Inside the Retreat
Six Nights of Good Food, Village Life & Time to Unwind
Vallo di Nera: Make Yourself at Home
For six nights, the medieval village of Vallo di Nera will be our home. Tucked into the green mountains of the Valnerina, it’s a place for morning coffee, wandering stone lanes and getting to know the people who live here.
Jessica and Candace will introduce you to the village through the friendships that bring our retreats to life. Stop at the café, explore the local churches, or settle into the garden with a glass of wine. Optional yoga with Candace offers another way to ease into the day. There’s plenty to discover, with time to enjoy simply being here.
Cooking Together, Sharing the Table
Food is a big part of our time together. We’ll make pasta and sauces at Locanda Cacio Re, cook with Stefano and Carla around the outdoor wood-fired oven, and learn to prepare crescionda, a traditional local dessert, with Emanuele.
These are relaxed, hands-on experiences with people who welcome us into their kitchens and share the dishes they know and love. Afterward, we sit down together to enjoy what we’ve made.
Beyond the village, we’ll taste Umbrian wines and olive oil, visit nearby towns and gather for meals at some of our favorite local restaurants. Come ready to cook, taste and spend a little longer at the table.
Assisi & Spello: Art, History and Time to Explore
We’ll explore Assisi with our guide and friend Maura Baldoni, who brings its history to life through the stories, art and people that have shaped the town. Along the way, we’ll take in its churches, stone streets and views across the Umbrian countryside.
After lunch in Assisi, we’ll head to nearby Spello to wander its lanes, browse the shops and enjoy another side of Umbrian hill-town life. We’re also arranging a demonstration of traditional flower waters with a local artisan. We’ll finish the day together over dinner in Spello.
Time to Unwind: An Afternoon at Triponzo
Surrounded by the wooded hills of the Valnerina, the thermal baths at Bagni di Triponzo offer an afternoon to slow down and enjoy the warm mineral pools.
Each guest will have a 25-minute massage, with time for refreshments at the spa café and optional yoga with Candace beside the outdoor pool. Whether you spend your time soaking, stretching or simply resting, there’s room to enjoy the afternoon at your own pace.
Then we’ll return to Casa della Zia for dinner featuring the food we prepared that morning with Stefano and Carla.
Wine, Olive Oil & Umbrian Hill Towns
Spend a day exploring the food, wine and landscapes of the Valle Umbra. We’ll begin with an olive oil tasting in Trevi, learning what goes into this essential ingredient and tasting the difference for ourselves.
In Montefalco, we’ll visit Bocale for a wine tasting and get to know the wines grown in the surrounding countryside. Then it’s on to Bevagna, with time to wander its medieval streets, browse the shops and enjoy the main square.
We’ll finish with dinner in Bevagna before returning to Vallo. It’s a day of local flavors, beautiful views and getting to know the places beyond our home village.
Norcia: Local Flavors & Mountain Traditions
We’ll spend a morning exploring Norcia, browsing its specialty food shops and getting a taste of the town’s long culinary traditions. Its shops are filled with cured meats, cheeses, lentils, truffle products and other regional favorites, with plenty to tempt you along the way.
After time to explore and lunch together in Norcia, we’ll return to Vallo for a hands-on lesson with Emanuele. He’ll teach us to make crescionda, a traditional dessert from the Spoleto area.
That evening, we’ll gather at Locanda Cacio Re for our farewell dinner, sharing one more meal with the people who have welcomed us throughout the week.
