Fabro

The cozy, compact town of Fabro enjoys a lucky location half-way between Rome and Florence. It is so well connected by rail and autostrada that it's the ideal home base for exploring central Italy. Fabro sits above the Tiber River in the center of Umbria, between the fabulous art cities of Orvieto and Citta' della Pieve, both of which are rich in architectural splendors and famous artwork. Fabro is just a hop from the regional borders of Lazio and Tuscany and is right off the famous Autostrada del Sole (highway of the sun).

Fabro is a medieval village, surmounted by a castle that was redesigned in the 1600s by Antonio da Sangallo. It guarded the pass between the Val di Chiana and the Paglia Valley and still stands proudly on the town's summit. Napoleon's troops came through and destroyed all the civic and ecclesiastical archives, and the town underwent damage during WWII. There is a pretty town hall and a church dedicated to Saint Martin, whose feast day in November is celebrated around Italy because it is the day of the "new wine," when the first taste of the year's harvest is imbibed, along with roasted chestnuts and grilled sausage. The area's woods are rich in truffles, and Fabro puts on a National Truffle Fair the second weekend in November, coinciding with the festa of San Martino. The area's pecorino cheese flavored with truffles is a specialty to try, along with the hand-made pasta topped with truffle sauce.

A nearby attraction is the fantastical "ideal city" of Buzziana, a surreal and highly symbolic town created by the whims of architect Tommaso Buzzi. He restructured the Franciscan monastery of Scarzuola, added a Renaissance garden complete with statuary and fountains, and dubbed it the "sacred city," before turning his sights to his architectural rendering of idealism. It is a stone fantasyland. Scarzuola is near Montegabbione.

The town of Fabro also takes in the nearby hill villages of Camaiola, where there is a medieval castle, and Fabro Scalo, where there are shops, pizzerias, restaurants, and grocery stores. Fabro has a pastry shop, coffee bars and a bakery, as well. The area of central Umbria is covered with sunflower fields, olives and vineyards among the rolling hills and green valleys. Fabro remains an agricultural center but also retains skilled craftsmen. The spa town of Chianciano Terme is only 30 kilometers away, and the most famous towns of central Italy, like Orvieto, Città della Pieve, Perugia, Chiusi, and Pienza, are all in easy reach.