Hotel Torricella by Lake Trasimeno

Travel Ideas

A dream of many colors .. culture, art, history, nature and food: this is the Trasimeno area and its surroundings!
What are you waiting for?

Hotel Torricella, overlooking the shores of Lake Trasimeno, is practically located on the border between Umbria and Tuscany.

Thanks to its location and excellent road connections, Hotel Torricella offers the possibility to choose among several itineraries, simple and fast to reach destinations, which will allow you to discover, and appreciate the heart of Italy!


UMBRIA.. the green heart of Italy

The lands of Trasimeno…

The lands of Trasimeno… Back to top

SAILING ON THE LAKE

With its many facets, Trasimeno enchants and surprises the visitor.
And what better way to discover our lake than by ferry?
And then: ready .. go!

We embark six kilometers from the hotel, in Passignano sul Trasimeno, a beautiful village that overlooks the lake, coquettishly. The admired eye of the visitor will be able to rest here on the beautiful lakeside promenade, on the green of the gardens and on the spectacle of the sunsets. He will be struck by the art of the churches and the architecture of the ancient fortress. And he will browse the shops and shops.
From here, by ferry to Isola Maggiore, the second largest of the islands in the lake. Our ferry, before landing in Isola Maggiore, will stop in Tuoro sul Trasimeno: the traveler will be able to see the “Campo del Sole” from the boat. An open-air museum, where you will seem to relive the emotions felt in Ethiopia, in the archaeological area of Axum, in the park of the stele: with sandstone, present in abundance since the Middle Ages, here in Tuoro they were in fact made by renowned artists, 27 column-sculptures that define a large caudate spiral that guides the observer towards a central table surmounted by a solar symbol.

Major Island
And here we are at Isola Maggiore, “a piece of paradise that has fallen here”. Time is radiant. The lake is an immense silver expanse. The eyes struggle to understand where the sky separates from the water. Here, in 1211, St. Francis spent Lent. Even our traveler, having landed on the small island, will feel pervaded by spirituality and poetry and will get lost in the many paths of the island, a silent and uncontaminated refuge. In his wanderings the visitor will admire the beautiful Via Guglielmi, the Lace Museum, the house of the Captain of the People and the numerous churches. Finally, from the highest point of the island, exclaiming “sin”, he will breathe a sigh at the sight of the remains, in the southern part of the island, of what was once a wonderful castle on the lake of the late nineteenth century, Villa Isabella. Unfortunately today uninhabited and forbidden to visit.

Castiglione del Lago
Our visitor will not lose heart and, after a good refreshing lunch, at one of the restaurants on the island, he will embark again on the boat, for the crossing on the lake towards Castiglione del Lago. On the western shore of the lake, on a thin strip of land that extends towards the lake: narrow streets and houses leaning against each other, Castiglione del Lago will prove to be a very pleasant place. From its fortress the traveler will enjoy a breathtaking view of the lake: Castiglione was in fact a fortified city, in a privileged position overlooking the lake, which links its history and its events to the Della Corgna family, who have left important testimonies in the homonymous building.
We stroll through Castiglione: we admire the historic center and the many shops of typical products ..
And now is the time to start again. Let’s go back to boarding: the motor ship awaits us. Off to Isola Maggiore and from here, again, without getting off, I stop in Tuoro and land in Passignano.
And it must have been a wonderful day!
(inspired by “The guides of the Refined Traveler. Il Trasimeno” Edimond ed.)
The extra anecdote. In 1904 on the initiative of Elena Guglielmi, daughter of the Marquis Giacinto Guglielmi, owner of Villa Isabella, the Castle of Isola Maggiore, an embroidery school was opened in Isola Maggiore to give work to the daughters of the fishermen who lived on the island. A Turin master expert in “Irish stitch lace” was called to the island, a delicate lace made using an impalpable cotton thread, worked with a very fine crochet. These artistic embroideries can still be admired today in the Lace Museum of the same name on Isola Maggiore.

The lands of Trasimeno… Back to top

NATURALISTIC ITINERARY.
Discovering the Trasimeno Park

We leave from Torricella, towards San Feliciano (seven kilometers away from the hotel. It can also be reached on foot or by bike, along the cycle path). Along the way we stop at Monte del Lago. A very small village overlooking the lake, with fantastic views. The absence of cars, the pentagonal fortress that dominates, with its imposing size the main path, the steep stairways and the winding streets, the wonderful views make Monte del Lago that “fairy nest” sung by the poet Vittoria Aganoor Pompili who lived here in the early twentieth century.

