The treasures of Umbria

A shrine to olive oil and wine

Before setting off on our Umbrian itinerary you might like to make a quick detour from Assisi to Torgiano, which dedicates two museums to those twin staples of Umbrian gastronomic excellence: olive oil and wine. The wine museum concentrates on the best regional reds; Torgiano Rosso, which improves with ageing and the dry Montefalco Sagrantino, made from grapes apparently originally brought back from Spain by Franciscan friars, while the olive oil museum reveals the secrets of the famously robust local oil with its distinct hint of bitterness.