On our visit to Florence last week we visited the huge Franciscan church of Santa Croce, a short walk to the east from the centre. Several famous Tuscans are buried here, including Michelangelo, Galileo and Dante. The facade of Santa Croce in Florence Giotto and his followers decoratedRead more →
When you visit Florence as we did this week, you cannot avoid seeing the Duomo and you will almost certainly walk past it, even if it is not on your list of things to do. Cathedrals took hundreds of years to build and when the Duomo in FlorenceRead more →
Spoleto is a town in southern Umbria that dates back to Roman times and became the capital of an independent Lombard duchy in the middle ages. Today it is also famous for the Spoleto Festival, an arts festival held every summer with many events taking place inRead more →
When you visit Siena you cannot fail to notice the Torre del Mangia, a tall medieval tower that forms part of the Palazzo Civico, Siena's medieval town hall. The Palazzo Civico (and the Torre del Mangia) dominate the Campo, the central piazza. The last time I climbedRead more →
The Madonna della Cima walk takes 4-5 hours and is in the hills behind the Umbrian town of Gubbio. The walk starts and ends in the centre of Gubbio. The medieval town hall in Gubbio, Umbria After walking through the medieval town centre you use the funiviaRead more →
Piero della Francesca's Paintings Piero della Francesca (1416/17-1492) was a Renaissance artist and mathematician, perhaps because of his interest in mathematics his paintings are noted for their perfect perspective and the solid, almost sculptural, quality of his figures. Art historians often cite the way he painted hisRead more →
La Grotta is one of my favourite restaurants in Cortona, I last went there for after going on my Monte Ginezzo Walk in the hills behind the town. La Grotta is located just off the Piazza della Repubblica, right in the centre of Cortona. Despite its central location theRead more →
We really enjoy going to local antiques markets, often heading to nearby Città di Castello on the third Sunday of the month. The biggest antique market in Umbria and probably one of the biggest in Italy is held in the village of Pissignano. The market is heldRead more →
In the heat of the summer, we usually spend a lot of time at the public swimming pool in Umbertide, our local Umbrian town. The Umbertide pool has a giant outdoor water slide. To use the slide you take an inflatable ring (single or double) and walk upRead more →
After a hot afternoon spent with a big gang of kids at Umbertide Swimming Pool, we decided to call in at the Enoteca Wine Club in Umbertide for a glass of wine. We shared a bottle of delicious white wine made from Umbria's increasingly popular white grape, Trebbiano Spoletino. ManyRead more →