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Hill Top Towns
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Walking and Trekking
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Wineries
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Lake Trasimeno
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Cars & Daytrips to Rome and Florence
Hill
Top Towns
From Panicale and Paciano it is easy to visit cultural
and historical centres such as Perugia, Assisi, Arezzo,
Orvieto, Cortona, and Siena. We recommend a visit
to one of the three islands on the lake, or to Citta
della Pieve , the home town of Pietro Vannucci (Il
Perugino). Chiusi has an interesting Etruscan Museum
(The second largest in Italy) and can be a stop over
when heading for some wine tasting in the wine cellars
of Montepulciano. Your Shopping for fashionable clothes
can be done in the university city of Perugia, where
time permitting, you can also attend Italian courses
in the Universita Per Stranieri. More on the above,
however, you can read about in guide books as they
are all a badly kept secret. Tips harder to find,
however, include some of the following. It is just
a little taste of what the area has to offer in terms
of hidden jewels. You should be able to find more
with a pinch of curiosity when on location, and the
fact that a lot is not included in any guidebook is
usually not an excuse.
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Walking and Trekking
Trekking maps are to be found in the
area. A long walk around the green hilly landscape,
with its olive, chestnut, oak and pine trees, vineyards,
wild flowers and aromatic herbs is a unique experience.
On the top of the Pietrasvella mountain, a couple
of Hannibal's soldiers managed to confound the big
Roman army during the Punic wars by lighting fires
and making lots of noise. Little did the Romans know
that their enemy was in fact on the other side of
the Lake, ready to attack them. From Pietrasvella,
Lake Trasimeno can be seen to the north, and the Nestore
Valley to the south. It is an excellent location for
a picnic. Another excursion is the Cappuccini monastery,
which was abandoned during the French Revolution,
and completely destroyed in the 1970's. An old suggestive
cemetery and church remains and of the location where
it once stood.
A walk on the Ceraseto Road, connecting
Paciano to Panicale is a must, as the views over the
Trasimeno Valley are unforgettable. You will come
across the Tower of Orlando, the only remains of the
"Old Paciano", destroyed during one of the
numerous wars in the middle of the 11th century. You
will also stumble upon the old location where they
believed was the location of temple of Janus. The
temple was later replaced by a pagan temple dedicated
to Ceres, the Roman goddess of Agriculture. Today,
the Ceraseto church from the 16th century stands in
the very same location. Traces of the reused building
materials from the Etruscan temple still visible in
the outside walls, including a stone depicting the
two faced Janus. On the inside, a fresco by Giovan
Battista Caporali. Door closed? Just knock at the
door of the building next to it, and the guardians
will let you in. Just make sure it is not siesta time
(You should leave a tip). To reach Panicale or Paciano
takes about 35 to 45 minutes on foot, and has to be
done at least once. If you decide to drive, it takes
five minutes, but you will miss out on half an hour
of scenery, nature, silence, and our respect. Ninety
year-olds walk the street daily, so don't let us hear
any excuses!
Wineries
Ever heard the saying one shouldn't drink & drive?
Well, you definitively can't tell Mr. Lamborghini
that! When he sold his car factory, he moved to Panicarola,
about 5 km from Panicale. He started growing grapes
and producing his own wine and spumante. (As well
as opening a golf course, restaurant and a residence).
He died recently, but the company is now run by his
widow who will gladly take on visitors. A 1971 Countach
is still there to be viewed, as well as his famous
wine cellars for tasting.
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About a kilometre west of Panicale
is the old Querciolana convent. It took its origin
in the 14th century from a small niche showing the
Virgin Mary feeding the child. A church was built
around the shrine, and consecrated in 1543 by Pope
Paul III. The original painting is surrounded by frescos.
Today, the convent is privately owned, but the owners
will be more than pleased to show it to you. They
will also show you their wine cellar and let you taste
and buy their white and red wines, currently sold
in the whole region.
Lake Trasimeno
Or how about a swim in the Trasimeno Lake? In Castiglione
del Lago, at a 10 minutes drive, there is a beach.
The Trasimeno lake is in its deepest spot 8 meters
(24 feet), resulting in the water almost always being
warm. You have to walk far before the water is deep
enough to swim in, making its beaches very safe for
children. Horse riding can easily be organised at
club Oasis, also in Castiglione. There are ferries
taking you to Isola Maggiore (with restaurant, fortress
and village) where San Francesco spent some weeks
meditating. If you have more time, the Polvese Island
has the beautiful ruins of a monastery and a castle.
Together with its less crowded beaches, it beds for
a great picnic. A walk around the Island takes slightly
over an hour.
Cars
& Daytrips to Rome and Florence
If one wants to take a day trip to Rome or Florence,
it takes between one to two hours. Our recommendation
is to leave the car in Chiusi or Terontola (a 25 minutes
drive from Panicale, 20 from Paciano) and take the
train the rest of the way. Depending on the type of
train (IC or IR), the trip takes over one hour, but
always less than two hours. You will avoid driving
and getting lost in the big cities, and not be faced
with parking and traffic problems. In Rome, you arrive
at the central station where all you need to do is
to catch the subway or a bus to your destination.
In Florence, most of what you will want to see is
within walking distance from the train station so
all you need is a pair of good shoes.
Should you not be interested in visiting the surrounding
areas, Panicale and Paciano offers everything you
need in terms of shops and services. Many people have
stayed in Panicale with out a car, but in my opinion
they have missed out on a lot. A car in the area is
a must in the whole Umbrian and Tuscan Regions. Public
transportation is adapted to the working hours, and
will take you only to tourist invaded towns. Bicycles
are not an option due to the hilly terrain and the
distances involved. There are so many hidden jewels
in the area that you would otherwise miss. The roads
are good, and if you avoid the large cities such as
Rome or Florence (Which can be reached by train),
you should not have any problems. Avis has an office
by the station in Chiusi, while all other rental companies
are represented in Perugia. Both towns can be easily
reached by public transportation, so you should consider
a car for at least part of your stay.
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Here is a list of our favourite
restaurants in the area. There is nothing like
a free lunch, so I will only give you their names
and the town they are located in. It will be then
up to you to find them. Do not get scared by our
irony and have courage, because they are all worth
a visit and the experience. You can start dieting
when you get home, because when in Umbria, do
like the Umbrians do. Live to eat, and not eat
to live... Click
for more...
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Why not take a break from exploring the secrets
of Umbria and Tuscany using one of our activities
to better understand the local culture? Take a
cooking course and learn how to make your own
pasta or create that complete Italian dinner you've
dreamt about. You could take Italian lessons or
how about some art classes? We can even help you
with getting married! All the activities are close
to our rental properties and can be booked in
conjunction with your accommodation.Click
for more...
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Panicale is one of thousands
of fortified towns that today have become villages
in the Umbrian and Tuscan landscapes. It contains
artistic and architectural treasures form the
middle ages and the renaissance. Treasures that
people stuck on the tourist trails and unaware
of their existence, never get a chance to see.
Take a walk to Panicale if Paciano is too sleepy
and discover its churches, its art, theatre,
shops, bars and restaurants. Click
for more...
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Paciano is a small hill top
town retaining its appearance as a medieval castle.
Its main source of income is olive oil, as tourism
has not caught on. You are thus guaranteed peace,
tranquility, exquisite views over the Lake Trasimeno
valley and an excellent location off the beaten
track. Its vicinity to Panicale makes reaching
this town an pleasant walk rewarding you good
restaurants and an art museum. Click
for more...
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