We leave for San Feliciano and after having traveled just over a kilometer, the majestic profile of what was once the Castle of Zocco stands out on our left.
Zocco: the largest and most austere of the many castles surrounding Lake Trasimeno and, unfortunately, also the most abandoned. Its origin is very ancient: it was born, by the will of the Consuls of the municipality of Perugia, to protect the territory along the warm Tuscan borders. It originally had seven towers, eight curtains and three gates. Its end has been marked for over a century.
We continue further, and here we are in San Feliciano, a fishing village of ancient origins, which stretches for about a kilometer along the coast. From here, we board the ferry for Isola Polvese. Located in the southeastern area of the lake, with its seventy hectares it is the largest island of Trasimeno. Visiting Queen Margherita defined it as “a bouquet in the middle of the lake”. The landscape of Trasimeno and that of Polvese Island in particular, have in fact resisted the upheavals suffered in other realities of our peninsula: the Trasimeno has a very rich natural and historical heritage, and has preserved almost unchanged over time a rare and precious type of ecosystem. . And for this reason, the Polvese Island will appear to the visitor as a garden, where silence is broken by the singing of birds of all kinds and the vegetation is always luxuriant. We stroll around Polvese Island: take a bath in the lake, refresh ourselves in the shade of the poplars, admire the water lilies of the Porcinai Pool .. and then return by ferry to San Feliciano.

From here, we head, less than a kilometer away, for a nature walk, to the La Valle Naturalistic Oasis, extending over 1000 hectares and a humid area of great ornithological interest, with shallow waters and luxuriant reeds, an important stop for nesting of birds along the migratory routes from northern Europe to Africa.
Happy with our tour immersed in nature, we return to the hotel.
With a little more time. We extend our itinerary for an unscheduled stop .. Mugnano, the “town of painted walls”. A little more than fifteen kilometers from San Feliciano, inland, we find this small town in the Umbrian countryside. In its village, among its squares and alleys, in an almost surreal atmosphere, history has today married art in the path in which dozens and dozens of “painted walls” made by Italian and foreign artists represent a real and own permanent open-air exhibition.

It is useful to know that …
• The boarding of the ferry is located in the center of the town;
• The Polvese island is entirely included in the Trasimeno park: it does not present large differences in height. However, we recommend comfortable shoes and not to wear perfumes, to avoid attracting insects;
• It is possible and pleasant to visit the Polvese island by bike: bicycles can be taken on the ferry, according to the regulation of the navigation service, by paying a supplement;
• Animals are allowed in the Islands: dogs can be boarded on motor ships wearing a muzzle (according to the regulation of the navigation service);
• There are bars / refreshment points on the Polvese Island.

The lands of Trasimeno… Back to top

AROUND THE LAKE.

Lake Trasimeno is the fourth largest Italian lake, with a maximum depth of six meters and an area of 128 square km. It has an irregular rounded shape, a perimeter of 54 km and a maximum width of about 16 km.
We leave from Torricella and head to Passignano sul Trasimeno, the “Pearl of Trasimeno”, with its elegant medieval fortress and the historic center curled up on the shores of the lake, one of the embarkation ports to Isola Maggiore. We continue along the perimeter of the lake arriving first in Tuoro sul Trasimeno, with its Campo del Sole, an open-air contemporary art park with twenty-seven sculptures in pietra serena (a sort of Italian Stonehenge), and then in Castiglione del Lago , resting on limestone rock, once the fourth island of Lake Trasimeno, which houses a perfectly intact medieval historic center, a castle-town that is home to a splendid fortress. On the way back to Torricella, we recommend making a stop in Mugnano, the village of painted walls, so called because, starting from the 1980s, the walls of the village have been enriched by the inspiration of Umbrian and foreign artists who have colored with their works the ancient views and the characteristic alleys of the village. Finally, just before returning to Torricella, the most beautiful viewpoint of the lake: Monte del Lago, a small medieval village from which you can enjoy the best view of the lake; the ancient walls that embrace the historic center are still visible, with the narrow alleys that touch the lake shores: the wonderful Villa Aganoor Pompilj and the Church of Sant’Andrea are of great architectural interest.

The lands of Trasimeno… Back to top

CITTA’ DELLA PIEVE AND HIDDEN UMBRIA
(PANICALE – PACIANO – MONTE PETRIOLO)

