Umbria

Upon arrival at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, meet fellow travelers and transfer to Perugia. This evening, gather to toast the start of our journey at a welcome dinner on the hotel’s rooftop terrace overlooking the idyllic Umbria countryside.

After breakfast, set out to see Perugia’s most important historic gems—the Fontana Maggiore, the beautiful Collegio del Cambio with Perugino frescoes, and the newly reinstalled Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria. After lunch, discover several of Perugia’s hidden treasures, including an oft-overlooked Raphael painting, a charming Renaissance oratorio, an Etruscan gateway, and the entire city neighborhood buried under the pope’s Renaissance fortress.

We spend the morning taking an in-depth look at St. Francis’ hometown of Assisi. Gaze at Giotto’s famous frescoes and other art treasures in St. Francis Basilica, stand before the font of the Cathedral of San Rufino where St. Francis was baptized, and take in dazzling panoramas from the hilltop fortress of Rocca Maggiore. After lunch, continue to Spello, a walled town dating back to Etruscan times. Stop to see Pinturicchio’s colorful frescoes in the Baglioni Chapel. Return to Perugia for an evening at leisure.

Today, venture to the delightful village of Solomeo, transformed by luxury leather goods maker Brunello Cuccinelli from a dying hill town to a vibrant center of culture. Get a private tour and meet residents who have seen their lives and town transformed. After lunch overlooking the Umbrian countryside, stop in Torgiano where we are guests of a local family that produces fine wines. Walk through the vines, tour the cellars, and enjoy a wine tasting on the terrace. Return to Perugia for another evening at leisure.

Uncover several of Perugia’s most fascinating creative spaces, begging with a visit to a handmade stained-glass workshop that produced masterpieces as early as the 1800s and still creates custom windows for great Italian cathedrals. Next, stop by an antique weaving loom studio, where the owner makes luxury woven items that are sold all across Europe, all using original centuries-old machinery! Enjoy lunch on our own and free time this afternoon. Dinner tonight is at a chic Michelin-starred restaurant outside Perugia.

Nestled in a wilder, more remote corner of Umbria is the somewhat austere but picturesque medieval hamlet of Todi. Home to great medieval bankers, clerics, and thinkers, it has become home to leading artists in the 20th and 21st centuries. Learn more as we tour the town with a local historian. Continue to nearby Deruta, where we meet with a well-respected ceramicist in her studio. Enjoy the evening at leisure.

Early this morning, head into the wooded hills north of Perugia for a walk with a local trifolao to learn about the prized black truffles that are found here. Nearby, stop for a quick guided walk in the remote white-stone town of Gubbio, what some have called “medieval perfection.” After lunch, return to Perugia for some further free time or venture to the tiny Renaissance capital of Urbino, home to Raphael and Bramante. Tour the dramatic Palazzo Ducale, seemingly plucked from an elegant fairytale. Dinner this evening is on our own.

Spend the day along the western border of Umbria with Tuscany. First, a local couple opens their beautiful home to us to share their world-class collection of contemporary art. Not far away, the tiny historic town of Città della Pieve beckons with its hidden masterpieces by Perugino. Next, drive to splendid Orvieto, famous for its spectacular position on a volcanic tufa rock plateau. After free time for lunch, tour the town, including a visit to its 14th-century cathedral. Return to Perugia and gather to celebrate our adventures at a festive farewell dinner.

Depart early this morning for our return to Rome Fiumicino Airport for flights heading home.