Italy Travel Blog | Your Own Italy

Rather unspoiled by mass tourism, Umbria is an unassuming region of gentle hills commanding valley views, hill towns steeped in history and art, and kitchens serving wonderful meals with prized local gastronomic products like truffles and sausage. One of Italy’s few landlocked regions. and, with not even 1 million residents, one of its least populated, Umbria is too often overlooked by visitors bound for its better-known neighbor Tuscany.

But people in the know have long looked to Umbria for relaxing retreats and its pervasive air of gentleness. Many Romans have weekend homes there, and expats a few decades ago started buying up farmhouses near charming Umbrian towns like Todi, with its remarkably intact medieval historic, adding swimming pools to villas overlooking peaceful valleys and shopping for ingredients for local dishes their friendly neighbors have taught them to prepare.

While the region has no big urban centers exercising gravitational pulls on tourists — like Florence or Venice or Naples — Umbria’s towns invite days of slow-paced exploration.

Perhaps in keeping with Umbria’s easy-going character, three of its towns are particularly associated with peace or openness. Followers of this newsletter might recall our portrait of Assisi, the tranquil hill town with a mystical air and imbued with a spirit of simplicity and welcome befitting its namesake saint. That its basilica is home to Giotto frescoes, some of the art world’s most acclaimed works, enriches any sojourn there.

Then there is Perugia, famed for its university which draws foreigners from around the world and awes visitors with a 13th-century exquisitely carved fountain in a main square. Another Umbrian town of world renown is Spoleto, celebrated for its Festival of Two Worlds, with early summer offerings of music, dance and theater. The festival was begun in the 1950s by composer Gian Carlo Menotti with the goal of connecting the artistic and cultural worlds of Europe and the United States. Like so many of Umbria’s towns, Spoleto has ancient Roman roots and fine medieval architecture, and, in its case, the fame of once having repelled an attack by Hannibal. Spoleto’s Bridge of the Towers, an Italian landmark, crosses a deep ravine.

Another magical name in Umbria is Narni, a medieval town with vistas of castles on surrounding hills. The town boasts that its setting inspired C.S. Lewis’ “The Chronicles of Narnia.” With roots dating back more than 2,500 years, Narni’s attractions include an ancient Roman domus, or residence and aqueduct.

While not as famed as Assisi, Narni is the birthplace of two saints — twin siblings Benedict and Scholastica — has a 16th-century castle and a gourmand’s reputation for its prosciutto and black truffles, which top pasta, or is worked into a pate as an excellent spread for local bread.

And who could resist such as charmingly named town as Gubbio? Its ancient Roman theater is the venue for summer performances of the classics, while the town is popular with Italian visitors for its annual pageantry dating to medieval times.

For many tourists, Umbria means a day-trip to Orvieto from Rome. While easily reachable from Rome, the riverside Orvieto deserves a leisurely visit. Why rush through a town famed for its white wine and splendid decorative pottery? Orvieto’s star attraction is a Gothic-style cathedral, imposing in its perch on a bluff. In the countryside outside Orvieto is a spectacular inn with origins as a Benedictine monastery.

Many of Umbria’s most delightful sights are in hamlets and village a few miles outside the region’s more visited towns. These are well worth an afternoon’s detour, for it’s in these off-the-main-path places where one frequently happens upon churches with stunning art and can savor some hearty Umbrian fare in a countryside trattoria or perhaps at an innkeeper’s lunch table.

For a break from Umbria’s magnificent art and churches, Umbria offers many possibilities to enjoy nature. Walks in the woods abound, and the region is home to one of Italy’s much-visited waterfalls.

Rome is a city where art and history flow seamlessly together. The grandeur of its Baroque masterpieces is undeniable—ornate, marble-adorned Jesuit churches near Piazza Venezia, Bernini’s monumental fountain in Piazza Navona, and Borromini’s intricate designs all serve as bold testaments to an era that celebrated drama and opulence. Equally compelling is the city’s Renaissance heritage, where the refined elegance of Raphael’s wall paintings in the Vatican Museums and the sublime beauty of Michelangelo’s frescoed ceiling and altar in the Sistine Chapel evoke a time of artistic innovation and humanism.

