Wines of Montefalco & Truffle of Norcia

Umbria is known for its beautiful nature, medieval villages, fine wines and delicious local cuisine. During this tour you will see two different parts of Umbria. Montefalco is situated in the Valle Umbra, a fertile valley with small medieval villages and famous for its high quality wines. Norcia, with in the background the Sibylline mountains, is a good place to taste the local truffle dishes such as pasta with truffles, the omelette with truffles, or truffle salad. It is also famous for its production of salamis and raw hams.

The tour starts at the foot of the town of Montefalco, a hilltop town, famous for its Rosso di Montefalco and Sagrantino wines. You will stay in a Villa with a beautiful garden, swimming pool and an excellent restaurant. The villa boasts a special collection of porcelain soup bowls. The next morning, accompanied by a guide, you will make an easy walk through the vineyards of Montefalco and visit the city and its ancient medieval centre. The walk will end at a winery, where you will have an interesting explanation about winemaking and taste the Montefalco wines.  In the late afternoon, a cooking class in the villa together with cook Lorenza, followed by a dinner made with the dishes prepared during the course. 

You leave Montefalco and on the way to Norcia, you will have time to stop and visit Spoleto. The city is situated in the southern part of the Umbrian Valley. The medieval centre lies on a hill. There is a lot to see: the Cathedral with frescoes by Filippo Lippi and works by Pinturicchio, the fortress, which can be clearly seen from far away, the aqueduct or Ponte delle Torri, a Roman house, a Roman theatre, numerous churches and museums.  Spoleto is not only rich of things to visit, but is also a pleasant place for shopping, with numerous good restaurants.

Norcia is situated on the plateau of Santa Scolastica. The city is famous for its truffle, pecorino cheese, salami and raw ham (prosciutto). This Norcineria, like Fiaschette del prete (a finely ground salami), the gorgeous Norcia ham and the so-called mule’s testicles, is offered in many delicacy shops and restaurants.  The historic centre of the city has been damaged by the latest earthquake in 2016 (churches have been particularly damaged) but thanks to the energy and collaboration of the inhabitants of Norcia, the town is now largely being restored. You will stay in a Relais in the centre, a historic palace. The Relais has a restaurant awarded with one star Michelin, where you have dinner the evening of your arrival, and you could relax in the spa centre.  The next morning you go looking for truffles near Norcia and have a picnic. In the afternoon, there is a cooking class in the Restaurant Vespasia of the Relais.