Discover Perugia with Alessandro and Isabella, born and raised in Umbria. They live in Perugia in a large green park where over the years, they have created their own paradise, Agriturismo De Rerum Natura. In this blog, they share their personal tips for a holiday in Perugia.
About Agriturismo De Rerum Natura
Alessandro’s family bought the estate in 1980. They thought this was the right place for their family, surrounded by greenery and yet close to the historic city. His father called it De Rerum Natura “On the Nature of Things”, like the poem from the Roman philosopher Lucretius.
Originally the house was a farm. During the renovation carried out by Alessandro and Isabella, a brick was found with the inscription 1823 as a witness to the history of this place. Now this stone is adorned next to the main entrance.
Over the years, Isabella and Alessandro bought the surrounding land, the ancient olive groves, and the forest. Now they are the proud owners of this estate just outside the historic city of Perugia.
Discover Perugia
Perugia is a lively university city with remains dating back to Etruscan times, while in the center one senses the atmosphere of the Middle Ages. Isabella recommends visiting two less known places outside the center, which you should definitely not miss to get an idea of the history of this city.
The temple of San Michele Arcangelo
This temple is one of the first early Christian churches in Italy (5th-6th century). It is one of the oldest round temples and of unique beauty, close to the historic center of Perugia in the Via del Tempio.
Ipogeo dei Volumi
The second place that Isabella recommends is the Ipogeo dei Volumni 5 km from their house at Ponte San Giovanni. Here you go back to the Etruscan times, from before the Romans. It is an Etruscan burial vault dating from the second half of the 11th century BC. It is part of the Palazzone Necropolis which consists of nearly 200 tombs.
Guided tours in Perugia
If you want to discover the center of Perugia in a fun and entertaining way, we heartily recommend the guided tours of the Guide in Umbria.
Shopping in Perugia
Every Saturday morning there is a large market at the Pian di Massiano on the other side of the city (exit Stadio- Madonna Alta- Minimetrò). This is a very varied market with all kinds of local food, clothing, and consumer goods. You can also buy tasty sandwiches with porchetta.
A shop not to be missed in the center of Perugia is the Baci Perugina shop, an iconic symbol of the city. Outside the city is the factory that you can visit. Moreover, Perugia is all about chocolate every year in October. A grand chocolate event is organized that attracts a lot of mainly Italian tourists.
If you like organic food, Alessandro and Isabella will send you to the local greengrocer. Here you only get fruit and vegetables from the area. In Italy, you can often recognize these shops or markets by the yellow flag of “Coldiretti”, or by the reference “KM0”. There is one like this in Ponte Pattoli.
Restaurants in Perugia
A restaurant that Alessandro and Isabella also like to go to is “Il Testone”, a kind of fast food Italian style. Il Testone has several restaurants in Perugia, including in the center. They are all informal and cozy places where you can eat typical specialties of the region. For example, the Torta al Testo is filled in many ways, grilled meat and burgers with fantastic local meat. It is the right place to enjoy peace and quiet without spending too much money. No reservations, just waiting for your turn.
3 km from Il Tartufo is Ristorante Il Filo d’Olio for more refined dishes, all based on local cuisine. Here you can eat delicious pizza, also gluten-free.
Walking in the area
Isabella likes to take a daily walk through their own forest to completely unwind. It is cool here in summer, a brook murmurs and the native laurel gives off a delicate scent. You can spot squirrels and deer here.
Not far away is Montelabate Abbey, a desolate and enchanting place where time seems to stand still. Here you can take beautiful walks and perhaps the accompanying farm is open and you can buy a lovely olive oil. The Google map coordinates are: 43.198387463814306, 12.49203714832065
Holiday with Alessandro and Isabella
You can spend your holidays in Perugia with Alessandro and Isabella at their agriturismo: De Rerum Natura. They have a large holiday villa, Il Tartufo, with 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms and 3 smaller apartments, each for 2 guests. In addition, there is a beautiful swimming pool surrounded by a lawn.
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