Umbria: Exploring the Timeless Heart of Italy

Despite the fame of Assisi, as well as that of the summer arts festival in nearby Spoleto, the central Italian region of Umbria is comparatively little known. Its fate has been to live in the shadow of its illustrious neighbor, Tuscany. Even its capital, the wonderful city of Perugia, seldom makes A-lists compiled by American travelers. But now, with the debuts of several charming new hotels and the growing renown of Umbrian food and wine, the area’s reputation is expanding.

Surrounded by Tuscany, Marche and Lazio, Umbria has a green, rolling and intermittently forested landscape. Many Italians have a soft spot for this part of their country, but if they admire its art and architecture, and delight in its natural beauty, the main reason they come is to eat and drink. Umbria is celebrated for its fruity green olive oil — many contend it is the country’s best — black truffles, game, spectacular charcuterie and excellent wines.

I began my tour in Spoleto after a two-hour (88-mile) drive from Rome. It wasn’t easy to find the 12-room Palazzo Leti, a renovated aristocratic residence that dates to the late 13th century and includes a portion of a preexisting Roman building. However, we received a very warm welcome from the gracious couple who run the hotel. I was especially curious about this property, because friends who attend the Spoleto Festival — an annual roster of music, opera, dance and drama founded in 1958 by composer Gian Carlo Menotti — had told me that the Palazzo Leti is nowadays the preferred address of the leading artists and directors.

Our spacious and quiet Deluxe Room had a beautiful frescoed ceiling with a Murano chandelier, terra-cotta floors, a sofa at the foot of a very firm queen bed (the Italian preference for marble-like mattresses will remain forever a mystery) and a nice mix of antiques and contemporary furniture. We also appreciated details such as screened windows — still a rarity in Europe — and a roomy bath with a separate shower and Jacuzzi. There was no restaurant, bar or health club on the premises, but the enchanting private garden with a burbling fountain and superb views over the surrounding countryside made up for the lack of these more conventional extras.

Palazzo Leti Deluxe Room, $290. Via degli Eremiti 10. Tel. (39) 0743-224930.

A delightful morning began over a good cappuccino in a local café (the Palazzo Leti breakfast is no more than adequate), followed by a leisurely visit to Spoleto’s 12th-century cathedral, which contains frescoes by Filippo Lippi and Pinturicchio. We dawdled over an excellent lunch at Il Pentagramma, then moved on to the 35-room Hotel San Luca, housed within a late 19th-century building on the outskirts of town. On arrival, we immediately appreciated the ease of parking in the hotel garage, and the hospitality shown by the front desk of this family-owned hotel.

Our light and tranquil Superior Room came with terra-cotta tile floors, a carved wooden headboard and a charming balcony terrace with chairs and a table. The bed was made up with linen sheets, the air-conditioning was effective, and a handsome bath provided white marble basins and a whirlpool tub. Although there is no restaurant, the hotel offers 24-hour room service.

If charm is your priority, the Palazzo Leti is the best address in Spoleto, but the Hotel San Luca provides higher levels of comfort, service and convenience.

Hotel San Luca 89 Superior Room, $305; Junior Suite, $380. Via Interna delle Mura 21. Tel. (39) 0743-223399.

The ancient hilltop town of Norcia lies an hour to the east. Famous as the birthplace of St. Benedict and home to a large community of Benedictine monks, it is celebrated all over Italy for its extraordinary food, including delicious charcuterie, wonderful cheeses — aged Pecorino, salted ricotta — and black truffles.

We had opted to stay at the 24-room Palazzo Seneca, set within an exquisitely renovated 16th-century stone palace. It proved to be one of the most charming small hotels we’ve found in Italy for a very long time. Owned by the Bianconi family, who have run the Granaro del Monte restaurant in the Hotel Grotta Azzurra across the street since 1850, it is an exceptionally well-managed property that offers alert and generous hospitality.

On arrival, we were warmly greeted, provided with a variety of information about what to see and do in Norcia, and given an extended tour. The public areas contain an inviting lounge with leather sofas in front of a vast stone fireplace, a salon where tea and homemade pastries are served throughout the day, and a beautiful wood-paneled library with two armchairs in bay windows where you can draw thick curtains for privacy. A wellness center in the basement includes Jacuzzi, sauna and steam; massages are also offered by appointment.

Our Junior Suite, #100, was small but charming, with an exceptionally comfortable four-poster bed made up with heavy linen sheets, a coffered and beamed ceiling, and oak parquet floors. Furniture included a magnificent antique secretary with marquetry and ivory detailing. The bath was faced in chocolate-brown travertine and was appointed with an oversize shower with a built-in seat and two rainfall showerheads.

