A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SOME EVENTS AND DAY TRIPS IN AND AROUND UMBRIA.
Sagra's and city festivals
City festival in Gualdo Cattaneo
Every town and village organizes during the summer months at some point a "sagra". A sagra is a city or village festival and aims to bring people more together and also to raise money for a good cause. The goal can be anything.
You can often eat very well and dance afterwards.
Public drunkenness is rare. Although the sagra's are generally local matters, they attract people from far and wide away.
You will not find many foreigners on most sagra's. The parties are very authentic.
City festivals are also very popular and often have a theme: Renaissance, Middle Ages, medieval crafts, etc.. Also at city festivals, food is very important. There are also performances (spectaculi), music, acrobatics, theatre, etc. To be able to eat at long tables, reservations are required.
Foligno:
Foligno also has a lot to offer. Maybe the city isn't as vibrant as Perugia, but if you check the site: umbriaeventi.com you will notice that there are many festivities. I think there are a few top attractions during the year and one of them is the "Quintana". A spectacular ring stitch competition between the neighborhoods and around it are all kinds of other festivities. Thus, the "wealthy nobility" presents itself to the public on the evening before the battle in a historic parade, the "Corteo Storico". Truly a top spectacle.
The hundreds of garments that men and women wear can cost more than €30,000/piece.
Perugia:
Umbria Jazz is normally during the second and third week of July
A whole page can be devoted to Perugia. It is best to consult a travel guide for detailed information. A visit is actually a must. Especially the way you arrive by escalators in the Rocca and then in the center is all ready worth a visit. In the main street you will find the more expensive shops and beautiful terraces. There is plenty to see to spend a whole day. In summer there is also the Umbria Jazz festival and in the towns around Lake Trasimeno the "Trasimeno blues festival". Most concerts are free. A week is not enough for a true jazz lover!
Lake of Trasimeno
From Passignano and Tuoro you can take a boat to one of the islands in the lake. You can enjoy walking, sunbathing, swimming and eating. As a day trip very recommended.
Montefalco and Bevagna
These are two gems in the heart of Umbria. Less than 30 minutes drive away from our villa you imagine yourself in an ancient city where the atmosphere of the Middle Ages is still tangible.
Montefalco
The main square of Montefalco
Montefalco is the place where you "must" drink the Montefalco Rosso or the Sagrantino. These very tasty wines originate from this region. There are about three enoteca's (wine bar's) with terrace on the picturesque square at the top of the town. There is also a beautiful museum in the old church. On the north-east side of the city is a lookout point with a nice view of the valley of Umbria. Assisi can be seen in the distance, as well as a lot of other cities and towns.
Bevagna
Zuil op het hoofdplein in Bevagna
Dit stadje is van oorsprong een Etruskische nederzetting die later door de Romeinen als een van de pleisterplaatsen tussen Rome en het hoge noorden werd gebruikt. Er zijn nog veel overblijfselen uit die tijd. Zo is er een romeins koopmanshuis, restanten van een romeins theater, thermen, en vele andere zaken die herinneren aan vervlogen tijden. Bevagna is als middeleeuwse plaats niet opgeofferd aan de toeristen. Er wordt nog gewoon geleefd. Het mooie Piazza Sylvestri is bij uitstek de plek om even tot rust te komen.
Bevagna is known throughout central Italy for its medieval summer-ten-day festival (the Gaita).
Gualdo Cattaneo and it'd direct surroundings:
The historic town has a newly renovated square with a restaurant ans a bar, where you can enjoy an espresso and the daily Italian life on the terrace. From the tower you have a beautiful panorama over a part of Umbria and the beautiful square.
Outside Gualdo there is an airport where you can book a sightseeing flight above the region. That cost a few years ago about € 60 pp / half an hour. This must be arranged a few days in advance. On the same site is a tractor museum, a restaurant, a bar and an activity park with a train. For more information: http://www.parcoacquarossa.com
A day trip to Rome.
There are three ways to get to Rome
- By car it is about 160 km to the center. In the center is, nearby the Spanish Steps / Villa Borghese a covered parking garage. Costs? €18/day?
- Met de auto naar treinstation in Orte (80 km), lang parkeren à +/- €2.00 per dag en verder met de trein naar Rome (Station Termini). Een dagretour inclusief openbaar vervoer (bus, tram, metro) in Rome kost ongeveer €15.00 pp. Dit kaartje moet je bij de bar kopen!!(zie voor tijden www.trenitalia.com ).
- By bus from Deruta (Banca dell'Umbria or Hotel Amfora) to Rome (Rermini Station); return costs about €30 pp. For more information see: www.sulga.it
La Scarzuola.
Op 40 minuten rijden komt u in een mini droomstad. De architect Tommaso Buzzi (1900–1981) kocht het gebied rond het Franciscaner klooster “La Scarzuola”(=genoemd naar een soort riet dat daar voorkomt) in 1956 en wilde er in twintig jaar tijd zijn fantasiestad Città Buzziana creëren. Hij wilde een “ideale” stad maken waar natuur en cultuur met elkaar konden versmelten. Laat u verrassen door wonderlijk bouwwerken in de ongerepte natuur. Er zijn o.a. 8 theaters waar af en toe ook optredens zijn. Een afspraak maken voor een engelstalige rondleiding is noodzakelijk. Kosten: ong. €12 pp met een minimum van 8 bezoekers. Vraag ons naar mogelijkheden. Voor meer informatie zie ook: http://www.lascarzuola.comA combination of a day trip with a visit to Orvieto is easy to do.
Civita di Bagno Regio (in Lazio)
The landscape around the ancient city of Civita has subsided over the centuries due to its karstic structure. Because of this Civita is situated on a kind of island that can only be reached by a footbridge. The center of the "dead" town is very picturesque and is regularly used for shooting movies. Both the landscape and the town are very worth while a visit. The visit does not have to last longer than two hours. Therefore it is good to combine with a visit to Orvieto or the volcanic lake Bolsena. In contrast to Lake Trasimeno, the water is clear and invites you to dive into it.
Het is ongeveer een uur rijden naar Civita di Bagno Regio. De toegang tot het stadje kost ongeveer €5/pp.
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