Three of Umbria's Lovely Hilltop Towns

A leisurely drive into the countryside took us to a few beautiful locations:

ARRONE

Arrone is an Italian village in the middle of a beautiful Umbrian valley surrounded by rocky mountains near the Marmore waterfall. It is a very popular area for hang gliding, biking, river rafting, hiking, etc.  As we drove up, up, up to Arrone we saw many people standing in the piazza near the town center.

The people had dogs on leashes, cats in crates, and even a cow on a leash. And they seemed to be waiting for something outside of church. Was it a wedding, a celebrity????

It was not until a parade of horses and riders passed by that we solved the mystery....they were all there to receive a blessing from the priest for their beloved pets and animals!! 

We chatted with a couple who had brought their beautiful Great Dane for the event and learned that it was the Feast of St. Anthony, the patron saint of animals. We had accidentally arrived at the exact day and time to witness this unique event!  

Next we wandered to neighboring CASTELDILAGO 

A Medieval hamlet on a hill with 1033 BC as its first recorded date. It requires walking through the town's narrow lanes, archways and stair-stepped passages all hewn out of rock. 

At the recommendation of the owners of the Great Dane, we had lunch at Osteria dalla Sportello. It turned into a dining experience to be remembered!!!  Delicious dishes made with local truffles, wild boar, lamb, asparagus, Roe deer, etc. It was remarkable! We wish we could share tastes but the best we can do is share pictures...... 

Our last stop of the day was MONTEFRANCO.  

Visiting these small, lesser-known hill towns gave us a real feel of stepping back in time. They all have a history of invasions, feudal and papal battles, and it is no wonder that they were built on high ground, where Umbrians could hope to find some protection.  

Every town has at least one church located in the center. It is the heart of the community and is another reminder that Italy (with over 100,000 churches) played a important role in preserving the Christian religion through the centuries.