This is about 15 to 20 minutes drive from Valliano but instead of turning right at Promano to go to Citta, you are in effect turning left towards Perugia. Again you can turn down and join the E45 but we prefer to take the back route which is more scenic, and frankly it can get boring going up and down the E45 every time you want to go anywhere.
Timewise the back route is probably as quick as the motorway. The back route is reached by turning left at Bianchini, past the supermarket and then following the road as it bends round to the right under a bridge (The E45 goes over head), and then, when the road forks about 40 yards further on, you take the right fork, (when the left one will take you onto the E45. You pass a petrol station on right and Nocinarte (good for lunch) on left immediately after you have taken that fork.
There is another way up to our house just before you get to Nocinarte, but let’s not get too ambitious (though follow it if your Sat Nav suggests it).
You arrive at Umbertide you turn left to head into the area next to the old city walls.
When you turn left you will pass a couple of mini roundabouts and into the big square on the other side of the town’s moat (now dry). Umbertide is sufficiently small that everything in the centre is within a maximum of 10 minutes walk.
Parking is usually fine in the town square which is just outside the old walls of the centre. We have been there on a couple of occasions when there has been a market day and each time you can easily find somewhere to park on the side roads just off the town square.
The market is on a Thursday and is well worth a visit. The tat element is located in the town square outside the old walls where you usually park. If you walk across the moat and through the town walls then the market continues in the smaller square just inside the walls.
When we came there was some good stuff including some lovely looking cheeses that I coveted and flowers (which my wife coveted). There was a lovely little book stall selling very cheap second hand books for charity €1 for two paperbacks. Lots of cheap English books if you need some reading material It was all for the benefit of The Dogs Trust. I noted the last time we went back to Umbertide that the book store has now got a permanent shop. Just before you get into the central square you turn right and there is an adjacent small square and the book store is off that. It was signed fairly clearly, but it is helpful to know if you run out of reading material. The two women in there were very friendly and happy to chat when I went in there.
The restaurant on the right-hand side of the square in the old town as you come through the walls does lovely croissants.
I briefly visited the Santa Maria Della Reggia (the round church next to the place where we normally park. It is lovely. Two middle-aged black women were praying intently when I popped in so I was a bit wary of wandering round too obviously. An old man showed me where I could find a pamphlet with a guide to the church. I would have put an offering into the box to say thank you but there was no box or charity collection thing that I could see.
24 June 2017
We found the local (and quite impressive) Co-op today in Umbertide. It is on Via Rodolfo Morando. It was open 9.30am to 8pm Monday to Saturday. I do not know about the Sunday opening hours. We had lunch a new restaurant (i.e. one we had not eaten at before) off the main square – Locanda Appennino. Had pasta (not very hot) pizza (properly amazing) and a basic salad. Definitely worth checking it out again. It is in Via De Grilli.