Umbria

May and October are when Umbria reveals itself. In May, the wildflowers are out on the Sibillini mountain plateaux; the piano di Castelluccio in June is covered in red poppies and blue borage so intensely coloured that you question whether the colours are real. In October, the autumn truffle season begins in Norcia and the Valnerina, and the light is golden in a way that makes even modest villages look extraordinary. Umbria sits in the shadows of Tuscany’s fame, which means lower accommodation prices and fewer tour groups, but the art, history, and landscapes are as compelling as anywhere in central Italy. The region feels less polished, more genuine, because it hasn’t been reshaped entirely around tourism.

Assisi is where Francis of Assisi founded his order, and the Basilica di San Francesco sits on the edge of the medieval town. The church has two levels: the lower church is dark and candlelit with Cimabue’s Byzantine-influenced frescoes and Simone Martini’s scenes of St Martin; the upper church holds the Giotto fresco cycle that changed Western art. Arrive at 8am before the pilgrim groups arrive (by 9:30am the church is crowded with organized tours). The town itself is beautifully preserved medieval architecture; an evening walk after most visitors have left reveals a place of genuine peace. Orvieto sits high on a tufa plateau, and the Duomo facade (gold mosaics, intricate bas-reliefs, rose window) is extraordinary in afternoon light. Inside the Cappella di San Brizio, Luca Signorelli’s Apocalypse frescoes from 1499 are so technically accomplished that Michelangelo studied them before painting the Sistine Chapel. The Orvieto underground is unlike anywhere else in Italy: 1,200 years of tunnels, wells, and dovecotes carved into the soft tufa stone; guided tours reveal a completely subterranean city beneath your feet.

Spoleto is compact, elegant, and walkable. The Roman theatre is still used for concerts and performances; the Ponte delle Torri aqueduct-bridge spans a deep gorge with extraordinary engineering. The Festival dei Due Mondi (late June-July) brings international theatre and music, but the town empties and returns to its quiet self after the festival ends. Spello is a hill village built in pink stone with Roman gates, and the parish church holds Pinturicchio’s frescoes in the Cappella Baglioni; roses bloom everywhere in May-June, and the Infiorata festival in June fills the main street with flower carpets. Lake Trasimeno to the west is the largest lake in central Italy, surrounded by olive groves and medieval villages; Castiglione del Lago has a good castle and beach. The lake fish (tench, eel, perch) are prepared in the local brodetto. A quiet afternoon by the water is one of the underrated pleasures of Umbria.

Umbrian food reflects the mountains and the forest. Norcineria is the craft of Norcia’s pork butchers: salami, prosciutto, and lonza that are exported throughout Italy and widely imitated. Tartufo nero di Norcia (black truffle) is shaved over pasta, eggs, and risotto; the Valnerina is truffle country. Strangozzi is a local pasta, thicker than spaghetti and served with a truffle or sauce. Torta al testo is a flatbread cooked on a terracotta tile, filled with cheese or greens. Sagrantino di Montefalco is a tannic, structured red wine found only in this small area around Montefalco; it’s serious wine, challenging and rewarding. The wines of Umbria are not as famous as Tuscany’s, which is precisely why exploring them rewards your attention more.

Practically: May through June and October are optimal. July and August are warm and can be crowded around Assisi. September is excellent but the truffle season hasn’t begun. A car is helpful but not essential in the main towns; trains connect Assisi, Spoleto, and Orvieto to Perugia (the regional capital). Perugia itself is worth a day (medieval winding streets, the Galleria Nazionale, ceramics tradition). Don’t miss the small villages: Bevagna has extraordinary Roman mosaics and almost no tourists; Narni has an underground city and Romanesque cathedral; Todi sits on a hilltop with one of Italy’s best piazzas (the Piazza del Popolo).

Umbria suits travellers who want the art and spirituality of central Italy without the Tuscany crowds and price tags. The combination of religious art (Giotto, Signorelli), quiet hill towns, and serious food and wine makes this region underrated rather than overrated.