I'm in the process of planning a 2+ week trip to Tuscany and Umbria that we'll be taking in early summer. We'll definitely stay one week in Montepulciano and use it as a base to explore Chianti, the area around Montepulciano/Montalcino, San Galgano, Cortona and other areas in the north. The question now is where do we base ourselves for the more southern/eastern part of the trip? I'm leaning towards either Todi or Spello. Has anyone out there been to both and have an opinion one way or another or have other suggestions. Other areas/towns on the itinerary are Pitigliano, Assisi, Orvieto, Trevi, Montefalco, Civita di Bagnoregio, Spoletto and Narni, Norcia and the Piano Grande. If it makes any difference we're more into beautiful towns and landscapes to drive and photograph than museums. I'd love to find a town of the same size and/or flavor of Montepulciano. Any advice you can provide is much appreciated!
Posted by
HENDERSON, Nevada, United States
91 posts
Add Gubbio to your list of towns to see. Built on a hillside it is definitely worth seeing. There is a "birdcage" that takes you up the hillside to a 4th century Duomo. Read about how the townspeople fought the Nazis in WWII.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Marcus, are you driving or using public transportation? Of the two cities you mention, I suggest Todi; it's beautiful and larger than Spello, so as a base it will offer you more in your evenings there. Also, Spello is only a few kilometers from Assisi, so that might be a better base (Assisi is especially beautiful in the early mornings and late evenings when the tour buses are gone). Trevi is lovely (go to the olive oil museum and buy some soap) but not so accessible without a car.
Posted by
Portland, Oregon, United States
907 posts
You can rent a very nice villa in San Gemini, a small Umbrian town. The villa is just on the main piazza. Go to Tuscany Now and search Umbrian villas. All the towns you mentioned I have visited by car from San Gemini by day trips. It isn't far to Orvieto either. Todi is a nice little town.
Posted by
Commack, New York, USA
2 posts
I visited both cities this past June. While both are lovely I personally liked Spello. It is smaller than Todi but prettier. We were there just before the Spello L'infiorita (Flower Festival) so most homes, storefronts, etc. were decorated with the most beautiful floral arrangement. Check this website to read a little on the festival: http://www.umbriantravel.com/?p=376 There is also a wonderful restaurant with the nicest staff (including the owner, Roberto, and his family) called Enoteca Properzio. The only thing I don't know is where to stay. I'm going back to Umbria next month, I just can't get enough of it. Good luck with you plans, I'm sure it will all turn out perfect. How could it not, it's Italy. : )
Posted by
Peotone, IL, Usa
41 posts
We stayed in Montepulciano several years ago at the Villa Poggiano... a wonderful place . Stephanie there was most helpful. Enjoy your trip, it is a wonderful, beautiful area.
Posted by
Peotone, IL, Usa
41 posts
We stayed in Montepulciano several years ago at the Villa Poggiano... a wonderful place . Stephanie there was most helpful. Enjoy your trip, it is a wonderful, beautiful area.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11839 posts
I picked Spello last winter because of this wonderful place Casa Spello. Wonderful apartment and wonderful town. Very low key town, warm and welcoming, but not overrun by tourists. We used bus and train to visit Spoleto, Assisi and Perugia.
Posted by
Sacramento/California, Spello/Italy
1 posts
Sitting on my couch in Spello to type this reply, a 10-year veteran of Tuscany and Umbria, and now an owner in Spello for 2 years. My prejudice is for Spello, as your base, as I used in 2006 for 2 days in the Fratello Sole B&B that morphed into 12, with day trips from here to Orvieto, Spoleto, Bevagna, Assisi, Cortona, Arezzo, Trevi, Montefalco, Torgiano, Norcia and Piano Grande. The Infiorata di Spello 2013 will be 1 & 2 June, with the work done Saturday and completed mosaics of flower petals ready for the Bishop to traverse on the 2nd, after mass. The same weekend is the monthly Arezzo antiques fair, one of the largest in Italy and one I never miss. There are many lodging options in Spellofrom the four-star La Bastiglia, to several small hotels inside the historic village, to B&B's like Fratello Sole, a personal favorite. Except for the Infiorata, ample free public parking is nearby, outside the centro storico walls. I would suggest Spello (of course), on the train line if you don't have a car, and a good base for day trips and dinners away if you DO have a car. The Infiorata is crowded, but otherwise the town is welcoming and open to having visitorsseveral good places here for wine (Enoteca Properzio, Tasting Wine restaurant) and meals (rustic at Osteria DaDa, fine dining at Barbarie Vallegloria with a fixed menu and price including all wines and dessert, and also La Cantina). The town is bedecked in flowers, with competitions spurring the careful tending of flower boxes, streets and alleys dripping in blossoms, and balconies and doorways tended lovingly for the premiums awarded each year. While not the size of Montepulciano (say hello to Cesare, my friend the expert coppersmith there), Spello is a great base of operations for your trip! Do explore it well as an option, before you decide on a more out-of-the way town!