Central Italy is an area full of natural resources, famous artworks and a lot of medieval towns.
One of the smallest regions is Umbria, that is also a place where the living conditions are better than other renowned cities.
I’ve been to Umbria just to discover why travellers (Italians but above all foreigners) like this area and which is the best kept secret that “captures” so many people!
After 2 journeys in different seasons of the year, maybe I understood: here is the land of quietness and peace.
I’ve been to Perugia, where is a famous Foreigners University, and I walked through the alleys, the parks and the squares (the most important is Piazza IV Novembre), what a fabulous city! The first thing I liked was the Rocca Paolina, a fortress symbol of dominion of the Popes, that now houses events and exhibitions. Is really strange to take the escalator inside a medieval bulding!
Perugia is also renowned for art (the paintings of Perugino hosted at the National Gallery of Umbria) and chocolate; in fact the best Italian brand is Perugina and its product Baci, exported all over the world.
But I decided to move across the region and I selected, as accommodation, an Umbria farmhouse that reminded me to a spiritual retreat, Genius Loci.
This strange name is Latin and means “guardian spirit of a place”: the Romans depicted this figure as a relief in many altars and churches, but now the Genius states for a mood, an ambiance of pure relax.
I met the Tacconi family, the owners of this Country Inn, that are bi-lingual and bi-cultural. They are involved in art, music, gastronomy, history, in other words the most intersting sides of Umbria.
From Genius Loci, that is in Bevagna, I moved to Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis, where I visited the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and the Eremo delle Carceri, a small and enchanting hermitage in the forest, in the premises of Monte Subasio.
It was spring, the climate was very nice, so I came back during the last fall, where the colors of the tress gave me a new welcome.
Thanks to the Genius Loci, that is also provided with a swimming pool in the garden, it was easy to discover the itinerary called “Strada del Sagrantino”, where I tasted the homonym grape variety. For wine and food Umbria is probably one of the best places in Italy, an excellence that becomes tradition. Image by UmbriaLovers
