SPOTLIGHT ON ITALY: Umbria (with a dash of Rome and Florence)
I returned from Italy two weeks ago where I spent 9 glorious days touring and shopping for the best experiences for our clients! I was graciously hosted by brother and sister SUPER TEAM, Sal and Marilena Barberi of Italy with Class, and Tara D’agostino, of Wanderluxe Destinations. Italy is a country where you can visit 20 times, and have the most diverse experiences that it’s possible you will never do the same thing twice! It boggles the mind that an ancient country, the size of Florida, can offer Mountains, Lakes, Beaches, Islands, Cities, Medieval towns, food, wine, and more.
On this trip, I visited Florence, Umbria and Rome. This trip was particularly special to me as Umbria, an oft-overlooked region is one of my favorites. I had the pleasure of visiting Umbria 23 years ago on my honeymoon. Once you have visited what I call “Italy’s greatest hits” ( Rome, Florence, Venice, and Amalfi), Umbria should be next on your list! It is the southern most land-locked state in Italy, boasting Green Hills and Mountains, fine wine, the sausage and saffron capitals of the world, and an unending number of medieval towns with winding streets and charming shops, to explore.
FLORENCE
So, I don’t want to focus too much of this blog on Florence, but I do want to highlight my favorite boutique hotel, The Grand Hotel Minerva.
Not your typical image of Florence, but one of my favorites- The rooftop pool and bar at the Boutique Grand Hotel Minerva
I do love a chic boutique hotel, and this one has it all. Great Service, best location (two blocks from the Duomo, near all the sites, the Ponte Vecchio, etc) in the Piazza Santa Maria Novella. Once a 16th Century townhome, this 97 room hotel has some suites with the original hand-painted ceilings (we know the room numbers to request!). And during the summer, Florence is notoriously hot, it was in the 90s when I was there, so the pool is a welcome friend after a hot day of walking around.
I had the pleasure of meeting Kareem Bennett two years ago when I visited Florence, so I was delighted to see him again. He has devised a cocktail list to rival any mixologist in the world. The cocktail list features drinks made purely from Tuscan ingredients as well as modern classics. The 1869 Milk Punch is my personal favorite. The Sky bar sits next to the pool and is open from May-Sept.
Kareem Bennett- THE BEST BARTENDER IN THE WORLD
UMBRIA
The southern-most land-locked state of Italy, it is known as Italy’s “Green Heart”
There are so many things I can say about why I love Umbria. Imagine peaks, not very high, covered by luxuriant woods and large valleys designed by rivers, lakes and waterfalls; hills often surrounded by villages and castles, crossed by paths full of history, art and culture, in a naturalness that restores body and soul. The Green Heart of Italy is all this and much more.
Here we visited Citta Della Pieve, Assisi, Spello, Norcia, Citta Di Castello, and more. I am always in awe of the breadth of activities and places to visit: ancient walled towns, wine and olive vineyards, truffle hunting, hiking, biking, kayaking, sailing, ceramics, and much much more.
First Stop: Pomario- A Vineryard owned by the Spalletti Trivelli family. This vineyard, with some of the oldest vines in history, produces fully organic wines and olive oil. We were led by one of the farm’s pruners, a 5th generation vine pruner whose knowledge never ceased to astound me. After, we were hosted by the charming Andrea Spalletti Trivelli, and his family, who cooked a feast for us, as we wine tasted and sampled olive oil from the farm. Views for days, this was an afternoon to remember (and I will for a long time as I ordered 6 litres of the olive oil !!)
Next stop was Deruta, known for its spectacular hand-painted ceramics which are exported worldwide. We were given a tour of this lovely shop, and allowed to participate in some of the steps of this craft. The hand painted details are incredible!
We ended our day at the Vanucci Hotel in Citta Della Pieve:
Citta Della Pieve is one of those spectacular towns where all the people “in the know” go, but keep it a tightly held secret as they do not want to be over wrought with tourists. Celebrities like Colin Firth, Ed Sheeran, and more all own homes here, attracted by the low-key yet elegant vibe. Walking thru the winding streets, I am always charmed by the smallest things, like the beautiful rainbow array of colors of the clothes pins on this laundry line (I know, I am weird):
You had to look way up to spot this pretty scene from the street.
Here we were hosted by Roberto Wirth, Owner of both the Hotel Hassler in Rome and the Hotel Vanucci in Citta Della Pieve. This historic hotel was founded in 1903 and is located in the center of the town. This town is centrally located and you can use it as a hopping-off point for Umbria, Tuscany, Florence, and more!
Our group with the amazing Roberto Wirth. Our travels connect us with top hotels, which translates to a better stay for our clients!
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the King of Saffron, Alberto Vigano.
One of the things that I love about Italy is the many craftsmen and artisans, who are incredibly talented in one thing, just one thing (In Alberto’s case, farming Saffron), and I am charmed by the love and pride each on of these artisans has in their craft.
Alberto was no exception! This man spoke about the saffron, and strangely, I could have listened to him for 2 hours and never felt bored. Who in the world thought that growing saffron would be so fascinating!? But it was (and he only spoke for about ten mins). Alberto invited us into his shop where we feasted on the fruits of his labors (He also grows olives and elephant garlic as a side-gig) Ricotta with Saffron, Zucchini with saffron, and garlic toasts with olive oil.
The following day, we were off to Norcia, but not before stopping in Assisi and Spello.
