Archive for 'Umbria'

To the far northern end of the historic Italian city of Orvieto, there is a panoramic clearing.

Located near the entrance to the city and close by Saint Patrick's Well, just before Piazza Cahen, this shady area of greenery and pretty pathways is situated on a cliffside with views across the Umbrian countryside and is home to an ancient Etruscan temple.

The Temple of Belvedere is the best conserved monument of Etruscan Orvieto and a visit to the site offers beautiful views, scenic surroundings and a taster of Italian history outside the stuffier and more traditional parameters of a museum setting. If you are interested in history or archaeological discoveries, this is the place for you. Just find a holiday rental in Orvieto and make your way to the northern part of town.

The Palazzo dei Priori in Perugia is one of the finest and most striking buildings in the city.

It is also home to the National Galley of Umbria and is, therefore, one of the must-see attractions if you have found a holiday rental in Perugia and are spending time in this charming city.

Between trying the excellent local chocolate, visiting the stunning churches and wandering the Old Town, be sure to stop by this architectural gem stuffed to the gills with the most important local artistic treasures of times gone by.

Built between the 13th and the 15th centuries, the Palazzo dei Priori is a distinctively austere building. A large rectangular block of pale stone, it has minimal decorative elements with large expanses of unembellished masonry.

As it turns out, there are recipes for so-called “drunk” chicken dishes from all over the world. China has multiple regional variations as does Italy. In fact, in Italy, many different regions and towns try to claim the dish and its origins as their own. As the case often is with such things, the true origins have long since been lost. The dish has been claimed by Friuli Venezia Guilia, Trieste, Padua, Umbria and Tuscany but, no matter the region, it is cooked in a very similar way with the same ingredients – chicken cut into pieces, red wine and carrot, celery, onion, garlic and parsley. The only difference being that the wine used needs to be from their region with Sangiovese or Chianti used in Tuscany and Orvieto or Montefalco used in Umbria. There are variations on this, of course, but the base generally remains the same wherever you go.

While the exact origins of the dish are uncertain, it is apparent that Orvieto holds it up as one of their particular specialities. As a result, if you want to taste the authentic dish as the Italians make it, you'll first need to find a holiday rental in Orvieto.

If you're unable to wait until you get there to try this delicious dish, why not try out our recipe first?

Castello di Petroia is a castle near the town of Gubbio in the region of Umbria. Perched on a hilltop, in a strategic and scenic position, it both offers outstanding views of the surrounding landscape and looks like something plucked right from the pages of a storybook. Now a hotel, this castle is open to the public for meals in the great hall and has wonderful grounds where you can take a stroll after a delicious meal. Located close by both Gubbio and Perugia, it is the perfect distance from either town to make a quick trip one evening for dinner or during an afternoon to grab a coffee and explore the grounds. Just find a vacation rental in Umbria and drop by this stunning, fairytale castle for yourself.

Italy is well-known as a Catholic nation and, due to its long history of Catholicism, has given rise to a large number of saints. With so many saints, not everyone can be patron saint of obvious causes which has lead to the creation of some rather strange ones including a Patron Saint of Cranky Children (St Sebastian). One of the most unusual is, perhaps, St Clare of Assisi. Assisi has had a long history of religious affiliations, with St Francis being intimately connected to the area, but another saint hailing from the town is St Clare, Patron Saint of Television. You read that right, television. Why not find a vacation rental in Umbria and spend a day in the city of Assisi, learning all about this strange saint?