Beneath these celebrated layers, Rome holds a quieter medieval legacy. In neighborhoods such as Monti and the Old Ghetto, subtle traces of medieval art and architecture emerge amid the modern hustle. Recent archaeological discoveries—unearthing walls and foundations of a long-forgotten housing complex during a subway expansion near Piazza Venezia—offer a rare glimpse into everyday life from centuries past.

For those seeking to immerse themselves fully in medieval charm, a day trip to Viterbo is a rewarding escape. This walled town, home to about 65,000 residents who take immense pride in their heritage, is also known as a “city of popes.” Viterbo’s imposing papal palace once housed five pontiffs, while its medieval quarter—particularly in the San Pellegrino neighborhood—delights with winding cobblestone streets, homes crafted from deep gray peperino stone, and stone lions that echo the town’s ancient symbol.

One unforgettable chapter in Viterbo’s history unfolded during a conclave from 1268 to 1271. In a bid to hasten the cardinals’ decision, locals reduced the electors’ comforts—serving only bread and water and even removing the palace roof so that the cardinals had to take shelter under a tent. Such dramatic measures not only sped up the election process but also underscored the town’s enduring spirit. Even today, traditions like St. Rosa’s feast day on September 3—when locals don white outfits accented with red waistbands and hoist a towering “macchina” in a procession dating back to the 13th century—remind visitors of Viterbo’s vibrant, living history.

In both Rome and Viterbo, history is not confined to textbooks or museums—it is woven into the very fabric of daily life, inviting you to explore a landscape where every street and stone tells a story.

Rome's Castelli towns make for relaxing getaways from the city

First Roman emperors, then pontiffs. Throughout the ages, when the powerful and the privileged wanted to escape the summer heat of Rome, they headed for their villas in the hills -- the Alban Hills, that is, southeast of Rome. Contemporary citizens of Rome still follow that tradition, flocking to the hill towns known collectively as the Castelli Romani (Roman Castle towns), or more simply, I Castelli, for cooling breezes, fine wines and panoramic views.

Visitors in Rome in the summer months would be wise to take the Romans’ lead and consider taking a day trip -- or making an evening of it -- by dining in the historic centers of quaint towns or strolling near scenic lakes.

While relaxing vibes and centuries of history permeate the Castelli Romani, each town boasts its own charm, gastronomic specialties and eagerly awaited annual festivals known as sagre.

Perhaps the best-known town is Castel Gandolfo because it hosts the papal summer palace, which, being property of the Holy See, enjoys extraterritorial status. Pope John Paul spent much of his summers there, helicoptering it to Rome for papal appointments. During the summer, the faithful and the curious could see the pontiff, close up, by crowding into the palace courtyard for the traditional Sunday noon greeting.

The current pope, Francis, hasn’t kept up the habit of summering in the Castelli, although visitors might be surprised. One recent sizzling day in Rome, the retired pope, Benedict XVI went to the papal palace to stroll in its manicured gardens, then headed to dinner in another town, Rocca di Papa, aptly named “The Pope’s Rock.’’

While associated with popes, Castel Gandolfo, which sits just above Lake Albano, has history going back thousands of years. It is perched on the site of Alba Longa, founded, according to legend, some 500 years before Rome's own beginnings. Indeed the sprawling papal estate was constructed on the ruins of the Villa of Domitian, one of the earlier ancient Roman emperor.

During the 1960 summer Olympics, canoeing events were held on the lake. Depending on the season, tourists can rent canoes, pedal boats or swim in the lake, considered the deepest lake of volcanic origin in Italy.

While the main square of the town can be a bit touristy, due to souvenir shops linked to Castel Gandolfo’s Vatican ties, other Castelli towns seem almost quaint and tranquil, like Lanuvio, which Lanuvio features a medieval section with steep streets.

Nemi is a tiny town along its own lake and famed for its strawberries. When the berries are ripe for the picking, in May and June, Romans join locals for festivals celebrating the fruit, which is enjoyed in simple dishes. Instead of dotting cakes, strawberries star on their own, sliced in bowls and topped with a little sugar, gelato, or lemon juice.

