• 2. Before You Leave
  • 3. Things to See and Do
  • 4. While at Your villa
  • About RentVillas

RentVillas.com

~ Travel Abroad. Feel at Home.

RentVillas.com

Tag Archives: Suzanne Pidduck

Authentic Italy

02 Sunday Mar 2014

Posted by rentvillas in 4. While at your villa, Things to Do

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Antica Rocca, La Cappella, Suzanne Pidduck, Torre Alfina, Tuscany

In this third installment, guest editor and RentVillas Founder Suzanne Pidduck follows up on part 1 and part 2 from her September 2013 travels on the border of Lazio, Tuscany, and Umbria:

Antica Rocca (sleeps 10) is located in a medieval hamlet.

Antica Rocca (sleeps 10) is located in a medieval hamlet.

This week I’ve got more to share about the area called the Alta Tuscia—situated on the borders of Lazio, Tuscany, and Umbria. In my opinion, this area really offers the best of all three regions. Although located at a cultural crossroads, it has somehow remained unspoiled, with authentic towns, un-inflated prices, rural peace and quiet, and abundant traffic-free hiking, road and mountain biking opportunities in striking natural surroundings.

La Cappella dell'Alfina is a charming farmhouse near Acquapendente.

La Cappella dell’Alfina is a charming farmhouse near Acquapendente.

I visited two exceptional properties near Torre Alfina (our home base for the week), La Cappella dell’Alfina and Antica Rocca, and did some additional exploring throughout the area. Here are the highlights!

Must-sees!

  • Perugia is about 1 ½ hours away, and is worth the trip. With a rainstorm brewing we had lunch on the piazza facing the Duomo and the Fontana Maggiore. Carpaccio with arugula and Parmigiano-Reggiano has never tasted so good!
  • Civita’ di Bagnoregio is a tiny, Etruscan village perched atop a plateau of volcanic tuff. It’s right out of a fairy tale! The village was made famous, quite literally, by Rick Steves! He put it on the map (and has done the same thing with the Cinque Terre) and thereby has helped to save it from disintegration. His photo is everywhere in town! We walked against howling wind along the pedestrian bridge that leads into town and wandered around the hamlet and found a great trattoria. It was a fun adventure!
  • The spectacular duomo in Orvieto.

    The spectacular duomo in Orvieto.

    Orvieto is only 20 minutes away from Torre Alfina and Villa del Castello. We headed there for a stroll, a little shopping, and to gaze at the extraordinary Duomo. We were thrilled to find the town almost empty. What a treat to have it to ourselves! Todi is also wonderful for a passegiata.

  • For a full day trip, I highly recommend Pienza and Montepulciano. Pienza is known for its pecorino, and Montepulciano has outstanding shopping. It’s also fun to do a wine tasting at the Col D’Orcia estate in Montalcino (book in advance), and then stop in either San Filippo Terme or Bagno Vignoni to soak in the thermal baths (just remember to bring swimsuits!).
  • I’d also encourage you to see the “tufo towns” of Sorano, Pitigliano, and Sovana—three towns in the Maremma (southwestern coastal area of Tuscany) carved into or built out of volcanic rock (tufo). If you leave early enough in the morning, it is possible to do all three. But if not, don’t miss Sorano. It’s a gorgeous little artists’ village in an area known for its “fjords”. If you are in Sovana at lunch time, stop at Taverna Etrusca for a light lunch.

Categories

  • 1. Early Planning Stage
    • Airfare
    • First Steps
    • Picking a Villa
      • Top Picks
    • Villa or Hotel?
      • The Costs
    • Which Villa Rental Agency?
  • 2. Before you leave…
    • Cell phones
    • Easy Italia
    • Internet Access
    • Packing
    • Ways to Save
  • 3. Things to see and do
    • France
      • Budget Latin Quarter
      • Paris Christmas
      • Theme Parks
    • Greece
    • Italy
      • Fresh Produce
      • Guidebook
      • Things to Do
      • Tuscan Xmas
    • Spain
  • 4. While at your villa
    • Amalfi Coast and Naples Driving Tours
    • Personal Chefs
    • Provence Tours & Excursions
    • Rome Cooking Classes
    • Rome Tours
    • Tuscan Cooking Classes
    • Tuscan Food Experiences
    • Tuscan Tours
    • Tuscan Wine Tours
    • Wedding Planner

Blogroll

  • RentVillas.com

Instagram

No Instagram images were found.

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • RentVillas.com
    • Join 25 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • RentVillas.com
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...