Città della Pieve is a suggestive medieval town, perched on a hill in the shape of a plateau between the rivers Nestore and Chiani. From its position it dominates the Valdichiana and Lake Trasimeno. This beautiful village is known, to most people, for being the home of one of the most important painters of the Italian Renaissance: Pietro Vannucci known as “Il Perugino”, Raffaello’s teacher.
Of medieval origin, it is surrounded by red walls erected in the 12th century to protect against enemies and boasts the narrowest alley in Italy: Via Baciadonne. The village also preserves some of the most important works by Perugino, such as The Adoration of the Magi in the Oratory of Santa Maria dei Bianchi, The Baptism of Christ in the Cathedral, The Deposition from the Cross of the Diocesan Civic Museum of Santa Maria dei Servi.
If Città della Pieve is one of the most well-known Umbrian destinations, there are, however, in its surroundings, also less traveled destinations, but certainly of great historical and artistic interest! Are you going? Let’s start with Panicale, another small medieval village, perched on Mount Petrarvella, from which you can enjoy one of the most beautiful views across Lake Trasimeno. The real surprise will be the view from Piazza del Podestà! From Panicale, via towards Paciano, the smallest town in all of Umbria. With its three doors and eight towers, Paciano is a castle enclosed in 600 meters of fourteenth-century walls.
Finally, last stop in Monte Petriolo. A tiny village, inhabited by just under 80 people, very nice and quiet.
Discovering the green Umbria …

Discovering Umbria…

Discovering Umbria… Back to top

ASSISI and PERUGIA

Assisi and Perugia. An itinerary with a mystical flavor. Assisi is second only to Rome for religious pilgrimage. In fact, it is the place where the most important saint in hagiographic history was born, grew up and died: St. Francis. An intense artistic production has grown around his figure and personality, culminating with the frescoes by Giotto in the Upper Basilica of Assisi, all pervaded by an intense sacred atmosphere. For the traveler, a visit to the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli will be a must, inside which the little church of the Porziuncola is kept as a precious jewel, the place where the saint of Assisi passed away.
Returning towards the hotel, we meet Perugia, the capital of the Umbria region.
Crossroads of exchanges and clashes between the Papacy and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Perugia is yet another example of perfect medieval architecture with its ancient and elegant historic center.

Discovering Umbria… Back to top

NORCIA – CASCIA – CASTELLUCCIO

In the frame of the Umbrian-Marche Apennines, Norcia is born, a town renowned for its food and wine production, particularly pork, skilfully processed, and the prized black truffle. A deep spiritual atmosphere envelops Norcia, the birthplace of St. Benedict, celebrated with a statue in the central square.
the silence granted by the Sibylline mountains, the fruit of meditation, generated another story of extraordinary spirituality in Cascia: that of Saint Rita, a much venerated and loved Saint. For this reason, when we talk about Cascia, a small medieval village, we cannot fail to mention Santa Rita, to whom the majestic Basilica is dedicated, and the nearby monastery where she retired to the cloister.
Set like an ancient jewel within the park of the Sibillini Mountains, it rises on the plateau of the same name, Castelluccio. A place with a strong naturalistic impact, it is as if it were bringing the traveler back to the dawn of known civilization. Boundless and imposing, the plateau also generates a particular flowering phenomenon that paints the plain in multiple colors between the months of May and July.
There are numerous activities that take place on these places from paragliding to rafting.

Discovering Umbria… Back to top

SPELLO AND SPOLETO

On the southern slopes of Mount Subasio rises Spello, one of the most beautiful villages in central Italy.
Surrounded by walls, equipped with six ancient doors and all different from each other, Spello, for those seeking art, is also enriched by beautiful paintings by Perugino but, above all, by the frescoes by Pinturicchio in the church of S. Maria Maggiore.
For a break in search of peace, do not forget the sources of Clitunno.
Near Spello, just under an hour’s drive from the hotel, still in an elevated position, stands Spoleto, a beautiful town wherever you look at it. A jewel definitely worth visiting is the Albornoziana fortress, in the Papal Spoleto, which dominates the town from above.

Discovering Umbria… Back to top

WATERFALLS OF MARMORE and TODI

If you are looking for a carefree itinerary for a nice family outing with a naturalistic character, the luxuriant flora will push you in the direction of the Marmore waterfalls. Fed by the Velino river and divided into three jumps, the Marmore waterfalls are the highest artificial waterfalls in Europe. It has been the destination, since ancient times, of many illustrious visitors as they were often involved in the “Grand Tour” that led to Rome in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
On the way back to the hotel, the town of Todi stands out on a hill like an impregnable fortress. You will discover, in truth, a very refined village. With its narrow alleys contrasted with sudden panoramic openings, Todi is in fact one of the most popular villages in Umbria.

