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Umbria, Tuscany's neighbor,
is the home of Italy's famous black truffles and of some of the great "cucina"
of central Italy. A region of world famous hill towns, it has played a major
role in Italian history, from the Umbrians and Etruscans through Roman, Medieval
and Renaissance times. It has produced such world famous figures as the beloved
St. Francis of Assisi and many Renaissance artists.
HIGHLIGHTS: Assisi, one of the
most beautiful towns in Italy, if not the world, has the great church of St.
Francis covered with frescoes by Giotto, Cimabue and other world class painters
and is itself an architectural marvel.
The church has been much in the news lately, as it has been spectacularly
restored from the earthquake damage of several years ago, with such miracles
as the reassembling of frescoes from thousand of little fragments.
Such town as Perugia, Spoleto, Norcia are centers of great gastronomy and
the vineyards of these areas produce superb wines.
Our program starts in the evening of October 16th with a grand buffet at
the school in Chianti. Next morning we have a hands-on cooking lesson preparing
favorite Umbrian dishes. Next morning we leave Florence for the Umbria region.
We stop on the way in Arezzo to see some of the important art, including
frescoes of the great Piero della Francesca.
In Umbria we shall visit, among other places, Assisi, Perugia, Spoleto,
Norcia and the beautiful Gubbio. We will be dining in many different restaurants
of the area, tasting a wide variety of local dishes and wines. A visit to
a vineyard will be included. If weather permits, we shall join a truffle
hunt.
BOOK
YOUR CLASS!
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