Todi, a fairy-tale getaway

Here we are again in Umbria, and you know what you are going to get: a lovely little fairy-tale town where wandering around through narrow streets and alleys, stopping to admire the distinctive styles of the city and maybe to get a slice of pizza or a gelato in a cosy shop.

Like rings around a tree, Todi's history can be read in layers: the interior walls show Todi's Etruscan and even Umbrian influence, the middle walls are an enduring example of Roman know-how, and the 'new' medieval walls boast of Todi's economic stability and prominence during the Middle Ages.

Almost all Todi's main medieval monuments — the co-cathedral church (Duomo), the Palazzo del Capitano, the Palazzo del Priore and the Palazzo del Popolo — front on the main square (Piazza del Popolo) on the lower breast of the hill: the piazza is often used as a movie set. The whole landscape is sited over some huge ancient Roman cisterns, with more than 500 pits, which remained in use until 1925.

From Todi is possible to start various paths itineraries through the Umbria countryside, passing by villages, hills, and vineyards. I would suggest you head towards Montefalco or Orvieto. Both ways will not disappoint you.