Magnificent Montefalco - Montefalco, Umbria, Italy

High on the top of a hill, sits Montefalco, the perfect medieval village with a 360 degree panorama over the surrounding vallies. It is in the centre of beautiful Umbria and is surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and rolling cultivated valleys. It seems as if every little meter of land is cultivated, with a grape vines as well as deep ploughed soil, sunflowers, cereals and many green fields, copses, and groves, all providing wonderful picnic possibilities.

You can make the village your own and linger under the vines and wander the fields with freedom, open a bottle of wine and munch a proscuitto panino as you drink in the green, ochre, umber and rich reds of the countryside.

From Montefalco, you can explore all of the most interesting and varied towns and villages, all different and all with secrets to discover. You can easily visit Spello, Bevagna, Trevi, Assisi, Todi, Spoleto, and many smaller villages. The roads are sealed and quick, and Montefalco stands at the top of the hill as a reference point from all directions. The nearest big town is Foligno.

Montefalco is famous for red wine, the deep rich red Sagrantino of world fame, grown only on the slopes in this area, and taken as an accompaniment for the wild foods of the area, wild boar, truffles, and porcini mushrooms and all the country seasonal vegetables such as wild asparagus.

It is a delightful town to visit, with its cream coloured natural stone, restored to a wonderful level of refinement, with narrow streets, most leading out to the amazing view over the stone walls and through the town portals, some with a tower, or fortifications. The local old people sit outside their houses and greet you; it is fun to find your way through the byways and back up to the piazza.

Most of the shops and wine bars are in the main road up to and down from the off-square piazza where there are enotecas and speciality food shops. You can try very different eating places from casual bars with 2 euro glasses of local wine including hearty food bites, to sophisticated wine bar restaurants with an international standard cuisine, traditionally cooked.

The local festivals run all Spring and Summer with the biggest one for the town in the first half of August. At all of these, you can eat fabulous cuisine cooked by the locals and then have a dance or listen to the music – everyone can join in with thew meal for a small payment. In September there are important wine festivals, all centred on the famous wine town - Montefalco.

April and May are warm and the land is fresh and green. June and July bring endless sunny days to explore the villages and countryside and mountains. August is hot and full of fun and festas. September is rich and plentiful and thoughts are always on wine and olives.

Other interesting things of note in the village include an art museum, renowned for Gozzoli and renaissance artists, and handmade linens and fabrics, a long tradition in the area. You can visit the factories and choose your own design.

Montefalco is an authentic, friendly and busy little place with a Monday market and plenty of bonhomie and welcome for non-Italians and those who don’t speak Italian. It is a living, active town with everything you need all in a short walking distance, including good sized supermarkets as well. The little orange buses around the hill are free, and the big blue buses take you further. Down in the valley there are many large shops and several commercial centres/malls with clothing and discount outlets.

Some of the extraordinary places to eat are L'Alchemista in the corner of the piazza where Patrizia, Claudio and all the family attend your every culinary wish, and Cristina is the fully qualified sommelier. The food is marvellous; light, hearty, local and seasonal, and a must.

Spiritdivino – divine spirit or spirit of wine, a clever play on the words, on the main street is international and very sophisticated and serves beautiful food, magnificently presented, and every wonderful locals delight such a pecorino cheese from the Chiacchiarini family with hand-milked sheep on the slopes nearby and further afield, in the high mountains in the summer where they eat the sweet pastures.

Pietro in the main street up to the piazza has a buzzy atmosphere and music and you can feel a real Italian in the dining room, with prosecco and limoncello to start and finish your meal.

A perfect place to be part of the village and taste the life, real, and old, and complete, and now! Italy as it was and is and will be. . . .

Written by Alison Ryde - Owner of Property 59424 in Montefalco, Italy.