Besides the delicious fruit, Nemi is also noted for archaeological discoveries. Caligula had ships built in tribute to Diana the goddess, whose temple’s reflection could be seen on the waters.

Genzano has two popular town festivals. One is held in connection with the religious feast day of Corpus Christi. Over several days, the main is strewn with petals, forming a kind of design that looks like a carpet of flowers. On the Monday after the weekend festival, the local children get to run down the street, gleefully crushing the petals with their feet.

In late summer-early fall, Genzano celebrates its renowned bread with a festival. Crusty on the outside, soft on the inside, the bread is delivered freshly baked daily to many bakeries in Rome, which put up signs in their windows like “Pane di Genzano Oggi’’ (Genzano bread today.) There are town rivalries over which has the best bread -- another hill town Lariano’s bread is also found in fine bakeries in Rome.

If you want to make sandwiches out of your tasty Genzano loaf, head to Ariccia for some slices of porchetta, or roast pork, a favorite in many Roman delis.

The Castelli are toasted for their wines, which enjoy specially bestowed designations from the European Union indicating they were produced from local grapes. The area’s soil, of volcanic origin, is often cited for the success of its vineyards. While reds and rose’ wines are produced, the most celebrated Castelli wines are its whites, with their characteristic straw-yellow color. They are well-suited to accompany hearty Roman pasta dishes.

The wines’ excellent reputation is ancient. The wines produced on the estates of the Roman emperors who holidayed in the Castelli were considered among the best in the empire. Towns closely identified with their wines include Frascati, Marino, and Velletri. No surprised, there are also festivals centered around the grape harvests.

Italy's national parks appeal to hikers, cyclists, horseback riders, and wildlife lovers alike

Many cities and towns in Italy that tourists visit are near the sea or up in the hills. But much of Italian land is mountainous and sparsely populated, with miles and miles of hiking paths, horse trails or back roads, perfect for getaways to commune with nature and peacefully observe wildlife.

While many conjure up visions of chalets or posh ski resorts in the Alps when mountains are mentioned in Italy, the nation's "other" mountain range -- the Apennines, which form the backbone of the peninsula -- are popular with Italians seeking fresh air and active vacations in national parks.

One cherished destination is the National Park of the Gran Sasso and Laga Mountains. Spread across three central regions -- Abruzzo, Marche, and Lazio -- the park boasts the highest peak in the Apennines -- Corno Grande, or Big Horn -- which towers nearly 10,000 feet high. The park also includes Europe's southernmost glacier, known as Calderone.

The park likens itself to a "monument to biodiversity," with more than 2,300 recorded kinds of flora. Wildlife abounds, too, in the protected terrain of the park, including animals that were re-introduced to the area, notably the goat-like, majestic chamois, which is the park's symbol, and which now numbers some 500. The park is home to the Apennine wolf. Wildcats, badgers, polecats, and porcupines also make their abode there.

The topography is varied, too: forests, rivers, waterfalls, lakes, prairies, and plateaus are all within the park's embrace. Suggested trails stretch for miles between scattered hamlets, abandoned castles and watermills, and, from earlier centuries, temples and necropolises. Visitors can hike or ride mountain bikes or horses to navigate among the natural beauty. A mountain-bike route rings the base of Gran Sasso. Some 200 miles of bridle trails are available, with stalls and water troughs to shade horses on hot days and quench their thirst.

Visitors might find themselves going down the same paths as shepherds and herders covering centuries-old routes. The Italian Alpine Club -- CAI -- which despite its name is present throughout all of Italy, not just the Alps, to encourage and assist hiking and other outdoor activity -- has more than a dozen mapped trails.

The park is mainly frequented in spring, summer, and fall, but some hardy excursionists equipped with skies or crampons do venture in during winter. Towns on the park's outskirts that can serve as "base camps" with rented rooms, rustic hotels or inns, are proud to serve dishes prepared with locally grown ingredients. Truffles, chestnuts, cheese from sheep, and recipes featuring boar and blueberry sauce are area favorites. Reflecting life lived on farms, ranches, or near the woods, the fare leans toward the hardy -- bean soups, olives stuffed with a mix of veal, port, and turkey, and pasta often topped by meat sauces, including ones chock full of locally-made sausage.

