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Umbria – 4 nights (Casperia to Santo Pietro)
Umbria, St Francis and the Dukes of Spoleto
Back to Routes
Autumn gold in Piediluco
Spoleto Cathedral
Labro at dawn
Meadow near Casperia
Cookery course, Casperia
Summer gardens in Farfa
Hilltop Cottanello
Sanctuario di Greccio
The view from Labro
The ruined abbey of San Martino
At a glance
4 nights (3 days walking), starting in Casperia. See 'Prices' tab for what's included.
Suggested route pairing: Southern Tuscany, Amalfi Coast
How much walking?
Full days: 8-16 km per day, 4-6¾ hrs walking
Using shortening options: 8-16 km per day, 2¾-4½ hrs (using lifts)
The Sabine Hills
A short walk through the beautiful Sabine Hills, to the abbey of Farfa, designed with the time-poor in mind. It goes through the territory of the old Duchy of Spoleto, which was founded by the Lombards in the 6th century AD. Its destination, the abbey, was founded by Duke Faraold II of Spoleto in the 7th century. From Casperia (staying in a palazzetto), to Mauro and Ornella’s “real” Agriturismo (have their wines, olive oil, goats cheese and prosciutto for supper) and on to ancient Castelnuvo. On your final morning walk to the Abbey of Farfa to complete your pilgrimage, before walking to the hilltop abbey of San Martino. Your final night is in the Agriturismo Santo Pietro, where you will eat well on their own produce. Consider also spending time in Rome.
Walked by On Foot staff: Simon, Debbie, Fi, and in part by others!
Consider pairing this route with Southern Tuscany (2½ hrs by train and taxi), Amalfi Coast (5 hrs by taxi and train), or Cilento National Park (5 hrs by taxi and train) – for more details click here.
REVIEWS: For independent walker reviews submitted to the Association of Independent Tour Operators visit Aito.com.
ARTICLE: Read an article about the Albergo Diffuso organisation (which includes our accommodation in Labro) from Sawdays here.
TRAVEL ADVICE: To find the latest travel advice from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office for UK citizens travelling to Italy, click here. Citizens of other nations will also find it useful, but should always check their appropriate local agency.
Route Highlights
- The fortified villages of Sabina
- Wooded hills and high pastures
- The palazzetto in Casperia
- Montenero
- The Abbey of Farfa
This route features the following characteristics and interests: Pilgrimage, Villages and farms, Drive to route, Food, History
We Recommend
Extra night in Casperia (see below for cookery course), optional night in Misciani for a half day experience of goat's milk collection and cheese making, pasta making or foraging (enquire for prices), and nights in Rome.
Eating and Drinking
At La Torretta in Casperia, you can stay an extra day learning to prepare a traditional 4 course meal with an antipasto, a primo, secondo and contorno, and dolce! The primo is always pasta made from scratch (no machines) so slow pasta-making which is a lot of fun as well as a workout; with the fresh pasta you would then make stuffed ravioli, or fettucine or pasta alla chitarra, with a light fresh sauce. As members of the slow food movement they try to provide organic products with no food miles (or kilometres), which will therefore vary according to season; a light meat course will be served after the pasta with local veg, and usually daughter Jennifer’s award-winning tiramisù for dessert. They serve good quality wines from Lazio with the meal, always D.O.C. These cooking lessons are offered with a minimum of 4 (preferred – 2 people sometimes possible) participants, but you can normally join a group if necessary (supplement from €85 per person, including lesson, full 4 course dinner, wines and an after-dinner liqueur; courses subject to availability and participating numbers).
At Misciani, you will eat truly from the fruits of the (local) earth – but you can also help to make them happen, with various farm-based activities available including milking the goats, cheese making, foraging, pasta making etc.. allow half a day (supplement).
At Mompeo (Mompeo ending versions only), chef Elisabeth is a superb vegetarian cook, which gives the lie to the idea that such food can be dull or non-sustaining. With luck you will be able to sample Stefano’s olive oil, and you will certainly be able to buy preserves (having tasted them at breakfast). Dinner is not available at weekends (local pizzeria obliges instead).
How much Walking?
Using shortening options: 8-16 km per day, 2¾-4½ hrs (using lifts)
Walking on old hill paths and tracks. Good waymarking. Highest point on route: 1065m.
