Umbria – An unspoiled green “island” in the heart of Italy.

These are my favourite places:

Monte Castello di Vibio: home to the smallest theatre in the world! The Teatro della Concordia, an architectural gem, which has only 99 seats.

Spello: a small village where you can visit Villa dei Mosaici, recently discovered and famous for the “infiorata” of May, a carpet of petals that colours the narrow streets making the village even more picturesque.

Do not miss the stop at the Fonti del Clitunno: the waters coming out of the rocks form a pond with soft colours, a truly fairy-tale place!

Monteluco: at 800 meters above sea level, close to a sacred forest, you can visit the sanctuary of San Francesco (or Franciscan hermitage), dating back to 1200.

Bevagna: famous for its medieval historical re-enactments and craftsman-shops, where local artisans reveal the secrets of ancient crafts, such as the production of paper, candles and silk paintings.

Gubbio: a pretty and lively town whose inhabitants are traditionally defined as a bit crazy (no clue as to why). With a 6-minute cable car ride, you go from 500 meters to 800 meters to visit the Church of Sant’Ubaldo: it is an unusual and fun experience, since it consists of baskets hanging from a cable and it can only carry 2 people.

Arriving at Fiumicino airport you reach Perugia, the main town of Umbria: it is 200 km away! The options are to either stay there or to choose an historic boutique hotel in one of the smaller towns for a truly immersive experience!