That evening, we enjoyed an excellent dinner at the hotel’s gourmet restaurant, Vespasia, which serves updated versions of local classics. We particularly enjoyed field peas with cheese gnocchi in lentil cream, and bucatini all’amatriciana, followed by two lamb dishes: lamb shank with gremolata (a condiment of lemon zest, garlic, parsley and olive oil) and a casserole of lamb cooked with potatoes and black truffles. (The meat comes from local farms situated in nearby Monti Sibillini National Park.) Breakfast the following morning was first-rate, too, and we left the hotel with every intention of returning soon to take cooking lessons and to go truffle-hunting.

Palazzo Seneca 94 Superior King Room, $440; Junior Suite, $520. Via Cesare Battisti 12. Tel. (39) 0743-817434.

The following day, we headed northwest to Assisi via the dramatic hill town of Montefalco (which, roughly translated, means “a falcon on its nest.”) After 90 minutes on the autostrada, we turned onto a country road that wound through hillsides planted with olive trees and neatly trimmed vineyards. Montefalco is surrounded by impressive 14th-century stone ramparts, and the top of its Torre Comunale affords an extraordinary panoramic view of virtually the whole of Umbria.

When the church bells rang at noon, our best intentions swiftly collapsed, as they seem to do every day in Italy. At breakfast, we’d agreed to have just a sandwich or a salad for lunch, and no wine. But by late morning, we’d begun reading menus and hence ended up at Coccorone, a delightful restaurant with a sunny terrace. Our aim was to order just a plate of pasta. “I’ll try the stringozzi (a square spaghetti) with wild asparagus,” Mrs. Harper said, sensibly. I agreed, adding that it would nonetheless be a shame to find ourselves in the heart of the Sagrantino vineyards that produce Umbria’s best red wines without sampling at least a glass, especially since I’d spotted several bottles from the boutique Paolo Bea winery on the list. It was then that the waiter arrived with magnificent veal chops on a silver tray sprinkled with parsley and proposed that they be cooked over a wood fire with just a little lemon, salt and rosemary. Suddenly, it seemed foolish to refuse, so we ordered pasta, veal chops and a bottle of wine, solemnly vowing to have but a frugal supper of fruit, cheese and mineral water.

After lunch, we strolled across to the Palazzo Bontadosi, a recently opened 10-room hotel on the main square. A friendly front-desk clerk gave us a guided tour of the property, housed within a 15th-century former cardinal’s residence. There, we admired the handsomely renovated rooms and decided to book De Luxe Room #1 on our next visit to experience its extraordinary frescoes.

It is a 40-minute drive from Montefalco to Assisi, the hilltop birthplace of St. Francis. (We paused along the way, however, to visit the picturesque little town of Spello, where the church of Santa Maria Maggiore contains wonderfully vibrant frescoes by Pinturicchio.) To be honest, we’d questioned the wisdom of staying in a town that attracts thousands of pilgrims and art lovers daily. Furthermore, Assisi hasn’t possessed a hotel suitable for Harper members. But with the recent opening of the 18-room Nun Assisi Relais & Spa, housed within a renovated 13th-century convent, this endlessly fascinating place has acquired a new dimension.

The historic building has been imaginatively modernized and enjoys an ideal location high above the town, where parking is easy and you can come and go on foot. Once we’d checked in, the enthusiastic young woman at the front desk urged us to take a peek at the hotel’s spa before heading upstairs. Occupying the artfully lit remains of a Roman amphitheater, this proved to be one of the most dramatic and appealing spas we’ve ever seen, and we immediately decided to spend the afternoon there enjoying the Roman-style facilities, which include tepidario, caldario, sudatorio and frigidario pools, in addition to a full menu of treatments.

Our allocated room was intriguing — it occupied the convent’s deconsecrated chapel — but it didn’t appeal to us, as the bed was in a loft upstairs. Happily, the management was able to accommodate us in a room on a single level, the #2 Privilege Suite. (Be forewarned: Many of the rooms come in duplex configurations, so be explicit about your requirements in advance.) I often find contemporary design to be cold or gimmicky, but our minimalist room with exposed stone walls, a terra-cotta floor and streamlined white furnishings was comfortable, if not overly indulgent. The bath was sizeable, with a stone floor and an effective shower, but no tub.

The hotel restaurant is surprisingly good and serves modern versions of traditional Umbrian dishes. The menu changes about every three months, but the chef’s specialties include Chianina beef with stuffed zucchini, tomatoes and olive oil cream; and roasted squid with pork cheeks and a cream of porcini mushrooms. Throughout our stay, the young and energetic staff members were charm personified.

Nun Assisi Relais & Spa 90 Suite, $515; Privilege Suite, $780. Via Eremo delle Carceri 1A. Tel. (39) 075-8155150.

We rose early the next morning to reach the Basilica di San Francesco before the arrival of the tour buses. This extraordinary structure comprises two churches, one superimposed upon the other. The lower basilica contains the tomb of St. Francis, who died in 1226. Above it, the upper basilica is adorned by a cycle of 28 frescoes by Giotto. These are regarded as a crucial landmark in the history of Western art, the point at which Italian painting turned its back on its Byzantine inheritance and embraced a realist tradition that reached its zenith in the Renaissance.

