TRAVEL: CHANGE OF PACE

Discovering the quiet charms of Umbria, Italy’s hidden heaven far from the madding traffic and tourists

Start the year unhurried in Italy’s bountiful countryside of Umbria

Ilove the effortlessly sophisticated, outrageous, and romantic sides of Italy, from heavenly pasta to the most spectacular monuments. They are capable of stirring emotions and touching every sense in a way that is unrivalled worldwide. No wonder its extraordinary mix of archaeological treasures, architecture, exquisite cuisine, and fine art has long proven to be irresistible to travellers. But as much as I adore Italy, I cannot deny that with its allure comes an inevitable growth in tourist numbers.

Luckily, this is not the case everywhere. I cannot bear the idea of “ticking off ” tourist sites, which is why I’m travelling in Umbria, Central Italy, which, despite possessing all the attributes mentioned above, often slips under the radar.

It’s Tuscany’s neighbour, but much less discovered and is where one can find something that Tuscany can no longer offer: privacy.

Umbria has an impressive share of art and history, but it is the local traditions and way of life that make it such a particularly beguiling corner of Italy. Its unique position as

the only region in the country without either a coastline or a foreign border ensures that it remains one of Italy’s most untouched areas. It has a languid, laidback local life, proudly preserving its trademark hilltop towns and protecting its landscape, which dips into valleys and slopes up forested hillsides to the towering crags of the Apennine mountains.

Umbria is also proud of its distinguished history, traceable back to ancient Etruria, which expanded over central Italy between 750 and 500 BC before eventually succumbing to Roman rule. Umbria no longer sits in Tuscany’s shadow and is known as “the green heart of Italy” as it is one of the country’s most fertile corners. Fine ingredients proliferate and regional variety is pronounced. Here, I find delicious wines and impressive medieval hill towns. There are plenty of UNESCO World Heritage Sites to discover, too, including the city of Assisi or Perugia’s Umbrian Jazz Festival.

I take an hour-and-a-half ride by train from Rome to wander around the honey-stoned churches, cathedrals, and medieval streets of Spoleto, which is a Renaissance jewel and an incredibly charming Umbrian hill town. I hear about superb restaurants, art galleries, as well as Spoleto’s annual arts festival, which is considered one of the most renowned of its kind in Italy and beyond. But I also hear about

Spoleto’s beautiful pastoral countryside, so I take a short ride by car—-around 13km—to go deep inland and spend my days surrounded by woodlands, overlooking mountains and valleys.

And then, all of these on horseback. I stay at La Somma Equestrian Centre in Southern Umbria and meet the

Bevilacquas—a traditional Umbrian–italian family that has been running La Somma lodge and Equestrian Center for more than 35 years. I immerse myself in much more than the scenery, but also in Italian culture by going on trail rides every day of my stay accompanied by some of the Bevilacquas’ family members. They take me to tracks that outsiders are usually not able to ride on, and we stray far from the roads and glimpse views of a disappearing rural way of life.

Our rides take us past tiny chapels in the middle of nowhere, abandoned villages, and small farms. The landscape is quiet. We hear little except for the breath of the horses, the crackle of insects, and the crisp summer grass snapping under hooves. On my last ride, we go back over the hills via a village poised on a rocky outcrop, which is home to just two people: an old man and a woman. Then, we gallop hard along stony tracks and see no cars—not a soul, in fact, for the rest of the day.

Riding in the mountains of southern Umbria gives me a perspective of an unspoiled corner of Italy that I could not experience otherwise. We ride, we rest, we fall into the smooth rhythm of talk and silence. Then, we ride again and observe the scenery ranging from the open country on the rolling hills and mountaintops to serene woodland tracks. Along the various routes, we stop to enjoy divine lunches, which always involves some fabulous pasta accompanied by local wine. After all, this is an authentic adventure among medieval villages in a remote pocket of a country that cannot resist a remarkable, tasty meal.

After all, this is an authentic adventure among medieval villages in a remote pocket of a country that cannot resist a remarkable, tasty meal