Discovering Umbria… Back to top

GUBBIO – CITTA’ DI CASTELLO – UMBERTIDE

If you want to earn a very special honor, go to Gubbio: running around the Bargello fountain for three laps, you will in fact be entitled to the famous “crazy license”, prerogative of the authentic Gubbio, where “crazy” stands for dreamer, ally of passions and linked to values,
The elegant medieval city, in white limestone blocks, is characterized by steep stone alleys that climb to the foot of Mount Ingino. If you do not suffer from vertigo it is worth going up to the top of the mountain, with the funicular, to admire the Basilica of Sant’Ubaldo, which houses the remains of the saint and the famous candles.
Then continue on to Città di Castello, immersed in the unique landscape of the Upper Tiber Valley, with wide plains and rolling hills that follow one another in a myriad of shades of green, typical of the lush Umbrian countryside.
Città di Castello, the north-western gate of the region, just twenty kilometers from the border with Tuscany, is characterized by a historic center that testifies to the artistic splendor achieved especially in the Renaissance era and links its name to one of the greatest exponents of informal art Italian of the twentieth century, Alberto Burri.
The extra stop: Umbertide. If you have time to spare, on the way back to the hotel, the beautiful town of Umbertide is worth a visit, which preserves architectural and artistic jewels such as the imposing medieval fortress (built at the end of the 14th century in front of the Reggia stream). the Collegiata, a church with an unusual octagonal shape, and the Church of Santa Croce, which preserves the marvelous altarpiece of the Deposition painted by Luca Signorelli in 1516 and still positioned in its place of origin.

The rolling Tuscan hills…

The rolling Tuscan hills… Back to top

FLORENCE

Just over an hour’s drive from the hotel, but also easily reachable by public transport (train) is Florence, the capital of Tuscany.
An example of a city of art par excellence and cradle of Renaissance fervor, Florence boasts a unique artistic heritage and is also embellished by the surrounding Chianti area, considered the most beautiful countryside in Italy and famous for its wine production.

The rolling Tuscan hills… Back to top

SIENA – MONTERIGGIONI – SAN GIMIGNANO

Located in the center of Tuscany in a hilly landscape, Siena is about an hour away from the hotel by car.
Known throughout the world for its Palio, the city is characterized by a huge historical and artistic heritage and is universally appreciated for its urban-architectural structure.

Siena, however, is not the only Tuscan city to boast these characteristics: in fact, a few kilometers away are San Gimignano, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for the structure of the historic center, characterized by high towers, and the castle of Monteriggioni. To follow the walkways on the walls of this village dating back to the twelfth century.

The rolling Tuscan hills… Back to top

MONTEPULCIANO – PIENZA – MONTALCINO

The Val d’Orcia. For those wishing to discover the flavors of Tuscany, immersed in timeless villages, not far from the hotel, here is the Val d’Orcia, renowned and famous for its food and wine products.
Montepulciano, Pienza and Montalcino will be able to satisfy all those who want to taste excellent meats and cheeses and savor wine whose quality is recognized all over the world.

The rolling Tuscan hills… Back to top

CORTONA and AREZZO

On the traces of the ancient and flourishing Etruscan civilization, Cortona, a direct descendant of this noble civilization, rises twenty minutes by car from the hotel. To which testimony, inside a refined medieval palace, some of the greatest Etruscan masterpieces are exhibited.
On the border with the Valdarno, a little further on, one continues to breathe Etruscan and medieval culture in Arezzo. Few cities can boast such a complete heritage in such a small area: only the frescoes by Piero della Francesca in the Duomo are worth the visit.

From Umbria to Lazio…

From Umbria to Lazio… Back to top

ORVIETO, CIVITA DI BAGNOREGIO, LAKE OF BOLSENA

Unique for its geographic conformation is Orvieto. The city is in fact built on a huge tuffaceous boulder of volcanic origin and dominates the countryside of vineyards below from above. The historic center, witness of the refined municipal age, is the setting for the majestic gothic Cathedral of the Assumption, protagonist of the history of medieval art. The tufaceous rock made it possible to dig wells and tunnels inside so as to make Orvieto truly unique. A visit to the underground city is not to be missed.
Isolated, destined to collapse, now inhabited by about ten inhabitants and reachable only via a pedestrian bridge. These are the reasons for the magnetic charm of Civita di Bagnoregio, not surprisingly also called “the dying city”.
The nearby lake of Bolsena, the fifth largest lake in Italy by extension, is no exception to the particular volcanic conformation of this area, rich in suggestive views and romantic sunsets.
A jump in the Marche …

A jump in the March region…

A jump in the March region… Back to top

FRASASSI CAVES AND FABRIANO

This wonderful discovery was made by a group of young speleologists, who noticed a current that came out of a crack in the mountain. Inside these huge karst caves you will completely lose the perception of size and almost in a space generated by a fairytale fantasy, you will imagine faces and objects on stalactites shaped by the action of water.
Returning in the direction of the Hotel, you could stop in Fabriano, a town that contains and testifies to all the ages it has gone through, since the Middle Ages. Birthplace of the artist Gentile da Fabriano, it is also known for the interesting paper museum, which is located in the convent of San Domenico, the most beautiful monumental complex in the city.

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