A stay at the Civitella Ranieri, the revered arts foundation and residency whose stunning castle is set in the hills above the friendly market town of Umbertide led Chang-rae Lee to make Umbria his second home. “My wife and I have enjoyed numerous long stays in Italy during our marriage, but in late 2019 we purchased a modest former farm property in northern Umbria,” he says. “We’d been toying with the idea for years, mostly just fantasizing, but took the plunge after a stint as guests of the Civitella Ranieri. We’ve adored the peaceful pace of life and sublime vistas, and have been spending our summers steadily renovating the property and bringing back to productive health its large olive grove.”
While he has yet to write about the region, he finished his two novels in the old stone house “that’s always cool even in the high summer heat,” including this month’s A Tender Age (Riverhead), about a child of Korean immigrants navigating adolescence.
“Although we don’t venture out every day, over the years we’ve explored much of this area of the Upper Tiber River Valley, the Alto Tevere,” he says. Here, wisdom he’s gained as a result of that exploration.
Restaurants: Our houseguests always ask this first, because of course eating well is a primary objective when here. Because black summer truffles are usually abundant in Umbria, I steer folks to two truffle-centric eateries, Da Baffone, which is perched far up in the hills above the medieval town of Gubbio, and the more easily accessed Osteria del Boccajolo in Umbertide. Both places will shock you with the abundance of truffle shavings that practically covers the handmade tagliatelle, or the scrambled eggs, and even the steak. Amazing stuff.
Hotels: We’ve had friends stay at a number of hotels and shared meals in situ. A very fetching spot is Nikis Resort, near the commune of Preggio, with its understated modern Italian and Scandinavian aesthetic. On the higher and highest end, respectively, are Vocabolo Moscatelli and the Reschio hotel, both offering a borgo-like experience, as if you’re staying in the luxurious little duchy of some design-minded noble. Villa Reschio even has an equestrian center.
Caffeine: Needless to say, there are countless bars and cafés in the area where you can stand at the counter and get a bracing espresso. I like to sit at Caffe Centrale in the main piazza of Umbertide, and especially on the market days of Wednesday and Saturday (every larger town in Umbria hosts an open-air market one or two days a week), when purveyors of vegetables, seafood, meats and cheeses, and even discount and vintage clothes, offer their wares.
Food truck: Speaking of market days, look for the Blasi family porchetta truck and make sure to get a taste of their sublime fennel-seasoned pork roast. I always order it in a panino misto, a sandwich featuring a mix of light and dark meats and also the crispy rind. It’s the best four euros you’ll ever spend.
Art: Although technically just across the border in neighboring Toscana, some of the most famous works of the Renaissance master Piero della Francesca can be found in the towns of Monterchi and Sansepolcro. The sight of his Madonna del Parto in Monterchi always makes my chest ache, for its exquisite execution and glowing beauty. Monterchi is hardly a town but also has a fascinating Museum of Scales and weights.
