Beautiful Villages of Umbria and Tuscany

Umbria and Tuscany are both beautiful places to visit filled with art, architecture, history and hidden treasures; one could easily spend months there and still not see everything. The hillsides dotted with ancient villages seem to be so numerous that it’s hard to pick just a few to visit. They’re all picturesque, welcoming and will inspire the desire to linger. The gently rolling hills are lined with silvery olive groves and lush vineyards, making the area completely captivating.

Umbria is every bit as beautiful as Tuscany, but a bit less popular, making it less crowded which is very appealing to us. A little like California’s famous wine counties, Sonoma and Napa, with Napa being the overpriced, over-crowded location of the two.

During our stay we visited a fair number of villages and found them all to be enticing. Once you’re in a village, you’ll find narrow alleys offering little slivers of views of the vast countryside in the distance. I had to stop many times to take in these views. Here are photos from a few of our favorite villages.

Castiglione del Lago was once on an island in Lake Trasimeno, which is the largest lake in Umbria. As the town expanded over the centuries, the area between the island and the shore was built up making it look like part of the mainland.

Like most towns in the area, there is a new town and the historic medieval town. Dating back to the second century BC, it was located on an important trade road, so it was a primary location for commerce.

As you stroll through the old town, be sure to visit Santa Maria Maddalena. Built in 1836, this neoclassical church has some beautiful features.

Deruta is known for maiolica (ceramics) manufacturing. Here you’ll find an abundance of shops selling intricate, hand-designed and painted ceramics. In the middle ages, it was determined that the local clay was perfect for making ceramics. By the 15th century, the craft had flourished and included the intricate designs found today.

Be sure to step into the 14th century San Francesco, a Gothic church with ancient frescos.

Montepulciano is yet another beautiful, medieval village set in the hills above the Val D’Orcia. Dating back to the 4th century BC, it was the home of the Roman guards who watched over the trade routes in the area. This village was the set for one of the Twilight movies, so it is a little more crowded and popular than some of the other villages. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is actually a type of wine grape which is one of the most popular varieties used for Italian wines.

We entered the city through Porto Prato, one of the city’s ancient gates. Be prepared to walk uphill for a long distance to enjoy all that this city has to offer.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Umbria and Tuscany. I highly recommend both areas if you’re looking for stunning vistas, art, history, great food and wine. We also visited Spoleto and Siena while in Italy, I’ll share thoughts and photos on these cities in the coming weeks.

As always, I would love to hear from you so feel free to leave a comment.

Wishing you grand adventures,

Tricia