Assisi ,of course, is well known for St. Francis, and the history here is palatable. The beautiful church is the center piece of this town, and here we enjoyed a wonderful lunch with and incredible view at Il Frantoio
Spello is a most special town in Umbria, a place where I spent part of my honeymoon 23 years ago, so I was delighted to re-visit, and not surprised that NOTHING HAS CHANGED (it’s been 2,000 years since it was established, why would it?) Spello is most famous for its annual floral festival in May, but the homes here proudly display their flowers all year long. With amazing little artisan shops, and incredible cafes, you can’t get tired of exploring this medieval gem.
NORCIA
Five years ago, Norcia suffered a devastating earthquake. The town, however damaged, was not leveled. In the 5th century, as the town was being built, the Pope noted that the buildings should never be over 3 stories tall, having premonitions about earthquakes and the fragility of the town. And this premonition saved many. And like the Phoenix, Norcia is on the rise and better than ever as they re-build.
Here we were hosted by the beautiful Palazzo Seneca, once a 16th-century palace is now a Virtuoso and Relais & Chateau hotel (not damaged at all by the earthquake). Owned by the Bianconi family, who have over 150 years in hospitality, the vibe here is meant to make you feel as you are living in your own elegant residence from years ago. With only 24 rooms, you have to plan and book far in advance to enjoy this gem. The hotel enjoys a Michelin-starred restaurant, Vespacia.
Norcia is known as one of the gastronomic capitals of the world, both for it’s production of meats and the treasure of black truffles that are found in the forest. We had the distinct pleasure of truffle hunting with Nicola, and his two spaniels, Tempestina and her mom Lulu. These two dogs stole our hearts, as they foraged black truffles in exchange for a treat, although I must admit, We were on the winning side of that exchange (the dogs might argue otehrwise).
An early morning spent foraging truffles was followed by a most magical gourmet picnic in the forest. Here we learned to make Ricotta cheese, and then feasted on a meal with the truffles as the centerpiece, while sipping wine and enjoying the most beautiful views and each other.
I made this silly little video about our truffle hunting day, you may be amused or you may hate it, but if you have made it this far in my blog post, then hey, why not?
In the early evening, we were invited to join the Monks at the local Benedictine Monastery to observe their daily ritual chants. It was mesmerizing. Afterwards, we were greeted by the head of the Monastery, Father Benedictine, who is American, and strangely, FROM MY HOME TOWN.
Yes, what are the odds that I would meet a Benedictine Monk, in a tiny town in the middle of Italy, who hails from New Canaan, CT? Small world indeed. Father Benedictine graciously answered our curious questions about his life, the monastery, and all things that brought him there. There are 33 Monks in this monastery, 19 of whom are American. Their original location was destroyed by the earthquake, and they relocated and are restoring an ancient cloister in the mountains. The also sell beer and Cds. You can visit their website linked above to learn more! Watch this video to see some of the chants:
One last highlight in Norcia was going E-biking at the foothills of the Apennines. It was raining a bit, and windy, but I am always game for an adventure. My trauma from Mountain Biking last summer caused me to pull the plug a little early on this adventure, and I am not embarrassed at all, but I did about 1/3 of the course before the group veered off to bike up a steep rocky hill to arrive at a charming village in the mountains (where I met them by van! haha!
ROME
We spent the last two nights of our adventure in beautiful Rome. Prior to arriving we stopped at the famous Tivoli Gardens, an incredible and beautiful feat of engineering.
While in Rome, we were once again hosted by Andrea Spalletti Trivelli, in his family’s “home turned luxury hotel” Villa Spalletti Trivelli I have a hard time calling this incredible place where I rested my head a “hotel” because there are only 17 rooms, and while you stay here you just feel like you are living like an Italian Aristocrat in your own charming and historic residence. The luxury Villa is an oasis in the bustling city, quiet and relaxing. In addition to rooms, they also offer apartments which you can rent by the night. It is very well located, steps away from the Trevi Fountain.
While in Rome we visited the Pope’s summer Residence in Castel Gandolfo at Lake Nemi. This was truly amazing, because we were given very exclusive access here, and even went into the Pope’s private apartment, where I imagined he does “Netflix and Chill” in his living room pictured here.
Enjoy these other images of Castel Gandolfo, part of the Vatican, where we also visited the gardens and farm where they make cheese. I particularly loved the Vespa pope mobile, so chic!
Around this area, there are many little medieval towns to explore on the lake, like Nemi, known for one thing- STRAWBERRIES. Here you can find all things strawberry and delicious like sorbetto, liquor, jams, syrups, and more! Enjoy your strawberry treats while sipping a cappuccino looking over the lake!
On our last evening, our hosts, Sal and Marilena Barberi, a brother and sister team who own ITALY WITH CLASS, treated us to the most fun cooking class. Here we made Ravioli and Cacio Pepe from scratch, and I can’t believe it, but it wasn’t a total disaster! We actually made, cooked, and dined on the most delicious pasta, and it was an experience to remember!
If you have ever traveled with me in a group setting, and do a cooking activity? You can count on my using boomerang to make a silly video, probably only appreciated by those in it! You may want to turn down the volume……
I can never tire of visiting Italy. I will be going next year and visiting Puglia and the surrounding region. We at Master Travel are true Italy Experts. And with partners like Sal and Marilena, we can get you the most exclusive and local experiences that you will never be able to curate yourself.