For a protected swath of nature many Italians haven't yet visited, Pollino National Park, straddling two regions, Basilicata and Calabria, in the Apennines southern end, fits the bill. Created and given protected status by the Italian Parliament only in the 1990s, the park spans across the "instep" section of the boot-shaped peninsula, from the Ionian to the Tyrrhenian Seas.

Here outdoor life is even more active than what is offered in the Gran Sasso parkland. Pollino National Park is a favorite for those who want to river-raft, rock-climb, or trek. Thick forests and steep canyon mark the park, and horseback riding is popular. Because the area is remote, rugged, and not that frequented, the park recommends for safety going with local guides, who visitors can meet up within towns around the park. The guides are available for day trips or overnight stays.

The towns near Pollino National Park, many of them with only a couple hundred inhabitants include some of the Italian south's more unusual ones. In a handful of hamlets, the locals speak Albanian, reflecting their heritage from Albanians, who, fleeing several centuries ago from Ottoman armies, took refuge in the mountain areas. Among these is San Paolo Albanese, where, on the feast day of St. Rocco, on Aug. 16, townspeople don costumes in a blaze of color. Earlier generations made similar garments from cloth woven from the fibers of the broom plant, whose yellow blossoms are an abundantly cheerful sight in the Italian south.

When Italians take a vacation in their country, their choice of destination often is one of these: the sea, the mountains, a city renowned for its art treasures, or...a “borgo.”

Borghi, roughly translated as hamlets or villages, are very special to Italians. For some, a borgo might be the village their ancestors came from -- nestled in a valley, perched on a mountaintop, or at the seaside. For others, it is the town in the countryside they stumbled on one day -- a place on the byroads they stopped at to ask directions or get a pick-me-up coffee on a road trip -- and became instantly charmed and determined to linger, and return.

Part of a borgo's attraction is its reassuring simplicity. It's a compact, comforting place. Most have a bakery, a grocery shop, maybe a butcher shop. For borghi so small that there isn't a supermarket, a few times a week, a truck or perhaps a horse pulling a wagon will come through, loaded with fresh produce, or, if it's near the sea, a fishmonger, hawking the catch of the day in local dialect. Almost invariable there is a cafe -- or maybe two rival cafes -- and a church. This, being Italy, often the "local" church is a cathedral dating back several centuries and decorated with art from a series of civilizations.

Italians sometimes brag that their favorite borgo is the best in the country. For others, it's a best-kept secret. Reflecting a fervent search for hidden gems of a borgo, there's even a program on Italian state television that pits towns and hamlets in a competition to be declared the "borgo dei borghi" -- the town to beat all towns. Viewers vote online to express their preferences after watching TV crews spend a couple of days in the towns and enjoying breathtaking panorama shots made by drone cameras.

Four of the last several winners have been borghi in Sicily. The sun-kissed Mediterranean island abounds in borghi. Too many of these borghi risk turning into quaint but uninhabited locales. Often far from bustling cities, many borghi have seen their youngest citizens migrate, leaving their hometowns in the hands of aging elders, who almost miraculously seem eternally nimble enough to navigate steep, stony paths linking neighbors' homes.

At least a handful of Sicilian borghi, determined to keep their population growing, have offered homes to be purchased for as little as 1 euro on the condition they be restored. Eager to attract retirees from abroad, along with their pension checks, some towns' buy-in plans have touted big tax breaks. Americans and Britons and other Europeans have been among those flocking to these "borghi" to see if they want retirement homes, second homes or even first homes.

For those not ready to move, bed-and-breakfasts places in borghi are plentiful, hospitable, lodgings, often with a mix of antique furnishing and modern accouterments. While many tourists base themselves in more well-known larger towns, say, Lucca or Siena in Tuscany, Parma or Ferrara in Emilia Romagna, or Matera in Basilicata, and then set out to meander through nearby borghi, it's fun to flip the arrangement around. Stay in a borgo and make it your jumping-off point to explore the better-known towns.

Sampling daily life with a stay in a borgo is an experience. Locals welcome visitors, both because tourism has become an economic mainstay, but also because they genuinely are flattered outsiders have come great distances to learn about their way of life.

