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Taking Umbria
Hannibal invaded Umbria during the second Punic war. This week, it’s my turn.
My eldest son, Andreas, is having an adventure in Italy—living, working, learning the language, and generally basking in the culture of his ancestral homeland. So I am on my way tomorrow to visit him in his newfound home of Perugia, the capital city of Umbria.
Umbria, situated in the center of the peninsula about two hours north of Rome, has the distinction of being the only part of Italy to be completely surrounded by Italy — that is to say it is not touching the sea or another country.
But in this landscape of green hills and spacious valleys, crisscrossed by rivers and dotted with lakes and ancient hilltop towns—Spoleto, Gubbio, Assisi, and Orvieto to name a few—I’ll hardly miss the sea.
The region is home to thirteen DOC wine zones and for the hard-core foodie, there is an abundance of “prodotti tipici” (regional products), including black truffles, olive oil, cured meats and cheeses, home-made pastas, and tender fagioline del Trasimeno, a type of bean dating back to the time of the ancient Etruscans.
My little party, including my husband, my mother, and my son, will do our best to explore the riches of this area that has come to be known as Italy’s most verdant region. I’ll be reporting back on the treasures we uncover.
A presto.
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