Umbria
Getting There+
Mon Sept 21, driving day
- Pick up the Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet at SIXT Naples Chiaia, confirmation #9736853997, under Tristan
- Route: north on the A3, then the A1 (tolls are cash or card at the booths)
Afternoon stop — Civita di Bagnoregio
A medieval village on a crumbling volcanic cliff, reached only by a pedestrian bridge. Park at the base, bridge fee about €5 per person, wander 2–3 hours.
Lunch: Trattoria Alma Civita, inside the walls.
Continue to Villa di Piazzano, arriving early evening.
Stay+
A 15th-century hunting manor built for a Medici cardinal, sitting right on the Umbrian-Tuscan border. A pool with countryside views, and an on-site restaurant using local ingredients.
Dine+
Ask the hotel to help arrange this one. A Michelin-starred restaurant in a 16th-century palazzo, about 45 minutes away, in the truffle capital of Italy — white truffles are at their peak in September.
Do+
Private truffle hunt
Ask the hotel to arrange — a local guide and trained dog, just the two of you, in the forest. Usually a morning activity, worth the early start.
Day trips
- Cortona — 10 minutes. Etruscan and medieval hilltop town, the Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca, lunch on Piazza della Repubblica
- Orvieto & Civita di Bagnoregio — 1.5 hours, worth combining both. Orvieto's Gothic cathedral, Signorelli's frescoes (they inspired Michelangelo). Cave tour at orvietounderground.it
- Assisi — 1 hour. Basilica of San Francesco, Giotto's fresco cycle
- Spoleto — about 1.5 hours. Roman theater, the 14th-century Ponte delle Torri, Rocca fortress — less visited than Assisi
- Montefalco — about 45 minutes. The "Balcony of Umbria," Sagrantino tasting at Arnaldo Caprai
- Lake Trasimeno — 15 minutes. Ferry to Isola Maggiore, or a lakeside café in Castiglione del Lago
If you have time
- Monte Cassino — right on the A1 between Naples and Umbria (exit at Cassino, about 2 hours, rejoin the A1 north). The battlefield and reconstructed Benedictine abbey, with the Polish War Cemetery below. Could replace or be added alongside the Civita stop. Guided tours: Anna Priora, montecassinowartours.com.
Moving On+
Thurs Sept 24
- Drive from Villa di Piazzano → Mestre, about 2.5 hours, and return the Mercedes at SIXT Mestre
- Take the local train from the Venice Mestre station to Venezia Santa Lucia (about 7 minutes) or take a taxi
- For details on getting to the hotel in Venice, see “Getting There” in Venice.