As soon as the crowds began to assemble, we retrieved our car and headed north from Assisi to Gubbio, an hour (31 miles) to the north. Though it offers an atmospheric concentration of medieval architecture, this lovely town is generally much quieter than its neighbors and permits the daydreaming that helps to bring historical sites to life. Among the notable monuments is a spectacular Roman theater, which dates from the first century B.C.

Wary of navigating Gubbio’s steep streets and narrow lanes, we had chosen to stay at the 95-room Park Hotel ai Cappuccini, a renovated Capuchin monastery on the outskirts of town. This struck us initially as an upscale business hotel, but the grounds were well-kept and the welcome was warm. After being shown to an adequate but rather charmless Superior Room, we asked for better and ended up in a pleasant junior suite (#220). This compact but cleverly thought-out space came with oak parquet floors, plus a mixture of contemporary furniture and antique pieces, including a steamer trunk and an old wooden desk. The bath was well-equipped with a deep sink, freestanding shower and Jacuzzi tub.

The solarium, indoor pool and fitness center were welcome amenities. And we enjoyed an excellent dinner at the hotel restaurant: an appealing salad of pears, fava beans and Pecorino cheese followed by grilled vegetables with caciotta cheese, and a tuna steak with fried artichokes and potato purée. Overall, this is not a luxury hotel, but rather a convenient and pleasant place to spend a night while touring.

Park Hotel ai Cappuccini 87 Superior Room, $385; Junior Suite, $465. Via Tifernate. Tel. (39) 075-9234. 

Perugia, the capital of Umbria, lies an hour (26 miles) southwest of Gubbio. An exquisite little city of around 170,000 inhabitants, it contains the superb National Gallery of Umbria (with paintings by Duccio, Piero della Francesca, Fra Angelico and Perugino, among others) and the National Archaeological Museum, famous for its remarkable collection of Etruscan art.

The architectural richness of the city makes it a delightful place to wander, but Perugia is definitely not a place for cars. However, if you are staying at the 94-room Hotel Brufani Palace, the city’s grande dame that dates from 1884, and have booked a spot in the garage in advance, you can just drive to the front of the hotel on the central Piazza Italia. Otherwise, finding a parking space is a nerve-wracking experience.

There was no doorman on duty when we arrived, but after check-in, we were swiftly escorted to a quirky but charming junior suite on the second floor. There, the décor was so patrician it was almost a parody. A small oval salon with a crystal chandelier contained a crimson velvet sofa flanked by end tables draped with pearl-colored silk brocade under glass; the walls were covered in another floral-patterned damask; and the décor of a small bedroom reprised that of the sitting room. A reasonably sized white marble bath provided a whirlpool tub and separate shower.

Set on a hilltop, the Brufani Palace affords spectacular views over Perugia and the Umbrian countryside, most notably from the seasonal outdoor terrace of the restaurant. The hotel is also distinguished by a fitness center containing an indoor pool with a glass floor revealing Etruscan ruins below. The property is well-maintained, but lacks vitality. The bar was empty before and after dinner, and staff members seemed slightly bored, though admittedly we were traveling very early in the season. These caveats notwithstanding, the hotel is the best address in Perugia for anyone who wants the convenience of enjoying this wonderful city on foot.

Hotel Brufani Palace 89 Deluxe Room (Valley View), $300. Piazza Italia 12. Tel. (39) 075-5732541. 

During the hot summer months, an alternative is provided by the Castello di Monterone, an extensively remodeled 13th-century stone castle set on a hillside five minutes by car (two miles) from Perugia. Reasons for staying here include the lovely gardens, an outdoor pool with fine views, and two excellent restaurants, the Michelin-starred Il Postale, and Il Gradale, which serves rustic Umbrian cooking.

Checking in for our last night in Umbria, we found our small Junior Suite extremely charming, chiefly because of its magnificent views through multiple windows framed by thick linen curtains. (Rooms tend to be small and should be avoided.) Reproduction medieval frescoes gave the sitting room atmosphere (the lack of a sofa was a drawback), the bed was comfortable, and the small, well-lit marble bath came with a combination whirlpool tub and shower. Throughout our stay, the staff were consistently pleasant and helpful.

That evening, we also enjoyed an outstanding meal at one-star Il Postale. Talented chef Marco Bistarelli presides over a fine contemporary Italian kitchen from which emerge dishes such as Chianina beef tartare in whiskey-spiked Parmesan cream with bitter salad leaves, tortelloni with egg on a bed of potato cream with black truffles, and roasted lacquered suckling pig with romanesco (green cauliflower), treviso (a type of radicchio) and crabapple purée. They are as intriguing as they are delicious.

Castello di Monterone 88 Junior Suite, $490. Strada Montevile 3. Tel. (39) 075-5724214.

From Perugia, it is a two-hour (106-mile) drive to Florence Airport, on the city’s northern outskirts, from where there are regular flights to major European cities such as London, Paris and Amsterdam.

Illustration © Melissa Colson