Medium-hard: Average cumulative uphill stretches (CUSs) 625m (350m-750m) per day.
Medium: CUSs 457m (340m – 600m) using shortening options.
Acrophobia/vertigo warnings: None.
On Foot Holidays Companion app available for GPS navigation/mapping and all other documentation and advice. Separate GPX files for your own device also available.
Important note: Times given for each day are walking times for an “average” walker and exclude stops. “CUSs” stands for “Cumulative Uphill Stretches” and measures the aggregated ascents in each day, expressed in metres of climb. See “Walk Grading” for more information.
When to go?
The best months to walk: May, June, September, October
Other possible months: April
These tree-clad hills offer a certain amount of shade, except on the higher reaches, where exposure can be high. The elevation tempers the otherwise fierce heat of the summer too, so we can offer this unique route for most of the walking year except peak holiday period times in July and August. Our final accommodations are often very busy, so do reserve your dates as early as possible.
Start Dates
Weather Chart
Temperature and rainfall chart for Labro
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive in Casperia
After a pick-up from Poggio Mirteto station, settle into Maureen's stylish Palazzetta, and consider your options for dinner tonight. An early arrival would enable you to explore this hilltop town in more detail.
Option
Your host Maureen suggests: “An extra day here could involve short local walks around the old mule paths, to the next village for lunch, or just along the valley below. We have cooking lessons for min 2 people - three hours hands on followed by Italian 4 course meal with wines.
Day 2 - Casperia to Misciani
Walk (or arrange for a taxi through your host) from Casperia to the fine fortified village of Roccantica, which is definitely worth an explore and a coffee stop, before you start walking – a gentle climb up the Valle de Galantina to a waterfall; then through high pastures down the valley leading to Mauro and Ornella’s quiet agriturismo. (Medium: 4¼ hrs walking (allow 5¾ hrs), 13 km (8 miles), CUSs 550m from Roccantica, plus start as above for purists)
Option
Spend an extra night in this beautiful place, and experience some real old Umbria - a half day experience of goat's milk collection and cheese making, pasta making or foraging (enquire for prices) - led by Mauro.
Day 3 - Misciani to Castelnuovo di Farfa
An easier day as you leave the wildness of Misciani for the relative orderliness of the southern Sabine Hills. Great views over to Salisano and Mompeo before dipping down into the gorge of the Farfa river, home to the conservation project of route designer Stefano. Arrive at the medieval ring-fortified town of Castelnuovo di Farfa, visit the olive oil museum and explore the pretty streets of the old town (and maybe a bar) before dinner. (Easy-medium: 4 hrs walking (allow 5¼ hrs), 11¾ km (7½ miles), CUSs 450m). Alternative: Extend the walk by looping to the extraordinary village of Montenero (adds 1½ hrs walking, 6 km and 350m more CUSs)
Day 4 - Castelnuovo di Farfa to Santo Pietro
A day of two abbeys. Leaving Castelnuovo di Farfa, the Abbey of Farfa is always in view (and refreshment opportunities abundant). The fine church is always open, but you can only have a guided tour of the Abbey complex. Then up to the final hill of San Martino to see the ruins of Farfa’s would-be sister abbey on the top, and, who knows, a view of St Peter’s dome in the distance, before a descent down the hillside to your final accommodation in an agriturismo and an excellent meal prepared mainly from their own produce. (Medium: 3 hrs walking (allow 4 hrs), 8 km (5 miles), CUSs 400m)
Departure day
Depart for home – or why not a night or two in Rome?
Travel Information
ARRIVING BY TRAIN
Nearest railway stations:
Start: Spoleto (Poggio Mirteto for 4 night option)
Finish: for those finishing at Mompeo or Santo Pietro – Fara Sabina; for those finishing at Casperia – Poggio Mirteto.
Sample journey by rail:
Arriving via Rome: Shuttle train into city, then direct train to Spoleto; or (for Casperia) direct train from Fiumicino airport or city train stations to Poggio Mirteto.
Returning to Rome: direct train from Fara Sabina (or Poggio Mirteto) to Fiumicino airport or the city centre.
We suggest thetrainline.com for times, ticket booking and other information.
