In Assisi, admire the great frescoes by Giotto; Perugia offers chocolate indulgences and a lively university scene; Deruta is famed for its ceramics, and Montefalco for its exuberant sagrantino wine and fine linens. The ancient Roman town of Spello hosts a flower festival each year in June during Corpus Domini, where the main streets are literally paved with a carpet of blossoms. Bevagna holds a week-long medieval festival called Mercato delle Gaite, where the citizens dress in period costumes and demonstrate the crafts associated with that era, such as basket weaving, candle making, silk production and paper pressing, and taverns serve food prepared from medieval recipes. Nearby, Spoleto hosts an international music festival that attracts the greatest voices from around the world, as well as dance companies and theatre productions.

Splendidly sited on the peak of a hill at a sharp turn in the Tiber, Todi commands a far-ranging view of the valley. Its three concentric sets of gates and walls tell the tale of Todi’s pattern of growth; proof of the strategic importance of this location. The core at the top of the hill is the site of the original Etruscan and Umbrian settlement, and is surrounded by the remnants of the ancient Roman period, beyond which is the outer medieval layer. Enjoy a leisurely day of wandering around this historic town, stopping in and out of caffes and charming shops. Sit for a while in the Piazza del Popolo, one of the highest and most beautiful piazzas in Umbria. Take in the splendour of the Duomo, which sits defiantly alone at one end of the piazza, flanked by three medieval civic palaces.

After the piazza and your first taste of a truly wonderful coffee, take some time to explore the town’s side streets and meandering alleys. Cascading window boxes full of bright red geraniums and pots of fresh basil will most likely be a common sight in these lovely, provincial towns. Head back to the piazza and try another caffe bar for the pre-lunch aperitivo with a sparkling glass of prosecco or a thirst-quenching non-alcoholic cocktail.

Monday is a quiet day in Italy, with most clothes shops and artisan shops closed until the afternoon. With this in mind, we can organize a few choice options to make sure you are getting everything possible out of your week in Italy.

Wine has always been an element of Italian life. Over 3,000 years ago, the Etruscans cultivated vines here, made wine and left behind in their tombs delightful murals depicting happy wine-drinkers. Today you will follow in their footsteps on a full day wine tour. HV can arrange wine visits locally or further afield depending on your tastes and preferences. We can also arrange for a driver to pick you up and take you on this excursion so that everyone can enjoy the wine tasting and activities without worrying about driving. The perfect day would be to set off after breakfast and visit a winery with a complete visit including the vineyards, the cantina and the tasting room. After your first winery, head to number two where lunch will be served and then visit one more in the afternoon that might be focused on sweet, after dinner drinks.

Visiting three wineries in one day is great but what if you also stopped off at a quiet, small hamlet to see a hidden fresco, or took a detour to visit a private estate with an Italian garden, or found a local cashmere shop with outlet prices? HV can make your wine day one to remember.

Once the arch rival of neighboring Gubbio, Perugia has blossomed as the modern day capital of Umbria. Thanks to the energy of a major university and a vibrant artistic and music community, a visit here offers a refreshing big-city change of pace from the charming sameness of the region’s hill towns.

Start your day at the permanent covered food market at the Piazza Matteotti and load up on fresh cheeses, breads and produce (see the art of Marketing Shopping). Stroll over to the Palazzo Dei Priori, which is often cited as Italy’s most impressive civic space and which houses four separate buildings hidden in its grounds: the Sala dei Notari, Sala del Collegio della Mercanzia, Collegio del Cambio and the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria, which houses a fine collection of Umbrian art from all eras. In July, Perugia plays host to Italy’s foremost Jazz festival, Umbria Jazz, whose stars have included Miles Davis, Stan Getz and Wynton Marsalis. During this two-week festival, hundreds of concerts all over Perugia offer a musical variety rarely seen and heard elsewhere.

For dinner, you can choose from any number of restaurants in Perugia, ranging from a simple trattoria to fine dining, and perhaps take in some after-dinner jazz.

One of the most interesting and least expensive ways to discover the different foods of Italy is to make a picnic for a midday feast, though you’ll have to go to a different shop for each item on your list. For bread, go to the panificio or forno; salami, prosciutto, and mortadella are sold in the salumeria; cheeses, butter, milk, and yogurt are found in the latteria. Fruits and vegetables are in the frutta e verdura and delicious sweets and pastries are sold in the pasticceria.

After you’ve picked up your fresh and delicious picnic ingredients, head toward the spiritual town of Assisi. Here the trickle of fountains and the chime of church bells float gently on the warm breeze. Wrought-iron balconies and window boxes overflow with bright red geraniums. Brooding over this serene display is the town’s main attraction, the massive two-tiered Basilica dedicated to St. Francis and his followers. The 14thC Rocca Maggiore (Grand Fortress) offers an unparalleled panorama of Assisi and the valley below and there are many other places of religious note nearby, including the hermitage of St. Francis, Eremo delle Carceri, and the Santa Maria degli Angeli, where St. Francis used to hold his meetings.

On the way home from Assisi, stop in Deruta, the ceramic capital of central Italy. Here you can visit shop after shop of ceramic factories and even watch them at work. It’s the perfect place to wind down your stay in Umbria with an authentic, handmade souvenir or two!

Time to pack up and say “Arrivederci” to the villa and the Italian countryside.