Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi

Day 1: Arrival to Assisi

Today you arrive and collect your bikes, route briefing and instructions. The tour starts near the Middle Age city of Assisi, the pilgrims’ town built against the slopes of Mount Subasio. Many monuments have been erected here in honor of the saints Francis and Clare.
Overnight near Assisi

Day 2: Assisi – Casco dell'Acqua
15 miles/24.1 km

The day starts when you leave your hotel and cycle along the slopes of Mount Subasio to Spello. There is enough time this morning to wander around this charming ancient town, pleasantly situated on the southern slopes of Mount Subasio. In urban, architectural and artistic terms, Spello is an extremely interesting town, containing many features dating back to the Roman and medieval times. Spello is also called the town of flowers, because of its many colorful little alleys embellished with plants and flowers. The town is well known for its special flower festival (‘infiorata’) for Corpus Domini.

After Spello you descend to Foligno, which is in the valley. You pass along the main square with its beautiful ‘duomo’ which still has a Romanesque façade. Continuing along the lively main shopping street you will leave the town to cycle the remaining distance of your route, across the fertile valley with its colorful fields and various waterways.
Overnight in Casco dell'Acqua

Ascent/descent +166 – 329m
Paved; 23.2 km
Unpaved: 0.9 km

Day 3: Circular route to Spoleto
32 or 28 miles/51 or 44 km

This morning starts with a short tour among olive groves, which will take you to Spoleto. You can already see Spoleto from afar, with its castle dominating the hilltop on which the medieval part of the town is built. The center is still largely inside the medieval town walls. Spoleto is very famous for its music festival ‘dei due mondi,’ held in the beginning weeks of July (booking your tour during the festival will incur a supplemental fee due to increased hotel rates--please inquire). There is a lot to see in Spoleto, including the cathedral with its famous frescoes by the Florentine painter Filippo Lippi, the Roman house and the Roman theatre with an annexed archaeological museum. Leaving Spoleto you cycle among the fields.
Overnight in Casco dell'Acqua

Long route:
Ascent/descent +292 – 292m
Paved 47.8 km
Unpaved 3.2 km

Short route:
Ascent/descent +146 – 146m
Paved 42.9 km
Unpaved 1 km

Day 4: Casco dell'Acqua – Torgiano
34 miles/ 55 km

Today you bike to Torgiano, passing Bevagna and (optionally) Montefalco. You will bike through a slightly undulating landscape, with Montefalco looming from a distance. At the foot of this town you have the option to continue along the valley directly to Bevagna or to visit Montefalco, but to reach this lovely town you first have to conquer a steep climb.

Montefalco (1,548 feet/472 m a.s.l.) is also known as the ‘balcony of Umbria,’ because of the fantastic panorama. The Franciscan church, now a museum, is decorated with magnificent 15th and 16th-century frescoes by artists such as Benozzo Gozzoli and Perugino. Montefalco is well-known for its excellent wines, Rosso di Montefalco d.o.c. and Sagrantino d.o.c.g., produced on the sunny slopes around the town, and of course, it is almost impossible to leave the town without tasting them in one of the many wine bars.

From Montefalco you go downhill to Bevagna. This town has a lovely medieval square with a fountain and two Romanesque churches. The square is a real meeting place for the friendly inhabitants of the town. After one last hill you will reach Torgiano, at the confluence of the rivers Chiascio and Tiber (Tevere). Your hotel is in the quiet town center.
Overnight in Torgiano

Higher route passing Montefalco:
Distance 51 km / 31.7 mi
Ascent/descent +438m – 430m
Paved 50.2 km
Unpaved 0.9 km

Low route NOT passing Montefalco:
Ascent/descent +250m – 272m
Paved 54 km
Unpaved 0.9 km

Day 5: Optional Roundtrip Rides (19, 22, or 28 miles/33.3, 34.5, or 45 km)

Visiting Perugia (20 miles/32 km)-- This trip takes you to Perugia, which is the capital of the province. Cycling along quiet country roads you reach Perugia. A climb will bring you to the old town center, with its little alleys and characteristic town squares. There is a lot to see like renaissance palaces, medieval churches, museums and many galleries. After your visit, you return cycling to the peaceful, hospitable town of Torgiano.

Ascent/descent +492m – 494m
Paved 30.1 km
Unpaved 4.4 km

Or trip in the surroundings of Torgiano (19 or 28 miles/30 or 45 km)-- Close to Torgiano (4 miles/6 km) is the village of Deruta which has, in part, managed to retain the highly distinctive features of its medieval buildings. Deruta is universally famous for its ceramics. The origins of this ancient art go back as far as the Etruscan times and nowadays the many local workshops still make excellent quality ceramics. Numerous Italian and foreign museums have pieces of Deruta ceramics on show, including the Victoria and Albert Museum. The town hall hosts the art gallery and the ceramics museum.

The next stop is the sanctuary of Madonna dei Bagni, which has built after a miracle, which took place in the year 1657. Inside the church there are more than 600 votive tiles, all testimony to the tradition of the Deruta ceramics. Cycling through a beautiful hilly landscape you pass typical Umbrian hamlets like Casalalta. Your cycle back to Torgiano is through the Tiber valley. Torgiano, like Montefalco, is famous for its excellent red and white wines and when you have you can visit the interesting wine museum. Next to the museum you can taste the wines of the Lungarotti family in the ‘osteria.’
Overnight in Torgiano

Long & higher route:
Distance 45 km / 28 mi
Ascent/descent +508m – 546m
Paved 35km
Unpaved 10 km

Short & lower route
Distance 31.3 km / 19 mi
Ascent/descent +217m – 215m
Paved 24.2 km
Unpaved 7.1 km

Day 6: Torgiano – Assisi
16 miles/25 km

Today you will cross the valley, cycling on quiet country roads. You will already see Assisi from afar as, like many other Umbrian towns, it is built on a hilltop. Before reaching Assisi, however, you can stop for a moment to visit the Franciscan basilica in S.Maria degli Angeli. Under its impressive dome still lies the humble little chapel ‘Porziuncola’ where Saint Francis came to pray.

To reach the beautiful historical center of Assisi you have to make a short steep climb, but wandering through the town you will agree that it was worth the effort. You will have enough time to visit the main monuments of the town, like the Basilica of Saint Francis with its beautiful frescoes by the painters Giotto, Simone Martini, Cimabue and Pietro Lorenzetti. Your overnight stay will be in the hotel where you started your tour (1.8 miles/3 km from Assisi).
Overnight near Assisi

Ascent/descent +301m – 209m
Paved 25.9 km
Unpaved 1.6 km

Day 7: Departure from Assisi