This small mediaeval town in Umbria is renowned as the region’s gastronomic capital. Meat, pork products, dried vegetables and truffles are some of its greatest specialities, to the great delight of gourmet travellers.
Less well known than Tuscany, Umbria is one of the few Italian regions to have no coastline, but has made its mark as one of the country’s most famous centres of gastronomy. Norcia, in an area of lush greenery, hills and low mountains and less than 100 km from Assisi, excels in transforming nature’s gifts into fine food. Game, cattle, lean pigs, lamb, lentils, broad beans and truffles, not to mention cheeses, rustic breads, olive oil and wine all enjoy the fertile environment and are then carefully prepared by talented chefs. It is the food that first attracts people to Norcia, but once they are there they also discover its unexpected history and heritage.
The town, with its houses huddled together under their glazed tiled roofs, was the birthplace of Saint Benedict, the founding father of monkhood in the West: legend has it that he was extremely fond of truffles... Norcia is also home to some fine buildings such as the Palazzo Communale, which houses the relic of Saint Benedict, La Rocca, a 16th century chateau, and the buildings around the Place Benedetto, the epicentre of the town, bordered on one side by the magnificent Gothic church.
The surrounding area has other surprises in store: the Piano Grande plain, ringed by mountains; the fine walking country of the Monti Sibillini; and Cascia, another pleasant town.
