Italy | Umbria
San Venanzo
Luxury Villa in Umbria – Sixty-Five Hectares of Cypress Hills, Vines and Truffle Country
In Umbria the year is told in harvests. Grapes in September, truffles in the cool of autumn, olives in November, the lentils and wildflowers of the high plain at Castelluccio in early summer, and between them the festivals that the towns have kept for centuries. It is the only landlocked region of the Italian peninsula, and it has made a virtue of it: nothing here is for the sea, everything is for the table, the hills and the walk from one stone town to the next.
Our luxury villas in Umbria are country estates and restored farmhouses in the hills between Todi, Orvieto and Perugia, each with a pool, a garden and enough land to be private, and each chosen for the way it sits in the landscape. Among them is La Villa Italia at San Venanzo, an estate of sixty-five hectares of cypress-lined hills and vineyards, with an infinity pool, a wine cellar and room for twelve.
Umbria is smaller than most visitors expect: from the northern hills to the Marmore Falls is under two hours. The choice of villa is therefore less about distance than about mood: a hill town within reach, a lake, a vineyard, or the high quiet of the Sibillini.
Luxury Villas and Hotels in Umbria
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Exploring Umbria
Todi, Orvieto and the southern hills
The classic Umbria. Todi is a hill town of honey-coloured stone with one of Italy's most harmonious squares, the Piazza del Popolo, framed by a cathedral and medieval palaces. Orvieto stands on a volcanic bluff above the valley, with a cathedral whose striped façade is among the most beautiful in Italy, an underground city of caves cut into the rock, and the crisp white wine that takes its name from the town. La Villa Italia stands in this country, twenty kilometres from Todi and forty from Orvieto. This is the area for guests who want the hill towns, the white wine and a long lunch.
Perugia, Assisi and the Tiber valley
Perugia, the regional capital, is a hilltop university town with an Etruscan arch, a superb national gallery and, in October, a chocolate festival; in July it hosts Umbria Jazz. Assisi, the town of Saint Francis, has a basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage site, whose frescoes changed the history of painting. Between them lie the vineyards of Torgiano and Montefalco, home of the red Sagrantino. This is the area for art, pilgrimage and wine.
Lake Trasimeno and the west
Lake Trasimeno, the largest lake of the Italian peninsula, is broad and shallow, with three islands, small beaches and lakeside towns such as Castiglione del Lago. It is the place for a swim, a boat day and a lunch of lake fish. Deruta, nearby, has made painted ceramics for centuries. This is the area for water, easy days and families.
Norcia, Spoleto and the Sibillini
Further east the land rises to the Monti Sibillini and to Norcia, whose cured meats and black truffles are known across Italy. In early summer the high plain of Castelluccio is carpeted in wildflowers, and in Spoleto the Festival dei Due Mondi has filled the town with music and theatre every summer since 1958. This is the area for walking, truffles and the wild side of Umbria.
The firstclass holidays Experience: More Than a Stay
A good week in Umbria is chosen, not found. We help you choose it, and we plan it around the season.
Choose the Umbria You Want
Tell us what a good day looks like: a hill town and a long lunch, a morning among frescoes and an afternoon by the pool, a day on the lake with the children, a walk into the mountains and a truffle dinner. That decides the area, and then the house. We tell you honestly how far each villa is from the nearest town, the lake and the airport.
Estates, Farmhouses and What to Ask
Umbrian villas come in three kinds: the restored farmhouse (casale), with thick stone walls that stay cool in summer; the country estate, with vines, olive groves and land of its own; and the contemporary villa, with large windows and clean lines. All reward a few questions: how far to the nearest village, whether the pool is heated and when it opens, how the bedrooms are arranged, how many steps, and where the shade falls at four o'clock. We answer them before you book.
Plan Around the Harvest
Umbria rewards the visitor who times the week: grapes in September, white truffles in the autumn, olives in November, wildflowers at Castelluccio in early summer, the festivals of June and July. We build the days around them, with a truffle hunt, a vineyard lunch or a cooking class, and we book the early start for the balloon.
Discover the True Essence of Umbria
Umbria Must-See
Assisi and the Basilica of Saint Francis
A UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the great pilgrimage towns of Europe. Go early, before the coaches.
Orvieto and its cathedral
A striped façade in black and white stone, mosaics that glow in the afternoon sun, and the underground city beneath the town.
Todi and the Piazza del Popolo
A hill town that feels unhurried even in August. Climb the steps of the cathedral and look out over the valley.
Perugia
The Etruscan arch, the Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria and the steep streets of the old town. Come in October for the chocolate festival.
The Cascata delle Marmore
A 165-metre cascade built by the Romans, among the tallest in Europe. The water is released on a timetable, so check the hours.
The Sibillini and Castelluccio
A high plateau of lentil fields and wildflowers, at its best in early summer, below the Monti Sibillini.
Evenings in Umbria
The Umbrian Table
Truffles and the Norcia kitchen
Black truffle on pasta, cured meats from Norcia, lentils from Castelluccio, and strangozzi, the hand-rolled pasta of the region.
Wine and oil
Sagrantino from Montefalco, a rich red that grows only here; the white wines of Orvieto; and olive oil from the hills.