Some of the walled towns have farms just outside the borgo's limits. In the case of Liguria, with several enticing borghi dotting the coastline -- the perennial popular Cinque Terre are essentially five borghi clustered near the sea -- vineyards are often close by. A stay in late summer or early autumn can mesh into an opportunity to watch grapes picked on terraced lands, seemingly impossibly carved out of steep hillsides.

The name of at least one borgo evokes fables. Collodi, in Tuscany, not far from Lucca or Pistoia, became the home to Pinocchio's Park. The name of the town became the pseudonym of the author of the children's story about the wooden puppet who came to life.

Other possibilities for a borgo stay take you right into the heart of a region, like the towns of Pietrapertosa and Castelmezzano in Basilicata, in the mountainous "instep" of the Italian peninsula. For the brave of heart, there is a cable car that zips over dizzying heights between both towns.

A testimony to Italy's being steeped in centuries of different, and sometimes, overlapping civilizations and cultures, even the tiniest of borghi can offer amazing variety for visitors: perhaps an ancient Jewish or Arabic quarter, medieval neighborhoods, archaeological ruins from Roman times, exquisite wood carvings in churches on windswept hills, mosaics in abbeys, castles and towers to reward hikers at the end of a path.

Borghi are also proud of their pageants, with townspeople turning out in medieval or renaissance-styled costumes. And they like to boast that their breads -- or maybe their biscotti -- are different from any other towns in Italy.

Borghi are so familiar to the Italian way of life that even the chaotic capital of Rome has one. The neighborhood known, yes, as Borgo, lies just outside Vatican City walls and is a quaint corner of the city, with little traffic. Shopkeepers and artisans seem to all know each other and the residents as well, giving Borgo a small-town flavor that has survived for centuries, beyond the well-trodden streets and piazzas of the city.

Salento, at the very heel of the Italian "boot," offers the best of many worlds

Whoever coined the expression "down on the heels" clearly never had the pleasure of visiting Salento, the southeast tip of Italy's boot-shaped mainland.

Celebrities in recent years have been flocking to Salento for weddings or summer vacation retreats. Thankfully, the many charms of Salento have stayed low-key and faithful to its "contadini" (farm folk) roots even as it grows ever more popular.

One after the other, "masserie" (manor houses on farms) are being converted into countryside lodgings with every comfort _ olive press rooms have become spas, swimming pools have been added -- but what's so lovely about Salento is that many of the owners have kept their properties as working farms alongside the lodgings. Diners are served just-picked fruits and vegetables or homemade cheeses, like the salty, milky white ricotta cheese, called cacioricotta, grated over handmade pasta. While the pasta water boils, guests can nibble on taralli, simple ring-shaped snacks made with flour, oil, salt and simple seasoning, like fennel seeds.

Salento is part of Puglia, a region which offers fascinating studies in contrast in topography and culture.

Puglia encompasses the "spur" of the "boot," called Gargano, that geologically has more in common with the Balkan Peninsula across the Adriatic Sea than with the Italian mainland. Plains are rare in Italy, since most of the nation is mountainous. Just think of its Appenine backbone and its massive Alps crowning the north. Gargano has thick forest, part of a national park, and rugged seacoast dotted by picturesque fishing village, But most of the rest of Puglia is made up mostly of fertile plain, making it one of the world's leading producers of olive oil, vegetables and fruit.

Farmland is dotted with olive trees, many of them more than a century-old, vineyards produce signature Primativo wines, and farmers tend fields of durum wheat, the mainstay ingredient of Italian pasta.

Crisscrossing the plain, you'll drive by orchards of almond trees, with their pink or white blossoms, that provide the nuts for many of Puglia's sweet desserts. In the distance, you may spot a town on a hill with buildings so bleached-white you think that a Greek village has been magically transported to Italy. Instead it's beautiful Ostuni, with its hilly streets running under arches.

