The Seasons Of Umbria™

Join Liliana and John in their luxury guesthouse in the splendid region of Umbria for unforgettable hands-on cooking classes teaching the secrets of authentic Umbrian cuisine. Anna, the house cook, and mentor of all the local ladies, shares with you her secrets of traditional cooking, past down by generations. Learn how to prepare traditional antipasto, salads and handmade pasta: pick up the secrets of making perfect tagliatelle and ravioli and a variety of fillings and sauces to accompany them. And master the trick of marinating local cuts of meat in simple sauces that infuse them with a wonderful depth of flavor.  Then of course, the final step is the creation of delicious desserts – a must for everyone with a sweet tooth!  

Cooking Classes

Classes are held in the residence’s well-equipped kitchen, morning or afternoon, and last approximately three hours. Our cook, Anna, is a local lady who was brought up on traditional Umbrian fare and whose culinary experience has taught her that few things in life are better than the fresh simple food that typifies her homeland. Umbria’s most important products include excellent meat, game and fowl, cheese, porcini mushrooms, truffles (during the autumn truffle season naturally), salami, ham and olive oil, all locally reared, produced and grown and also Anna’s homegrown vegetables. You will be making pasta and desserts with beautiful eggs from our free-range chickens fed on corn. And these are just some of the ingredients you can hope to meet during your cooking classes.  During your time in Umbria, Anna will share with you the best ways to cook these ingredients in a simple way, yet creating delicious dishes that underline the exceptional flavors of these Umbrian products.

Umbria

Umbria, a beautiful region in central Italy, prettier than Tuscany, and very few tourists, has medieval hilltop villages and towns scattered across its lush green countryside, as well as Roman ruins, amphitheatres and Etruscan tombs. In the south, the fertile slopes are covered with olive trees and vineyards, and to the north, the hills on either side of the Tiber River have oak and chestnut woods where white truffles and porcini mushrooms are found. Neighboring Tuscany, Umbria is often overlooked as a region, but it is a mystical and fascinating part of Italy. Its roots are ancient and the region manages to maintain a quintessentially Italian feel, with modern day Umbria very attached to its history and traditions. Perfect for those who love to go exploring, the roads are fairly quiet and many of the more beautiful, undiscovered sights are off the beaten track.

Gubbio

A fabulous medieval town situated on the slopes of Monte Ingino, Gubbio is one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Italy! There are incredible views from the Piazza Grande and a cable car can be taken up to the Basilica of Sant’Ubaldo high up on the mountainside. The Palazzo dei Priori houses the famous Eugubian tables, 7 bronze tablets dating back to 300BC written in an ancient Umbri language. An important centre in Roman times, the remains of an amphitheatre can still be seen. Gubbio still holds many traditional annual festivals of medieval origins including the Festa dei Ceri. It also boasts the world’s largest Christmas Tree which covers the mountainside behind the town!

Perugia

The capital of Umbria, Perugia is an incredible network of cobbled streets and twisting alleyways. It’s easy to get lost here, but as long as you head up hill, you will always arrive at the main street, Corso Vanucci and the famous fountain, Fontana Maggiore, in front of the Palazzo dei Priori. With a fascinating history (dating back to the Papal States), Perugia has many buildings of great beauty and historical importance. Part of the city is underground where you can still walk the original medieval streets.

Cortona

Although it is just over the border in Tuscany, Cortona is included as it is within a half an hour drive of the residence. This sleepy medieval town has become quite exposed to tourism in recent years but there are tremendous views and the winding cobbled streets still have loads of character. Just down the hill from Cortona is Le Celle, an ancient monastery which has immense peace and calm and is well worth a visit. Bramasole, the house featured in ‘Under The Tuscan Sun’ is in Cortona. The Under the Tuscan Sun Music Festival in July is now internationally famous.

