Touring in Autumn - 2026 edition
Autumn is all about the harvest and the hunt so September, October and November are busy with festivals and sagre that celebrate the season. The harvest begins with grapes and ends with olives, but we honor truffles, wild boar, chestnuts and polenta in between.
Umbria has four distinct wine trails, and we are situated in the region of the Vini del Cantico Trail that includes the Tiber Valley from Umbertide down to Todi. This trail traces ancient Roman routes and includes the Colli Perugini DOC producers of Grechetto, Trebbiano and Sangiovese grapes. Locally, you can visit I Girasoli di Sant’ Andrea, Blasi and Vineria del Carmini within 30 minutes of the villas. We often send guests to visit our sommelier friend Rossana at La Palerna Winery (San Giustino) for a tour and tasting. Rossana will also bring wine and do a custom tasting at your villa. Our concierge can arrange tours into Tuscany for Montepulciano Vino Nobile and Montalcino Brunello, or south to Montefalco for Umbria’s famous Sagrantino. Wine buffs might enjoy visiting the Museo del Vino in Torgiano.
Il Lavandeto in the valley below Assisi celebrates the lavender and sage harvest in mid-September, while in October there is a festival every weekend, from Monte Santa Maria Tiburina’s Chestnut Festival to Montone’s Festa del Bosco.
Monte Santa Maria Tiburina sits high up on a hill about 30 minutes north from Altabella. The winding streets will be full of performers and local artisans selling their wares. There is a shuttle bus to take you from the parking area to the city walls.
In late October we look forward to Montone’s Festa del Bosco, when her stone streets are lit by torchlight and all the botteghe along the path to the piazza are open, offering local honey, roasted chestnuts, handmade candles, woodwork, ceramics and more.
Citta’ di Castello’s famous Truffle Festival in November is the place for all things truffle. Local vendors show off baskets of white truffles, black summer truffles, winter’s scorzone, and all the related truffle products, from truffle honey to truffle pasta to truffle tools.
The olive presses will be gearing up and you can visit a local frantoio (olive mill) for a tour and tasting. As always, our concierge, Elizabeth, can help create an itinerary, make reservations, or find you a specialized guide.
Some of our favorite local restaurants, like Nonna Gelsa and Trattoria Mimmi, will feature truffles, wild boar and porcini mushrooms on their menus. If you have never eaten grilled porcini, deeply earthy and slightly crispy from the grill then drizzled with good olive oil, we recommend it. Outside the valley, Osteria dei Sensi is a Michelin-rated Slow Food restaurant in Montone just off the main square. Or reserve a table for Sunday lunch at Borgomela, a charming garden restaurant in Tavernacce. All are within 30 minutes of the villas.
Note: Reservations are suggested. Each of our villas has a book of restaurant recommendations with contact information and most map apps show online reservation tools where available.
