Take it from me, Tuscany is a little overrated! If you want the true Italian ‘country experience’ you see in images or those whimsical films, Umbria is where it’s at! Sure, I still LOVE Tuscany and many know that Florence is one of my all time favorite cities in the world!! But, if you’re after a more genuine, less ‘touristy’ (read: cheesy, overrun & overpriced) experience in Italy, try Umbria instead.
We were fortunate enough to be introduced to this stunning part of Bella Italia nearly ten years ago, when our dear friend Jules invited us to stay in her recently renovated home in the hills, overlooking a tiny town called Umbertide. Living in Amsterdam at the time, she and her husband took on the incredibly ambitious task of building a new home from the ruins…which, at the time, was a pile of stones and the semblance of a structure the neighbouring cows were calling ‘home’! The task took FOUR years. Three years alone to get power connected to the area. You will see from the photos following that the effort was well worth it and the result is simply stunning.
Set in a valley in the foothills, surrounded by a real working farm, you need a hire car to stay here. It’s this remoteness of the house that only adds to its charm. Umbertide (pronounced Um-ber-T-day) is about 30mins north of Perugia – the capital of Umbria. The house, “Le Vaglie” (meaning ‘a grain sieve’ in Italian) is in the hills surrounding Umbertide, around 20mins from the lovely town square.
For those that know Jules – she has impeccable taste. And “Le Vaglie” looks like a traditional Umbrian farm house on approach, but is anything but once you set foot inside. The classic wooden double door entrance opens to reveal polished concrete floors, designer furniture & very cool artwork throughout. For those with an interest in improving your Italian cooking…this kitchen is where the magic happens! Jules is what I term a “serious cook”. Meaning she’s not officially trained in the field but it’s her passion & I’ve always said, if she entered one of those reality shows like Master Chef – she would blow them all away! AND, she catered for our wedding last year, so you get just how good a cook she is!
Rest assured, the kitchen is a highlight & extremely well equipped – making it a pleasure to create culinary delights in. In fact, it was in this very kitchen that Denis learned how to really cook Italian…perhaps with a little coaching from Jules along the way!
Over the years, Denis & I have often based ourselves here at LeVaglie & then tear off & explore the many surrounding towns & sites in the area. We’ve had such memorable experiences in places like Spoleto, nearby Gubbio, Ovieto, Montefalco, Todi and Citta di Castello. Not to mention & a few visits to Perugia to the Chocolate festival if we timed our visit right. Where do you think Baci Perugina chocolate comes from after all!!? Yum!
In all, we’ve stayed at LeVaglie 8 times over the years, so we clearly love it! Luckily for those that don’t know our friend Jules – she rents LeVaglie out at very reasonable rates. So, if the pics below intrigue you & you’re in need of a relaxing holiday away from the craziness that is Italian cities, then check out Jules’ website & contact her for availability.
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Live to Travel 