Accommodations

With very easy access on a tarmac road, close to the village of Calzolaro which is on the provincial road connecting Citta di Castello with Cortona, your residence is a luxury guest house in Umbria with more than 800 years of history. Once a monastic complex belonging to the friars of Mont’Ulivetani di Gubbio, this historic monastery has been restored and converted to a luxury country house estate by its owners Liliana and her husband John. Now a Historic Listed Building, the main house, adjacent cottage and private chapel nestle in several acres of landscaped gardens and offer beautiful views over the surrounding countryside and woodlands. Situated on a quiet road, your accommodation is perfectly situated for taking wonderful country walks in all directions. The residence is in the north of Umbria, on the border with Tuscany, with Umbertide, Cittá di Castello, Montone and the real Green Heart scenes of Italy just minutes away, whilst the amazing hilltop cities of Perugia, Gubbio, Cortona and many others are within about thirty minutes drive. The village of Calzolaro is within walking distance, as well as the local trattoria and pizzeria, where they serve "the best pizza in Umbria" cooked in a wood-burning oven.

All rooms have an en-suite marble bathroom, and are furnished and decorated to a very high standard. The beds are fitted with luxurious silk and cotton blend sheets and there are matching white waffle towels and guest robes, slippers, toiletteries and a hair dryer. The furniture has been carefully chosen and each room is different, all with terracotta tiled floors, under-floor central heating, electric cooling fans, luxurious bedcovers, elegant chairs, hand-made painted tables, beautiful curtains, padded window seat cushions and silk braided parchment lampshades. Most bedrooms have television – and DVD is available on request. Cordless email connection is available in the reception areas and on the loggia.

The gardens have been carefully tended to create an oasis of calm and tranquility, reflective of the time when the monks who once lived there tended the land. Banks of rosemary, lavender and thyme stretch alongside the grassy pathways; acacia, ipericum, and rose trees bloom and a gentle stream meanders through the magical sunken garden. Laze on one of the elegant sun loungers under the branches of the acacia tree, or sit a while on one of the stone benches, found at different view points in the garden, soaking up your wonderful surroundings. Alternatively, what could be pleasanter than taking afternoon tea under the shade of an umbrella at one of the tables alongside the pool area… The eco swimming pool is bordered with geraniums and its water is purified with salt and oxygen. 

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Itinerary ~ 4 Days, 3 Nights

Check in and start your program starting on any Monday to Thursday – minimum 4 People.

Day One: Arrival & Dinner

• Afternoon arrival and welcome drinks.
• Aperitivo and Stuzzichini, finger foods, served before dinner either on the Loggia, or in the living room.
• Dinner is served at your residence. Menu includes local produce such as ciaccia con prosciutto (local unleavened bread), salame, pecorino (sheep’s cheese) and tozzetti (almond biscuits) with Vin Santo (fortified matured sherry wine).
• Meet Anna, our cook, and sample traditional Umbrian cooking in the company of John and Liliana, your hosts, and Giulia, who will be translating and accompanying you during your stay.

Day Two: Market Visit & Cooking Class

• Breakfast is served.
• Market Visit – Umbertide on Wednesday, or Città di Castello, Thursday or Saturday, with interpreter. Free time for shopping or sit on the piazza and watch the world go by while sampling a cappuccino or espresso.  
• Afternoon Cooking Class: Learn hands-on cooking with “La Cuoca”, making antipasto, pasta, main course, vegetable side dish and dessert.
• Dinner at your residence, after the cooking class featuring the foods prepared in class.

Day Three: Farmhouse Visit & Pizza Dinner

• Breakfast is served.
• Morning at leisure to explore the countryside, take a ride on vintage bicycles, play croquet or simply relax by the pool.
• Light lunch is served at your residence.
• Early evening visit to Anna’s Traditional Farmhouse, learn how to make pizza in her wood-fired oven, and have dinner in her garden, sampling your pizzas and other traditional Umbrian delicacies.

Day Four: Departure

• Breakfast is served.
• Departure & Arrivederci!