Breakfast is
served on a panoramic terrace. Service is cordial and attentive. There’s
also an outdoor swimming pool, where you can eat or enjoy a drink. The
restaurant on the property features traditional Umbrian dishes —
the best of regional gastronomy — including cold-pressed extra
virgin olive oil, cold meats from Norcia and Bettona, mushrooms from
the local woods, truffles and legumes from Valnerina, and exceptional
wines — all served with the backdrop of a wonderful view. |
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Trevi – 3 nights
We’ve selected a large 16th-century country villa in
the vineyards near Montefalco. Having belonged to the same family since
its construction, it has recently been transformed by the owners into
a fabulous 4-star hotel immersed in a 10-acre park with a large outdoor
swimming pool surrounded by rose bushes, rosemary, and oleanders. Service
throughout is refined, and the staff are gracious. Guests are greeted
in a spacious reception lobby with a 19th-century hand-painted terra
cotta tile ceiling brought to light during the extensive restoration
work during the building's conversion to a hotel. The villa has 34 tastefully
furnished and spacious rooms, and their large bathrooms are fitted out
in Carrara marble and have towel warmers and hair dryers. Rooms come
with wi-fi internet access, satellite TV, safe, and minibar. The hotel’s
restaurant features traditional Umbrian cuisine, with seasonal menus
offering authentic dishes of fresh homemade pasta and delicious vegetable
and grain soups. A sumptuous buffet breakfast including homemade sweets
is served in the hotel's charming Winter Garden with a veranda onto
the Italian garden. The villa also boasts a traditional Italian garden
with meticulously kept boxwood hedges, a fountain, and fine specimens
of magnolia, palm, and pine trees. |
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TOUR COST and IMPORTANT TRIP
DETAILS
LAND COST:
$3,595 per person (with 12 to 15 participants)
$3,795 per person (with 9 to 11 participants)
Tour pricing is based on double occupancy.
Single supplement: $220
A note about tier pricing: There are certain fixed costs involved with
operating a trip of this nature regardless of the number of participants
who have signed up. As you can imagine, with a smaller number of group
members, the fixed costs per person are higher. In order to cover those
fixed costs for a smaller-sized group, rather than cancel a trip due to
a low number of sign-ups, we prefer to charge a bit extra in order to
ensure that the trip can run.
Costs are based on double occupancy of a room. If you are traveling alone
and wish to share a room, we will match you with a roommate if one is
available. Should there be no one to pair you with, the single supplement
fee will apply.
Tour Cost Includes:
o Accommodations for 7 nights in carefully selected properties (see descriptions
above)
o Buffet breakfast each morning in the hotels
o Lunch every day (except the arrival and departure days), including wine
and mineral water
o Dinner on Days 1, 5, and 7, including wine and mineral water
o Welcome drink
o Admission fees for all sights mentioned in itinerary
o Licensed private tour guides in all towns mentioned in itinerary
o Winery visit and wine tasting in Montefalco
o Olive oil mill visit and tasting
o Private visits to ceramic and weaving artisans’ workshops
o Private truffle hunting excursion and cooking demonstration
o Tour escort accompanying the group throughout
o Ground transportation in a private comfortable bus and driver’s
services, room, and board
o Transfer to Rome at the end of the tour
o Tips to restaurants, local guides, churches, etc.
Tour
Cost Does Not Include:
Airfare; any meals not specified above; additional accommodations pre-
or post-tour that may be necessitated by flight schedules or other factors;
travel insurance; passports; and other expenses of a personal nature such
as minibar charges, laundry, telephone calls, etc.
Currency
Exchange Rates: Our costs to operate this tour are tied directly
and entirely to the exchange rate between the Euro and the Dollar. Over
the past few years the value of the U.S. dollar has fluctuated in quite
a volatile manner against the Euro — and generally in an unfavorable
direction for the dollar. We reserve the right to alter the trip pricing
indicated here should there be a significant fluctuation of the dollar
in either direction — up or down. |
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TRIP PACING: We have structured the days
in this program in the most logically flowing way in order to keep driving
times to a minimum and to avoid repetition of roads. However, some days
will see more driving than others. None of the driving is done at long,
uninterrupted intervals. We stop often throughout the day for our visits,
thus breaking up the day’s activities. Our transportation will be
in a comfortable tour bus, and at no time will it feel like an endless
road trip. Day 4 will involve the most driving: about an hour to reach
Città di Castello, 45 minutes to Gubbio, and another hour back
to Bettona.