Porchetta and the torta al testo
Roast pork seasoned with fennel and herbs, and a flatbread baked on a hot stone, eaten with ham and greens.
A chef at the villa
A private chef cooking in the villa's kitchen, a cooking class or a truffle lunch is the easiest way to eat as the Umbrians do. We arrange it for you.
Shopping in Umbria
Ceramics and lace
Deruta, a short drive from Perugia, has painted majolica for centuries, and the workshops along its streets still decorate plates, bowls and tiles by hand in the old patterns, in deep blues, yellows and greens. The regional ceramics museum in the town shows how far the tradition goes back, and several workshops let you watch the painters before you buy. In Città di Castello, Tela Umbra still weaves linen on traditional looms, in tablecloths, towels and bedlinen that last for decades. Assisi is known for its fine embroidery, worked in a medieval cross-stitch around the outlines of birds and flowers, and on Isola Maggiore, in Lake Trasimeno, the women of the island have made lace for generations. Buy from the maker where you can. A few pieces from a small workshop are worth more than a bag of souvenirs.
Oil, wine and the larder
Umbrian extra-virgin olive oil is among Italy’s finest, pressed from November in small mills in the hills, and many of them will let you taste it on bread before you buy. Sagrantino from Montefalco is the region’s great red, dark and tannic, a grape that grows nowhere else. Add the black truffle products of Norcia, from pastes and oils to salt, the small lentils of Castelluccio, saffron from Cascia and honey from the hills. Perugia is also the home of Italy’s best-known chocolates. Most of it travels well, and many producers will wrap and ship what you cannot carry. We can arrange a tasting at a mill or an estate if you like.
The Climate of Umbria and Best Travel Period
Umbria has hot, dry summers and cold, often foggy winters. May, June, September and October are the months we would choose first: warm days, green or golden hills, and the harvests. July and August are hot, often above 30°C, but the hills are cooler than the plains and a villa with a pool makes the heat easy. Winter is quiet and cold; the villas have central heating and fireplaces, and the truffle season runs through the autumn.
Arriving at Your Villa in Umbria
By air
Rome Fiumicino (FCO), about 150 kilometres from the south of Umbria, is the practical gateway, with the most direct flights. Perugia (PEG) is smaller and seasonal; Florence is another option. We arrange private transfers and private flights through Firstclass Jets.
By train and road
Orvieto lies on the main Rome–Florence railway, so the train from Rome takes about an hour and a half. A car is essential for the villas and the hill towns; we arrange one, with or without a driver, through Firstclass Cars.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Umbria
Why Umbria rather than Tuscany?
Umbria offers much of what draws people to Tuscany – hill towns, vineyards, great art and serious food – with fewer visitors, more space and better value. Many of our guests choose it precisely because they already know Tuscany.
Which part of Umbria should we stay in?
The southern hills around Todi and Orvieto for hill towns, white wine and long lunches. The Perugia and Assisi area for art and pilgrimage. Lake Trasimeno for water and easy days. The Sibillini around Norcia for walking and truffles. Tell us how you picture a good day and we will suggest the area first, then the house.
Which airport should we fly into?
Rome Fiumicino is the practical choice, about 150 kilometres from the south of Umbria. Perugia is smaller and seasonal, and Florence is also within reach. We arrange the transfer.
Do we need a car?
Yes. Our villas stand in the countryside, and the towns, restaurants and sights are a drive away. We arrange a car, with or without a driver, through Firstclass Cars.
Are the villas close to a town?
Most stand in the hills, a short drive from a hill town, rather than in a village. We tell you the exact distance to the nearest village, restaurant and shop before you book.
Do the villas have private pools?
Yes. Our villas have private pools, and La Villa Italia has a twenty-by-eight-metre infinity pool. The pool season and heating differ from villa to villa; we tell you before you book.
Can you arrange a private chef, a cooking class or a truffle hunt?
Yes. A private chef in the villa, a cooking class on the Mediterranean diet, pizza evenings by the pool, a truffle hunt with a tasting, and wine tastings at estates around Todi, Orvieto and Montefalco.
What is there to do besides sightseeing?
Hot-air-balloon flights over the valleys, tandem paragliding, e-bikes, hiking in the Sibillini, a boat on Lake Trasimeno, and, with long notice, helicopter flights. We arrange them and book the early start.
Is there a beach?
Umbria has no coast, but Lake Trasimeno has small beaches and swimming. The nearest sea is about two hours away. At the villa you have the pool.
Is Umbria good for large groups and families?
Very much so. Villas sleeping ten to twelve, such as La Villa Italia, with separate flats in the annexe, suit two families or a group of friends. The lake, the short distances and the food make Umbria easy with children.
When is truffle season in Umbria?
The white truffle season runs through the autumn, with the main fairs in October and November, and black truffles are found for much of the year, especially in winter and spring around Norcia. We arrange truffle hunts with local families.
When is the best time to visit Umbria?
May, June, September and October: warm, green or golden, with the grape and truffle harvests. July and August are hot but quieter in the hills. Winter is cold, with the truffle season and fewer visitors.
How far in advance should we book, and is there a minimum stay?
For June to September, four to six months ahead; for the rest of the year, two to three months is usually enough. In high season most villas are let by the week.