{"id":9288,"date":"2016-06-16T14:34:48","date_gmt":"2016-06-16T12:34:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/walks.friday.ie\/?p=9288"},"modified":"2023-01-25T12:04:01","modified_gmt":"2023-01-25T12:04:01","slug":"accommodation-agriturismo-in-umbria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/things-to-do\/accommodation-agriturismo-in-umbria","title":{"rendered":"How to Find the Perfect Agriturismo in Umbria"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The picturesque region of <a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/umbria\/umbria-and-tuscany-italy\"><strong>Umbria<\/strong><\/a> is one of most popular destinations in Italy for a lot of reasons. It has a spectacular array of medieval towns, verdant hills (they don\u2019t call it \u2018The Green Heart of Italy\u2019 for nothing), and earthy, mouth-watering cuisine that often highlights seasonal, foraged specialties like mushrooms, wild asparagus, and <a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-italian-truffles\"><strong>truffles<\/strong><\/a>. If you&#8217;re after this rustic ideal, when it comes to choosing lodgings for your trip to Italy, one great way to get it is by staying in an <a href=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/hotels\/what-is-an-agriturismo\"><strong>agriturismo<\/strong><\/a> in<em>\u00a0<\/em>Umbria.<\/p>\n<p>With so many Italian agriturismi sprinkled throughout the Umbrian countryside (<a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/day-trips-2\/tuscany-from-rome-day-trip-review\"><strong>Tuscany<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/le-marche-italy-towns-adriatic-coast\"><strong>Le Marche<\/strong><\/a>, too), choosing the right one for you can be overwhelming. But if you follow a few simple tips you&#8217;ll find the perfect place to spend a vacation that you&#8217;ll never forget.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/things-to-do\/accommodation-agriturismo-in-umbria\/#What_is_an_agriturismo\" >What is an agriturismo?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/things-to-do\/accommodation-agriturismo-in-umbria\/#Special_criteria\" >Special criteria<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/things-to-do\/accommodation-agriturismo-in-umbria\/#Should_you_stay_in_an_agriturismo_or_a_hotel\" >Should you stay in an agriturismo or a hotel?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/things-to-do\/accommodation-agriturismo-in-umbria\/#Informal-to-white_glove\" >Informal-to-white glove<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/things-to-do\/accommodation-agriturismo-in-umbria\/#The_Devil_is_in_the_details\" >The Devil is in the details<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_an_agriturismo\"><\/span>What is an agriturismo?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_9289\" style=\"width: 910px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/umbria\/accommodation-agriturismo-in-umbria\/attachment\/img_1750\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-9289\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9289\" class=\"wp-image-9289 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/IMG_1750.jpg\" alt=\"A bit of solid life-advice from an agriturismo in Umbria. | Photo by Toni DeBella\" width=\"900\" height=\"906\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/IMG_1750.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/IMG_1750-768x773.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9289\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Great advice from an Agriturismo in Umbria | Photo by Toni DeBella.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>An agriturismo is a working farm offering bed and breakfast rooms or self-catering apartments for holiday stays. Plato\u2019s famous proverb, \u201cNecessity is the mother of invention\u201d perfectly describes how Italy\u2019s system of rural accommodation was born.<\/p>\n<p>Farm stays were originally conceived of in response to the crushing financial crisis in the late 90s that wreaked havoc on Italy&#8217;s agricultural community. Small farms, rural villas, and ancient castles found themselves struggling or disappearing altogether without viable sources of income. But while the Italian domestic economy was shrinking the international tourism economy was only growing and these family-run businesses saw a way to tap into it by offering a unique form of accommodation in Italy. By turning themselves into\u00a0agriturismi, an untold number of family farms<em>\u00a0<\/em>literally saved themselves from extinction. Along with helping to generate an extra stream of income for the proprietors, the agriturismo model also provided an incentive for restoring and conserving hundreds of historic buildings, many of which had long been abandoned. In general, the business model of the agriturismo in Umbria and beyond has been a grand success for owners and travelers alike.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Special_criteria\"><\/span>Special criteria<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Because the main motivation for creating farm stays was to preserve Italy\u2019s family traditions, a rural lodging can only be called an agriturismo in Italy if it meets the following criteria:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The owners must be farmers<\/li>\n<li>The property\u2019s main income has to come from agriculture<\/li>\n<li>The accommodation size cannot make up more than a set percentage of the farm\u2019s total acreage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_you_stay_in_an_agriturismo_or_a_hotel\"><\/span>Should you stay in an agriturismo or a hotel?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_9290\" style=\"width: 908px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/umbria\/accommodation-agriturismo-in-umbria\/attachment\/img_1751\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-9290\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9290\" class=\"wp-image-9290 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/IMG_1751.jpg\" alt=\"An agriturismo in Umbria. | Photo by Toni DeBella\" width=\"898\" height=\"898\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/IMG_1751.jpg 898w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/IMG_1751-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 898px) 100vw, 898px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9290\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fall colors outside an Umbrian agriturismo | Photo by Toni DeBella<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The main selling point of an Italian agriturismo over a hotel is that if you stay in an agriturismo you can be\u00a0<em>sure\u00a0<\/em>that you are supporting a local business &#8211; a bonus for any devotee of slow travel.