The balcony of Umbria
On a hill rising above the Valle Umbra, at about 470 metres, Montefalco is known as the "Ringhiera dell'Umbria", the balcony of Umbria, for the extraordinary panorama that opens from its walls and squares: on clear days, the view sweeps over the whole valley, from Perugia to Spoleto, with Assisi, Spello, Trevi and Foligno, and the mountains of the Apennines. The village, one of the "Borghi più belli d'Italia", has a circular structure, with streets that converge towards the central Piazza del Comune, surrounded by palaces and wine shops.
Montefalco is above all the capital of one of the greatest Italian red wines: the Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG, made from the Sagrantino grape, a native variety grown only in this small area, perhaps brought by Franciscan friars, which gives a powerful, tannic, long-lived wine, with an intense colour and aromas of blackberry, spices and leather, also produced in a sweet passito version, the oldest tradition, once drunk at Easter. The surrounding hills are covered with vineyards, and many wineries offer tours and tastings, along the "Strada del Sagrantino". Montefalco also has a great artistic treasure: in the former church of San Francesco, now a museum, the apse is entirely covered by the cycle of frescoes of the Life of Saint Francis, painted in 1452 by the Florentine Benozzo Gozzoli, with scenes full of colour and detail, which include a famous view of Montefalco and Assisi. Other churches preserve frescoes by Perugino and the Umbrian school.
Tip: taste Sagrantino with a plate of local cured meats; the Settimana Enologica, in September, opens the wineries to visitors.
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