ARRIVING BY CAR
Only suitable for those whose last nights are in Mompeo or Santo Pietro. Park your car at the final accommodation – no charge, but leave keys with your hosts). Taxi to station (supplement), then train to Spoleto.
ARRIVING BY AIR
The best airport is Rome Fiumicino (Leonardo Da Vinci) (including intercontinental flights), though Rome Ciampino and Ancona are also useful. (Perugia airport transfers are only feasible by taxi.)
Land by: 15:00 for public transport connections to Spoleto or Casperia.
Return flight earliest: 11:00 for train connections from Fara Sabina or Poggio Mirteto (see transfer information below).
Earliest return time not applicable if using pre-booked taxi.
Flight information can change rapidly and not all flights run daily. Please do check directly with the airlines’ websites or Skyscanner (see below) before finalising any booking with us. Do not book your flights until we have confirmed that we have provisionally reserved accommodation for you.
For up-to-date schedules and flights from all airports check Skyscanner.
See “getting to the start of the walk” below for transfer information.
Getting to the start of the walk
The first hotel is in Spoleto (Casperia for 4 night option) and the last in Casperia (for 5 night option), Mompeo or Santo Pietro. Transfer times and methods are suggested for Rome Fiumicino airport below. For train arrival transfers see below.
Outward: from Fiumicino train/train/local bus or taxi 3 hrs. Taxi whole way possible but very expensive.
Return: Direct train from Fara Sabina or Poggio Mirteto to Fiumicino airport 1.5 hrs.
Transfers from/to train stations:
Outward: Spoleto or Casperia – taxi pre-booked for you to your accommodation, payable locally.
Return: Lift from Mompeo or Santo Pietro to railway station included (from Casperia, pay locally).
Full transfer advice, including timetables, is provided in your Walkers’ Pack. Contact us if you would like additional pre-booking information.
Where You'll Stay
A great variety of accommodation, from palaces to traditional hotels to committed agriturismos. All comfortable, some memorable.
Night 2
Misciani – Il Fienile di Orazio (dinner, B&B)
Spectacularly located Agriturismo with pool - as well as donkeys, pigs and geese. Stay longer for a half day experience of goat's milk collection and cheese making, pasta making or foraging (enquire for prices).
Night 4
Santo Pietro – Agriturismo Santo Pietro (dinner, B&B)
A restored farmhouse, with rural views and a pool, and great home cooking.
Castelnuovo di Farfa – Il Cantinone Rooms (B&B)
Simple rooms in the centre of the village.
Santo Pietro – Agriturismo Santo Pietro (dinner, B&B)
A restored farmhouse, with rural views and a pool, and great home cooking.
Website
Prices
Total 4 nights in double/twin room, all breakfasts, 2 evening meals, 1 picnic, lift from Santo Pietro to Fara Sabina station (departure day), luggage transfers between all hotels on walking route; full Walkers Pack with route directions, maps, transfer and background information; local telephone support.
Also included: On Foot Holidays Companion app, providing navigation/mapping and digital version of the Walkers’ Pack as above. Separate GPX files for your own device also available. If choosing to walk with app only (no printed materials): Discount of £40 per pack (based on one pack per room).
All prices are per person unless otherwise indicated, and are based on a standard booking in May. Prices may vary seasonally and a fixed price will be given to you before you commit.
Single Room Supplement (SRS): From £115
Lone Traveller Additional Supplement (LTAS): From £185
Large Party Saving (LPS): Groups of more than 2 people (on an identical itinerary, on the same booking and booked at the same time) – discount of at least £20 per person
Maximum party size: 8
Add Ons
Extra B&B night in Labro: From £58 pp sharing; £31 single supp
Extra B&B night in Casperia: From £44 pp sharing; £18 single supp
Further Dinner, B&B night in Misciani: From £75 pp sharing; £22 single supp
Extra nights in other centres: Contact On Foot Holidays
Taxi from Mompeo, Santo Pietro or Casperia to Rome centre or either Rome airport: Contact On Foot Holidays
Sending Walkers Packs to addresses outside the UK: Supplement payable per pack, location dependent.
Our local team
Daniele Cavazzoni
Daniele's early passion for nature led him to explore all the Italian regions on foot. He started working as a nature guide for an international tour operator, working around the Indian Ocean and in the African savannah.