<\/p>\n<p>Since 1997, American Rebecca Winke has owned and operated <a href=\"http:\/\/www.brigolante.com\/en\/index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brigolante Guest Apartments<\/a>, a stone farmhouse outside of Assisi. She and her family are deeply passionate about safeguarding agriturismi in Umbria, believing they hold an important place in the country\u2019s rich, national identity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe most important thing I tell potential guests considering an Italian farm stay is that it\u2019s really, truly a sustainable way to travel, Winke says. &#8220;By choosing an <em>agriturismo<\/em> over a hotel, you\u2019re directly supporting a family business as well as contributing to the preservation of Italy\u2019s world heritage and culture. That heritage includes its cuisine, the landscape, and the ancient traditions of the countryside that would have otherwise been lost.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Informal-to-white_glove\"><\/span>Informal-to-white glove<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>With success comes variety. While a majority of farmhouses fall along the simple to rustic-chic spectrum, Italy has seen a rise in luxury, full-service country villas in recent years.<\/p>\n<p>But before you decide, we think it\u2019s a good idea to consider what type of holiday you have in mind. For example, if you plan to use an Umbria agriturismo as a base for day trips around the region, you\u2019ll want to rent a car. Farms are almost never served by public transportation, and can be quite a distance from town. A 40-minute car ride from the main highway, along a dirt road (<em>strada bianca<\/em>), is not out of the ordinary.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe you prefer spending lazy days next to the pool reading your favorite romance novel? In that case, a resort-style country estate might be more to your liking. Many upscale <em>agriturismi<\/em> offer concierge services and a long list of pampering amenities such as on-site restaurants, wineries, and culinary lessons.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Insiders&#8217; tip:<\/strong>\u00a0If you happen to time your visit for the early-to-late autumn, some farms permit guests to participate in the harvesting of grapes (<em>vendemmia<\/em>) and olives (<em>raccolta<\/em>).<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Devil_is_in_the_details\"><\/span>The Devil is in the details<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_9291\" style=\"width: 908px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/umbria\/accommodation-agriturismo-in-umbria\/attachment\/umbrian-countryside\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-9291\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9291\" class=\"wp-image-9291 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/UMBRIAN-COUNTRYSIDE.jpg\" alt=\"The Umbrian countryside | Photo by Toni DeBella\" width=\"898\" height=\"898\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/UMBRIAN-COUNTRYSIDE.jpg 898w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/UMBRIAN-COUNTRYSIDE-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 898px) 100vw, 898px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9291\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">It&#8217;s hard to beat the views in the countryside of Umbria.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>We recommend you spend a little time researching rental options before you book an agriturismo in Umbria or anywhere else. Surf websites and check out photos to get a feel for the residence. Note amenities offered and, most importantly, read former guest feedback. Remember when reading reviews that one bad review does not a reputation make. Almost every accommodation in the world receives the occasional poor review so what you really want to look for is trends: do a couple of bad reviews mention the same complaints? Do the good reviews mention the same or similar praises? By reading at least five reviews per accommodation you can usually get a feel for what kind of experience an agriturismo will offer.<\/p>\n<p>Here are 6 basic questions that we always ask ourselves before booking an agriturismo:<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Look at a map. Is the farm a long way from civilization (grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, coffee bars, etc.)? This is especially important if you are planning to stay for an extended period and would like to be partially self-sufficient.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Does the owner offer train station or airport transfers? We usually drive when we stay in an\u00a0agriturismo, but if you can&#8217;t or don&#8217;t want to, getting to and from the accommodation is a key detail.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Are meals included or is it self-catering (with a kitchen or kitchenette)? Once again, this relates to how self-sufficient you want to be.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Is it family-friendly or geared towards couples?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Are pets allowed?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Is there a minimum stay rule?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Armed with the most information possible, you\u2019re more likely to make the best choice \u2013 one that\u2019s perfect for you and your travel companions. Remember, whichever farm stay you choose, you\u2019re about to embark on one of the best holiday experiences of a lifetime.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The picturesque region of Umbria is one of most popular destinations in Italy for a lot of reasons. It has a spectacular array of medieval towns, verdant hills (they don\u2019t call it \u2018The Green Heart of Italy\u2019 for nothing), and earthy, mouth-watering cuisine that often highlights seasonal, foraged specialties like mushrooms, wild asparagus, and truffles. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":9294,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[96,63,77],"ppma_author":[169],"class_list":["post-9288","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-things-to-do","tag-accommodation","tag-trip-planning","tag-umbria"],"authors":[{"term_id":169,"user_id":48,"is_guest":0,"slug":"toni-debella","display_name":"Toni DeBella","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7af3af7a83994e2d873910990f058d65?s=96&d=mm&r=g","user_url":"","last_name":"DeBella","first_name":"Toni","job_title":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9288"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/48"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9288"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9288\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16273,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9288\/revisions\/16273"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9288"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=9288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}