TRANSPORT
By Air:
If you are traveling by air, here are the nearest airports to Agriturismo Alla Madonna del Piatto:
Sant’Egidio, Umbria’s main airport half way between Perugia and Assisi
Rome Fiumicino International Airport Leonardo da Vinci
www.adr.it/content.asp?L=3&idmen=199
Pisa International Airport Galileo Galilei
Ancona Falconara International Airport Raffaello Sanzio
By train and car:
If you are traveling by train and car, both Perugia airport and the central train station (Perugia-Fontivegge, piazza V. Veneto) have several car rental offices
Europcar Maggiore Hertz Avis
If you arrive at Assisi-Santa Maria degli Angeli train station you will need to rent a car from the airport. It is generally more convenient to arrive at Perugia Fontivegge. See the website of the Italian Railways to figure out the train schedule and itinerary
Bicycling:
Rent a bike by the hour, day or week. The website is in Italian, but they should reply to your e-mails
ASSISI TRAVEL INFO
A day in Assisi:
An article written by Letizia on the Slow Travel including self guided tour with a map, festivals, restaurant recommendations and where to find most of the basic services
www.slowtrav.com/italy/umbria/lm_assisi.htm
World Heritage:
Assisi is a Unesco world heritage site
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/990
Santa Maria degli Angeli:
Information and history of the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels
www.porziuncola.org/english/english.htm
Tourist office of Assisi:
(Municipalities of Assisi, Bastia Umbra, Bettona, Cannara) Piazza del Comune - Assisi. Tel. +39 075 812534 / +39 075 812923 / +39 075 812450 Fax + 39 075 813727 info@iat.assisi.pg.it (they do not have a website)
Beautiful pictures of Assisi by Janet Zinn:
http://www.jczinn.com/Italy/Italy%202007/Assisi/italyindex.html
Shopping in Assisi by Rebecca Winke
http://www.slowtrav.com/rebecca/assisi_shopping.htm
UMBRIA TRAVEL INFO
Visit Umbria
A continuously updated guide to classic Umbrian day trips including scenic drives, crafts, wine tasting and good family restaurants
http://madonnadelpiatto.com/classic-umbrian-day-trips
Weather:
Weather forecast for Perugia, Umbria’s capital city
www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?world=4764&links
Maps:
Downloadable maps of most Umbrian towns
http://www.english.regioneumbria.eu/default.aspx?ch=maps&IdNodoA=0&reset=yes
Museums:
Opening times and addresses of the most important museums in Umbria
www.assoguide.it/portale/?q=node/281
Orvieto’s museum of medieval ceramics
http://www.ceramicunderground.it/english/
Museum Pericle Fazzini in Santa Maria degli Angeli
http://museo.periclefazzini.it/
Pictures:
a comprehensive selection of pictures of all major attractions in Umbria
www.italiantourism.com/fotoumbria.htm
Travel notes:
Articles written by individual travelers about their experience in Umbria, on Slowtravel
www.slowtrav.com/italy/umbria/index.htm
Italy Gazeteer, the personal website of Bill Thayer who has visted Umbria many times on foot. There are wonderful pictures, strong opinions and detailed historic information
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Umbria/map.html
Umbrian food and wine:
Madonna del Piatto Blog, discover the best of Italian home cooking, recipes, family stories and great food pictures
A discussion forum about Umbria cuisine, on e-Gullet
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=93786
Travelers reviews of Umbrian Restaurants, on Slowtravel
www.slowtrav.com/italy/restaurants/list.asp?r=Umbria
Salt, pepper and time, an article written by Letizia about the Umbrian prosciutto and other delicious cured meats of Umbria
www.slowtrav.com/italy/food/umbria_pork.htm
Umbrian food, an overview by La Cucina Italiana
http://www.cucinait.com/default.aspx?idPage=1150
Gusto Wine Tours, fun, off-the-beaten-track wine tours specialized in Umbrian small wineries
Shopping:
Date and location of several weekly food, clothes and antique markets in Umbria:
www.assoguide.it/portale/?q=node/310
www.initaly.com/regions/umbria/markets.htm
Outlet shops and factory stores in Umbria:
www.zerodelta.net/speciali/gruppi.php?gruppo=T3V0bGV0IGluIFVtYnJpYQ%3D%3D&id_spe=40
Festivals in Umbria:
Umbria offers a variety of festivals and art events all year long, only a few have websites in English. For more details see the Italian links
Festival dei due mondi, an international festival embracing performing and figurative arts, in Spoleto in July
Umbria Jazz, an international jazz festival, in Perugia in July, in Orvieto in December
Festival delle Nazioni, classical music in Citta di Castello at end of August
www.festivalnazioni.com/en/index.asp
Giostra della Quintana, a competition among medieval knights in Foligno in June and September
Corsa dei ceri, a spectacular and exciting “procession” in Gubbio in May
www.eugubininelmondo.it/en/ceri.html
The Umbrian “comuni”:
A page lisiting the official websites of all municipalities in Umbria
www.medioevoinumbria.it/ita/fix/utilinks1.htm
ITALY TRAVEL INFO
Borghi d’Italia:
The most beautiful small villages (borghi) of Italy. Most of the Umbrian “borghi” are at a short drive from our agriturismo
www.borghitalia.it/index_en.php#
Forums about Italy:
Discussions about travel, food, culture, lifestyle and other info for those who love everything Italian. Use the search function to locate a thread on a subject of interest (e.g. restaurants in Assisi)
Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Forum - Italy
Virtual Tourist Italy Travel Forum
Learn Italian:
The University for Foreigners Perugia is the oldest and most prestigious italian institution involved in teaching and research activities as well as in the diffusion of the Italian language and civilisation in all expressions. Several of our guests come to relax in the countryside, to cook and to practice their language skills after an itensive course at the University.
LINKS TO SITES OF FORMER GUESTS AND OTHER FRIENDS
