Umbria 10th-17th October 2027

Unseen Umbria

10th – 17th October 2027

Our week in Umbria takes us through some of Italy’s most beautiful and best-preserved hill towns, from the medieval streets of Todi and the Roman and Romanesque layers of Spoleto to the pilgrimage city of Assisi and the quieter gems of Montefalco, Spello, Città della Pieve and Panicale. Along the way we will look closely at the art and architecture of the region and we will see how the Umbrian landscape, deep-rooted faith and generations of gifted painters combined to produce such a rich artistic tradition.  

Between our visits we will enjoy good food and wine in lively local trattorias, and we will return home with a lasting impression of a region where history, art and everyday life still sit so naturally side by side. 

Itinerary

Sunday 10th October  

We will land in the afternoon and take a private coach to Todi, a well-preserved medieval town on a hill, overlooking the Tiber River valley.  Having settled in at the hotel we will go for an introductory walk. We will head to the Piazza del Popolo, where we will be surrounded by Renaissance palaces and Todi Cathedral. Inside the cathedral we will see Fenzoni’s Last Judgement, an impressive fresco that is exemplary of the Mannerist style and was inspired by Michelangelo’s fresco in the Sistine Chapel. The piazza sits above Roman cisterns which were constructed in the second half of the 1st century BC; if time allows, we will venture underground to see this example of Roman ingenuity. After a quick rest at the hotel, we will go for a good supper nearby in the medieval centre.

Monday 11th October 

After breakfast we will walk out of the medieval centre to the Tempio di Santa Maria della Consolazione, which stands on its own among the fields just beyond the walls. Begun in 1508, it is a masterpiece of the High Renaissance, built on a centralised Greek-cross plan with a soaring dome, and its harmonious geometry makes it one of the most perfectly proportioned churches in Italy. We will study the building from the outside first, then step into its bright, austere interior. Here we will discuss the likelihood that it was the work of Bramante, using his early plans for St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome as reference, and consider the role of Cola da Caprarola, who oversaw the construction of the church over many decades. We will then return to the centre of Todi for lunch. 

In the afternoon we will climb up to San Fortunato, a large Gothic church that dominates the upper part of the town and looks out over Piazza del Popolo. Here we will see the frescoes by Masolino, whose delicate, graceful Madonna and Child shows the influence of the early Florentine Renaissance, amongst other equally impressively decorated chapels. We will also visit the crypt, where the Franciscan poet Jacopone da Todi is buried. If time allows, we will end the afternoon with a stroll through the lanes of the old town to take in the views across the Tiber valley. We will then enjoy supper at a lively local trattoria. 

Tuesday 12th October

Travelling to Spoleto, we will check in to our hotel before going straight to the Duomo di Spoleto. Here we will look at Filippo Lippi’s Life of the Virgin fresco cycle, which features Annunciation, Dormition, Assumption, Nativity and Coronation of the Virgin scenes. Lippi himself was unable to finish this cycle as he died in 1469 (of poisoning, according to Vasari) but his workshop completed the works according to his plans. He is buried here in the Cathedral, making this fresco cycle all the more affecting.  

After lunch we will spend the afternoon in the Museo Nazionale del Ducato di Spoleto. It is found in Rocca Albornoziana, a fortress which began construction in the second half of the 14th century. The museum holds artifacts from the Spoleto area from the 4th to the 15th centuries. It also displays artworks from the 6th to the 9th centuries that beautifully document the extraordinary artistic flourishing of the city and its surrounding area, such as the Triptych of Santa Maria delle Grazie by Niccolò di Liberatore. We will then go to the Ponte delle Torri, a 13thcentury bridge connecting the Rocca Albornoziana with the Fortilizia dei Mulini. It used to be an aqueduct and spans the entire ravine below; now, it offers beautiful views of the city. We will then go for an excellent supper in the town centre.  

Wednesday 13th October 

We will begin the morning at San Salvatore, a UNESCO World Heritage Romanesque 8th century church which stands in the centre of Spoleto. Initial building was likely begun in the 4th century and originally it was likely dedicated to Saint Concordius, a martyr from Spoleto who was allegedly buried on this site. The church is a truly beautiful example of classical architecture and is surrounded by the cemetery of Spoleto, which contains some breathtaking tombs.  

After lunch in the centre of the city, we will go to the Roman Theatre and Archaeological Museum; the theatre was built in the second half of the first century BC, and it is in great condition. The museum displays archaeological finds from within and around Spoleto. We will have a rest at the hotel before going back out for supper nearby.  

Thursday 14th October  

We will spend the day in Assisi, one of Umbria’s most beloved hill towns, which clings to the slopes of Monte Subasio. After an early breakfast we will drive to the town and head straight to the Basilica di San Francesco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built shortly after the saint’s death in 1226. In the Upper Church we will study Giotto’s celebrated fresco cycle of the Life of Saint Francis, a work that marks a decisive turn towards naturalism in Western painting. In the Lower Church we will see Simone Martini’s frescoes of St. Martin and Cimabue’s Maestà, before descending to the crypt where Saint Francis is buried.  

We will have lunch in the medieval centre before visiting the Basilica di Santa Chiara, which houses the Byzantine-style Crucifix that is said to have spoken to Francis at San Damiano, as well as the tomb of St. Clare.  We will then return to the Spoleto for dinner. 

Friday 15th October 

On the way to Città delle Pieve we will spend the morning in Montefalco, another historic hilltop town. Here we will visit the Museo di San Francesco, the collection of which includes Benozzo Gozzoli’s Life of Saint Francis and Perugino’s Nativity. We will step into the Church of Sant’Agostino, where there are beautiful frescoes believed to be by Ambrogio Lorenzetti and to the Church of Santa Chiara, where the walls are also frescoed with episodes of the saint’s life. Bishop Maffeo Barberini of Spoleto (the future Pope Urban VIII) commissioned the design of the present church in 1615 to commemorate Santa Chiara and hold many of her relics (one of which is her heart encased in silver).  

We will have lunch in Montefalco before driving onwards to Spello, where we will see Pinturicchio’s fresco cycle depicting scenes from Mary’s life and the early life of Christ. Found in the Collegiata di Santa Maria Maggiore, this high-Renaissance fresco cycle is indicative of the Umbrian style of painting that Pinturrichio’s work embued. If time allows, we will go to the Villa dei Mosaici; this villa has nearly 500 square meters of mosaic that has been carefully preserved since the early 2000s when it was excavated. We will arrive in Città delle Pieve in the late afternoon, having a good supper near to the hotel. 

Saturday 16th October 

This day will be all about Perugino, who was born in Città delle Pieve and had an unmistakably Umbrian style. Starting at the Oratorio di Santa Maria dei Bianchi we will see his large-scale fresco, Adoration of the Magi, which was commissioned in 1504.  We will then go to the Cathedral, which dates back to the 4th century, to see works by Perugino and Pomarancio, considering how the two painters, working a century apart, approached the same sacred subjects.  

After lunch, we will visit the Palazzo della Corgna, where Pomarancio’s frescoes decorate the rooms of this elegant 16th-century noble residence. The rest of the afternoon will be free for further exploring. We will end the day with an excellent dinner. 

Sunday 17th October 

On the way to the airport, we will stop in Panicale to see one final masterpiece; Perugino’s The Martyrdom of St Sebastian in San Sebastiano.  After lunch we will continue on to the airport for our flight home. 

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