Secret Umbria: 10 Places That Aren't Assisi, Perugia, or Orvieto

Umbria is the smallest Italian region after the Aosta Valley and Molise, yet it hides more walled villages per square kilometer than almost any other. The touristy stretch is the Valle Umbra and Orvieto. Here are ten places off that beaten path.

1. Norcia and the deep Valnerina

Norcia, slowly rebuilding after the 2016 earthquake, remains one of Italy's gastronomic capitals (norcineria, the art of pork butchery). The Valnerina, with the Marmore Falls (Terni) and the villages of Preci, Vallo di Nera, and Scheggino, is a world of gorges and monasteries (Sant'Eutizio).

2. The Colfiorito plateau

Between Umbria and the Marche, the Colfiorito plateau is an ecosystem of marshes and woodlands. Few tourists, many trails. Nearby: the Bandita di Camerino and paths up Monte Pennino.

3. Bevagna and Montefalco

Not Assisi. Bevagna, a walled village with two Romanesque churches on its central square (San Silvestro and San Michele), is a small masterpiece. Montefalco, "the railing of Umbria," gives us Sagrantino (its wine) and the complex of San Francesco with Benozzo Gozzoli's celebrated fresco cycle.

4. Gubbio and its walls

Gubbio isn't "secret" but sees far fewer visitors than Perugia or Assisi. Palazzo dei Consoli, the suspended Piazza Grande, the Eugubine Tables (Umbrian bronzes from the 3rd to the 1st century BC). And the Corsa dei Ceri, one of the most intense folk festivals in Italy (May 15).

5. Spello and the flowers

Spello, a Roman-medieval village, hosts its Infiorate in June (Corpus Christi) and shelters the Baglioni Chapel frescoed by Pinturicchio. But even outside the flower festival it is among the most captivating villages in Umbria, with narrow lanes, garden plots, and Roman remains.

6. Città della Pieve and Perugino

Città della Pieve, birthplace of Perugino, has a cathedral holding several of his works and an intact Renaissance old town. And its tunnels — Etruscan and medieval underground passages. Fifty kilometers from Cortona, but a different world.

7. Lake Trasimeno beyond Castiglione

Trasimeno has three islands (Isola Maggiore, Minore, Polvese). Polvese, with its nature park, is almost empty. The lake perimeter (60 km) can be cycled along a completed bike path. Stop at Castiglione del Lago for sunset.

8. Amelia and lower Umbria

Amelia, with its three-meter-thick Roman polygonal walls and its underground tunnels, is among the oldest villages in Umbria. In the same area: Narni with Narni Sotterranea (a visitable Inquisition tribunal) and Otricoli (a Roman archaeological park).

9. Monte Cucco and the Franciscan Way

The Monte Cucco Park, on the Umbrian-Marche Apennines, has some of Italy's deepest caves (Grotta di Monte Cucco), karst ravines, and ridge trails. The Via di Francesco (the pilgrim route from La Verna to Assisi) crosses the area.

10. Castelluccio di Norcia and the plains

Post-earthquake Castelluccio is still being rebuilt. But the Piani di Castelluccio — rolling plateaus that fill with wildflowers between June and July (lentils in bloom) — remain one of the most beautiful natural spectacles in Italy. An afternoon up there is worth the whole trip.

When should I go?

April-June for the countryside in bloom, September-October for foliage and the harvest (Sagrantino of Montefalco). Summer: higher hills are fine, but villages run hot. Winter: profound silence.

How should I plan the trip?

For a weekend: Bevagna + Montefalco + Spello with Assisi as base. For a week: Valnerina (Norcia + Falls + Preci) + Gubbio + Trasimeno. Lower Umbria (Amelia + Narni) pairs well with northern Lazio (an hour away).