Here’ll you find insights into Umbria, culled from living in Spello for two years, as detailed in my memoir Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center, which you can download right here or at your preferred marketplace here or you can find it on Amazon here. Buy it now to read about how our family of five abandoned life in the United States to clink glasses with local communists and join the village all-nighter decorating cobblestone streets with flower petals. You’ll also read about embarrassing language minefields and a serious summons to the mayor’s office. Ultimately, though, Il Bel Centro is the story of how travel can change you if you let it.
Unusual for being a medieval town not on a hilltop, Bevagna has a number of worthwhile charms. Most notable is the Mercato delle Gaite, a medieval festival that showcases medieval arts and occupations.
Where to eat: Trattoria di Oscar elevates Umbrian food to new and dizzying heights. And Scottadito is excellent for sampling meats (both grilled and cured) of the region.
Website for Michelle Damiani, author of Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center, the funny and heartfelt memoir of an American family living in Spello, as well as Santa Lucia, a page-turner set on the Umbria border.
Get Santa Lucia, a novel set in Italy, FREE by signing up for my monthly newsletter, The Grapevine. Recipes, travel tips, and free wanderlust stories delivered right to your inbox.
Festival participant, speaking about “Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center”
Featured speaker on panel discussing Romance for “Santa Lucia”