Alberobello resembles a storybook place, with stone structures with conical roofs, topped with curious architectural symbols pointing skyward. These are Puglia's "trulli," constructed in centuries past to shelter animals and store farm tools and as practical homes for "contadini." Their whitewashed, super-thick walls keep the interior warm in winter and cool in summer. Alberobello's extensive grouping of "trulli" are a tourist attraction. But "trulli" also dot much of Puglia's countryside. Many have been modernized and renovated to serve as vacation homes that can be rented. Those cone-shaped roofs, erected with stones and no mortar, are the perfect architectural feature for canopied guests beds!

Puglia is a crossroads of history. Paintings in some grottoes date back some 12,000 years. In the millennia and centuries that followed, many cultures left their mark here, including ancient Greeks and Romans. The Appian Way, which starts in Rome, ends at the Salento port city of Brindisi, the gateway to the East. Influence of Greek Orthodox, Arabs and many others are visible in art and architecture.

Salento, the southern end of this bountiful plain, is perfect for discovering this rich layering of history. Up until a few decades ago, some locals in one town still spoke a dialect rooted in ancient Greek. Jutting into the Mediterranean, Salento is both eastward and westward looking, and its traditions reflect that. Ruins of ancient towers stand guard above many ports and coves. Byzantines, Normans, Angevins, Ottomans and Bourbons are only some of the peoples or rulers who settled or swept through Salento throughout its history.

After dipping into so much history, for a well-deserved break, take a dip into some of Salento's spectacular seas. As anyone who has experienced the Atlantic and the Pacific can attest, seas have different characters. In Salento, visitors can change seascapes by the day or practically by the hour if they desire variety. Salento is edged by the Adriatic Sea on its east coast and by the Ionian Sea on the west. Holiday-goers have myriad possibilities: easily accessible sand beaches, stone reefs to scamper down or stretch out to sunbathe on, uncrowded coves reachable only by boat. Depending on which sea and what time of day, the crystalline waters can appear deep emerald, or maybe turquoise or perhaps sapphire blue.

After tooling around or swimming, visitors can satisfy their hunger with some of Italy's most wonderful meals. Even in a country where humble vegetables like spinach can be made delectable with a few quick turns in a saute pan with nothing but extra virgin olive oil, garlic and hot pepper seeds, Salento's dinner greens stand out for being super-fresh and simply prepared.

A perennial favorite for locals is a first course of "orecchiette con cime di rape" -- ear-shaped pasta, made one by one by hand, and topped with cooked turnip greens. More rustic than that is hard to do, but top it with some of that grated cacioricotta and wash it down with a Salento wine, perhaps a bottle of Negroamaro, and that's a recipe for happiness over dinner.

Other Salento vegetables that are special favorites include carrots a deep violet color and golden potatoes, the latter often served with mussels fished from the sea that same day.

If after satisfying one's stomach, one hungers for more cultural substance, take a stroll to savor the varied architectural styles in Salento's towns.

One jewel of a town is Lecce, which has been dubbed the "Florence of the South." Walking through its squares is akin to visiting a museum with no roof. Its local stone lends a pleasing golden tone to buildings when the sun strikes it.The Baroque facade on Lecce's palazzi and churches are every much as impressive as those in a collection of Baroque towns in Sicily's southeast corner. The building stone is also very soft, so it's easy to carve, and bizarre, fantastical animal and human figures decorate church facades with rococo touches. There is also has a Roman amphitheater, testimony to some of Salento's rich past.

Before or after dinner, one of Lecce's main piazze, Sant'Oronzo is buzzing with life. Couples of all ages, families, tourists take a leisurely walk, perhaps sampling street feed or stopping at one of the cafes or winebars that line the square and nearby street.

Lining some of the streets are shops selling one of Lecce's traditional handicrafts made of papier mache -- "cartapesta" as it is known in Salento. Painted in a riot of colors and fashioned into a variety of figures or shaped like plates, these lightweight creations are displayed on the doors and walls of shops, giving them the air of an art gallery. This craft art dates back to the 17th and 18th century in Lecce, and its origins are said to be linked to church demand for realistic-looking and captivating religious figurines. Thrifty artisans made their creations from scraps of rags and straw, then painted them in vivid colors. These days, cartapesta objects are as likely to be a work of abstract art as a representation of some personage, and, brought home from Lecce, as a souvenir, add splashes of color to homes when hung on a wall.