Each day’s activities are, of course, optional. You are free to
stay back at “home base” and while away the time as you wish. |
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
--- SOME TYPICAL DISHES FROM THIS PART OF ITALY...
ANTIPASTI (appetizers)
Bruschetta: toasted bread rubbed with olive oil and
garlic or sometimes truffles
Crostini: thin slices of toast
with a piquant paté spread of chicken liver, anchovies, capers
and lemons, or other variations
PRIMI (first courses)
Minestra di Farro: a soup made with a popular local
grain (spelt) and cooked with a ham bone
Spaghetti alla Norcina:
made with a sauce of black truffles, oil, and anchovies or with sausage
and cream
Strangozzi (Stringozzi) or Ciriole: long
pasta strands made with hand-milled flour
Umbricelli: Thick,
chewy strand pasta, very suitable to robust pasta sauces or oil with garlic
and herbs
SECONDI (second courses)
Fagiano all'Uva: pheasant cooked with grapes
Porchetta:
roast suckling pig with garlic, rosemary, and other herbs
Salsiccia
all'Uva: Fresh pork sausage cooked with grapes
Piccione alla
Perugina: Squab cooked with olives
Anguilla: eel from
Lake Trasimeno, served either grilled or braised in wine, tomatoes, onions,
and garlic
OTHER UMBRIAN FLAVORS
Torta
sul Testo: a flatbread cooked on hot stones
Extra Virgin
Olive Oil: often jade green, fragrant, fruity, and sometimes very
lusty. It is among the finest oils in Italy.
Tartufi Neri e Bianchi
(black and white truffles): the most prized gourmet delicacy in Umbria.
Earthy, aromatic, and aphrodisiac tubers that are very picky about where
they grow. Umbria is one of their favorite spots. Except for saffron,
truffles are the most expensive comestibles in the world. White truffles
can command a staggering $200 an ounce; black are much less, but still
expensive.
DOLCI (desserts)
Fichi: excellent figs come from Amelia, near Orvieto
Pan Nociato: a rich dessert made of bread, pecorino cheese, raisins,
walnuts, cloves, red wine, all wrapped and baked in grape leaves
Pinoccata:
a cookie made with pine nuts, lemon peel, orange peel, sugar, and sometimes
chocolate
Torcolo: a sweet roll that contains pine nuts,
raisins, anise seed, and sometimes candied fruit
VINO
(wine)
Orvieto and Orvieto Classico: the most famous
wine in the region. A pleasant white that can range from bone dry to buttery
creaminess.
Sagrantino di Montefalco: a wine that is well
known to connoisseurs and almost unknown to everyone else. Made with at
least 95% Sagrantino grapes and perhaps a few Trebbiano Toscano grapes
to lighten this intense and powerful wine.
Torgiano: from
a town of the same name. Wine has been made here since Etruscan times.
Includes magnificent dry, full-bodied reds that can take years of ageing,
and a light and lively bianco.
Rosso di Montefalco: made
of approximately 65% Sangiovese, plus Trebbiano Toscano and Sagrantino
grapes, which give this wine its particular richness.
Vin Santo
(holy wine): The most famous dessert wine here is a rich, deep unctuous
golden wine made from semi-dried grapes. It's sweet and strong, and "holy"
only perhaps because priests are so fond of it. |
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CAVEAT
While as accurate as possible at the time of printing, this itinerary
should be considered an approximate indication of the schedule and scope
of activities, trip routing, and meals, rather than an inflexible schedule
of events; it is subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control.
We reserve the right to maintain flexibility in order to take advantage
of unforeseen opportunities. This trip is subject to the Limitation of
Liability and all the Terms and Conditions as detailed in the Trip Enrollment
Form.
To realize the maximum enjoyment from your Venture Out trip, we encourage
participants to have flexibility, a sense of humor, curiosity and enthusiasm
about new people and places, and an openness to the unexpected. With a
spirit of adventure and positive attitude, we’re sure you will have
a very special travel experience. If you are uncertain about the level
of comfort, difficulty, or any of the activities described in this itinerary,
please email us or call Venture Out at 1-888-431-6789 to discuss your
concerns.
California Seller of Travel #2036134-4 |
