Attractions:

The local train goes to Rome in two hours, and Florence in three.

Umbria’s best known centres for art and architecture, Assisi, Spoleto - with its international music and arts festival in June-July - Todi, Orvieto, Perugia, Spello and Gubbio can all be reached easily by car.

For lovers of natural scenery, an hour’s drive towards the Adriatic takes you to the mountains of the Sibillini National Park, which also has the Piano Grande, a vast volcanic plain within a ring of mountains, famous for its astonishing displays of wild flowers in early summer.

Climate:

Umbria has a Mediterranean climate. However, it can vary considerably due to the great differences in elevation and in the conformation of the land. La Maliarda has a sunny south west aspect and, at 550 metres, is well placed to catch refreshing breezes when it is hot. Summers in these parts tend to be hot and dry, and winters mild, when the altitude brings crisp mountain air and occasional rain or snow.