Todi, Orvieto & south

Orvieto and Todi

Southern Umbria is a landscape of wooded hills, olive groves and walled towns, with the Tiber running through its heart. Orvieto stands on a great cliff of volcanic rock, and its cathedral is one of the finest in Italy, with a facade glittering with gold mosaics and, inside, Luca Signorelli's dramatic frescoes of the Last Judgement in the San Brizio chapel. Beneath the town, a network of Etruscan and medieval caves can be explored on guided tours, and the deep Well of St Patrick is worth the climb down.

Todi, to the north east, is a classic hill town with a handsome main square, steep lanes and wide views over the Tiber valley. Just below the walls, the Renaissance church of Santa Maria della Consolazione is one of the most elegant buildings in Umbria.

Spoleto, Narni and the countryside

Spoleto has a Roman theatre, a fortress and the Ponte delle Torri, a medieval aqueduct bridge across a deep gorge, and it hosts a well-known summer arts festival. Narni and Amelia are smaller and quieter, the latter still enclosed by massive ancient walls. Near Terni, the Marmore Falls, first channelled by the Romans, plunge down a series of high cliffs.

Just over the border in Lazio, Civita di Bagnoregio clings to a crumbling ridge reached only by a footbridge, an easy trip from Orvieto. Lake Corbara, between Orvieto and Todi, is a peaceful spot for a lakeside walk.

Food, wine and getting here

Orvieto Classico is the area's best-known wine, a white made from vines grown on the volcanic soils around the town. The cooking is hearty and rural: black truffles, wild boar, lentils, cured meats and thick handmade pasta such as umbrichelli, with olive oil from the surrounding hills.

Orvieto is on the main railway between Florence and Rome, and Rome is roughly an hour and a half away by road, which makes Rome's airports a convenient choice. Spring and autumn are ideal for walking and sightseeing, while summer suits lazy days by a villa pool.

The area suits couples and families looking for peaceful countryside within reach of great sights. Explore more of Umbria, or browse the villas listed below to find your base in the south.