Tour - Destinazione Subasio

Peace and Good! This is the greeting with which Assisi, a Franciscan place par excellence, welcomes visitors. St Francis was born in Assisi in 1182, and many of the places linked to his life can still be visited today. The Chiesa Nuova stands on the site of his birthplace, while the Cathedral of San Rufino is where he was baptised. It was among the narrow streets of Assisi that St Francis spent his youth and in the Piazza del Vescovado, near the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, he renounced his earthly goods for love of God. In the Church of San Damiano, praying before the crucifix, he received the mission to renew Christ's Church. His remains rest in the Basilica of San Francesco, but his spirit lives on in every corner of this enchanting city.

Programme of the Day

MORNING:Free walk through the picturesque alleyways of Assisi and visit to the Franciscan sites.1:00 pm: Arrival at the Hotel and welcome of guests with check-in and welcome drink at the Country House Le Viole, with delicious Umbrian specialities buffet.

14:30: Departure for Gubbio with driver from the Country House.Gubbio is a town with a very ancient history, whose origins date back to Palaeolithic times. It is also the birthplace of the famous painter Ottaviano Nelli. Among the many places of interest to visit: the Cathedral, Piazza Grande, Palazzo dei Consoli, Palazzo Ducale, Church of San Ubaldo and the Roman Theatre.

3.15 pm: Meeting with the tour guide for a guided tour of Gubbio.Gubbio and Christmas have been an inseparable pair since 1981, when a huge Christmas Tree was installed on the slopes of Mount Ingino in honour of the city's patron saint, St Ubaldo. This tree is over 750 metres high, with a base of 450 metres and a total area of around 130,000 m². It consists of more than 700 lighting points and a 1,000 m² star at the top, designed by 250 luminaries. In 1991, the Gubbio Tree entered the Guinness Book of Records as 'The World's Largest Christmas Tree'.

AFTERNOON: Stroll through Gubbio's historic centre and visit the Christmas markets: Father Christmas's House, Santa's Passage, skating rink, nativity scenes on display, musical events, and the market with its wooden houses and gazebos.

6 p.m.: Switch-on of the impressive light installation. Time for photos and departure for a typical Umbrian dinner.

The main squares, such as Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Repubblica, host Christmas markets where you can find local crafts, typical products and traditional sweets. The sounds of bagpipes and Christmas carols resound in the air, creating a festive and joyful atmosphere. There is no shortage of wine and typical Umbrian food tastings, allowing visitors to sample the gastronomic delights of the region. We visit St Patrick's Well, an extraordinary work of engineering, with a depth of about 54 metres and a diameter of 13 metres. Its most remarkable feature is the presence of two separate helical spiral staircases, which allow you to descend and ascend without ever meeting. During the holidays, the well is decorated with a bundle of lights adorning its walls. The striking optical effect created by the well will give visitors the impression of standing in front of an upside-down tree of lights. An installation that will nevertheless ensure that visitors can admire Antonio Da Sangallo's engineering work in its natural form and that is respectful of the monument's history.

8.30 am Departure by bus to Orvieto and meeting with the guide. During the festivities Orvieto enchants visitors with its atmosphere and ancient charm. The city is transformed into a picturesque Christmas village, with its cobbled streets illuminated by thousands of twinkling lights that create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The old town, with its medieval palaces and imposing towers, is adorned with Christmas decorations and colourful garlands. The beautiful cathedral with its richly decorated Gothic façade becomes even more fascinating thanks to the lights that illuminate it, making it a real feast for the eyes. Lunch in a local restaurant before returning to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Typical Umbrian dinner "I mille modi della Torta al testo" (A Thousand Ways of Torta al testo)

8.45 am Departure by bus and arrival in Trevi, meeting with the tour guide. Umbrian village of incredible history and beauty Trevi is an enchanting medieval town located in the heart of Umbria, immersed in a hilly landscape rich in olive groves that produce one of the finest extra virgin olive oils in Italy. The town, with its narrow cobbled streets and stone houses, retains its old-world charm, offering visitors an authentic and evocative experience. Founded in Roman times, Trevi has preserved many traces of its past, including remains of Roman and medieval walls. The town is dominated by the Church of Sant'Emiliano, a 12th century Romanesque building dedicated to the town's patron saint. The church is famous for its beautiful bell tower and interior frescoes. Another important religious building is the Church of the Madonna delle Lacrime, which houses a fresco attributed to Perugino.

12.30 pm Departure for lunch in a prestigious wine cellar. It is impossible to visit Umbria without tasting its excellent food and wine. Viticulture in our region has its origins in the time of the Etruscans and the ancient Umbrian people, who took advantage of the excellent agricultural predisposition of the land and the favourable climatic conditions for growing grapes. We will visit one of the oldest and most prestigious wineries in Umbria, where a family has been handing down the knowledge and passion for wine for generations. Delicious wine tasting and gourmet pairings at the end.

2.30 pm RASIGLIA, IL BORGO DEI RUSCELLI: After lunch, we reach Rasiglia "the village of streams. The village, which retains the typical characteristics of a medieval hamlet by gathering in an amphitheatre-like structure, is in fact famous for its springs: strolling through the charming alleyways of the centre, it is impossible not to be enchanted by the streams that flow through the town, making it unique and fascinating. Even today, the life of this splendid village continues to be marked by water: the element that passes for weaving, wool processing and dyeing is revived through a very ancient tradition dating back to 1200. Free walk for a coffee or an ice cream before returning to the hotel, scheduled time 5 p.m. to prepare for the end-of-year evening.

7.45 p.m. Departure for New Year's Eve dinner at "Il poeta Contadino", a sober and elegant restaurant and country house set on a gentle hillside between Perugia and Assisi. The rich dinner will be enlivened by music of the 70s/80s/90s genre with DJ.

The first day of the year is a special time when many people choose to celebrate the beginning of the new year with a meaningful and engaging experience, and Assisi offers the opportunity to do so by strengthening one's connection with faith in prayer and reflection on spirituality. New Year's Mass at the Basilica of San Francesco or the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli has a special atmosphere, with songs, prayers and homilies that focus on the meaning of Jesus' birth and hope for the future. It is an exciting way to start the year with a spirit of gratitude and spiritual rebirth.Assisi, the city of St Francis of Assisi, offers at sunset on 1 January many re-enactments of the birth of Christ: living nativity scenes depicted in a very realistic and unique way that manage to involve adults and children alike. Living nativity scenes are often realised with great attention to detail, using authentic costumes, realistic sets and devoted actors. This combination of aesthetic beauty and religious tradition can be very touching and inspiring for those who visit them. Among all of them, we recommend the San Gregorio d'Assisi living nativity scene set in a small village that, with its picturesque rural setting, offers the perfect setting for this representation. Almost all the locals act as actors, wearing period costumes and playing the various characters of the nativity. Almost always, Jesus is the newborn child in the village. One of the distinctive features of the San Gregorio living nativity scene is its use of natural settings: real stables and rural environments, hills, animals: the actors move around creating an authentic and engaging atmosphere. Visiting the San Gregorio nativity scene is truly an incredible emotion. GOODBYE! Let's say goodbye to Umbria, taking it into our hearts!