The Food, Art, and Craft of Umbria

with Viola Buitoni

May 2 to 10, 2026-November 1 to 9, 2026

The Place

I have the blind and extraordinary luck of being the daughter of Italy’s green heart, Umbria. Landlocked by Tuscany to the west, followed clockwise by Emilia Romagna, Le Marche, and Lazio, Umbria’s landscape alternates between sweet hills and gentle valleys, covered by thick woods, well-tended fields, and olive groves. Medieval walled cities of unparalleled beauty (move over Tuscany!) meet one’s eyes at every turn. Churches and monasteries peek from the hillsides, home to some of our most prominent saints, including St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of Italy and namesake of everyone’s favorite California city.

The profound mysticism of this overlooked region has inspired centuries of art, from Giotto’s perfect O’s to Alberto Burri’s contemporary masterpieces, through the art of Perugino and Raphael. Its rich yet isolated territory has fostered some of Italy’s most prized artisanal and food crafts.

The food

Umbria’s brimming culinary basket is at its fullest in the mid-seasons. In the fall, nature gives its most intense colors and fragrances - crimson pomegranate, orange persimmons, purple saffron crocus, headily funky mushrooms, grassy olio nuovo, and grapes becoming wine. In the spring, as nature reawakens, the fields are redolent with wild herbs and spontaneous asparagus, milk for cheese is delicate and floral, lamb meat is at its sweetest, and chickens are at peak laying time.

In my region, pecorino is the cheese of choice, we like our pasta fresh and with a bite. Our olive trees yield prize-winning oils, we have been drinking natural wines since before they were a thing, heirloom grains and legumes are part of our daily diet. We are proud to have invented the art of curing pork meat. And we are wildly protective of the cuisine inspired by the fish of Lago Trasimeno-Italy’s fifth largest lake.

The Adventure

In November of 2025, for the first time, I shared my enchanting Umbria with six curious, hungry travelers. I led the small group in an immersive experience in the rich culture of this overlooked haven.

Every spring and fall, I will bring the experience to life again. Our home will be a privately owned 17th-century farmhouse, sitting in the middle of a working olive grove in the hills surrounding Lake Trasimeno. The home sits on a hillside looking over small rural areas and up to an 18th-century sanctuary. Perugia looms in the distance, and the banks of Trasimeno are just on the other side of the hill. A working organic olive grove surrounds the home, which for the last four generations has belonged to a local noble family whose members have been crossing paths with my own family since the late 1800s.

From our cozy farmhouse, we will spend a full week exploring the area.

Together we will feast on local cuisine and cook with seasonal ingredients while meeting the people who define the food culture of the area - farmers, foragers, hunters, cooks, cheesemakers, and vintners. 

Our adventures will include a deep dive into olive oil, a private foraging expedition, tastings of the best markets and food crafts in the area, learning traditional dishes with my sister Silvia (herself a food writer), farm and winery tours and lunches, and lake fish cuisine.

DETAILS

• There are only 3 double rooms available

• All rooms sleep 2 and have private bathrooms (1 room can be turned into a twin on request)

• Price is $7750/person for double occupancy

• Single occupancy is available at a $2000 premium