Relais Il Canalicchio is set in a medieval village built around a castle, perched upon a hilltop. It has impressive views of the fields, hills and forests of the surrounding countryside. The nearest town, Collepepe, is about a 10-minute drive away, and has a selection of restaurants and shops.

Facilities include a swimming pool (open May-October), a billiards room, tennis courts and a reading room. You’ll have breakfast, lunch and dinner in Restaurant Il Pavone, which serves traditional local cuisine. There’s a health farm at the hotel with a Finnish sauna, a Turkish bath and a Jacuzzi (supplements apply).

About Umbria
Umbria is known for its “lovely medieval towns and villages atop hills clad in pine and olive trees” (The Independent). Be sure to try some of the region’s specialities while you’re there, such as black truffles, pecorino di Norcia cheese and the local wine.

The town of Montefalco, known as “the balcony of Umbria” (The Daily Telegraph), and the walled town of Assisi, famous for its connection with St Francis, are both less than 45 minutes’ drive from Canalicchio.

Relais Il Canalicchio Review

Relais Il Canalicchio stands like a small gem inset into the summit of a hill. The picturesque town built around the Castello di Poggio, which dates to the 10th-11th centuries, dominates the town with its imposing tower and a splendid little church close to the vineyards and olive groves at the centre of the lush Umbrian countryside. The luxury Relais has almost completely remodelled and enclosed the town of Canalicchio, an intact and resplendent oasis of peace, where only the twittering of birds interrupts the relaxing stillness. Inside, the historic and rural origins of the place are obvious; it still has its apparent castle-like structure and boasts an enormous and exquisite millstone, the old press and some lovely arches, evoking the enchanting atmosphere and charm of times gone by.

Umbria boasts old-world traditions, delicious local specialities and peaceful hill towns scattered across the verdant countryside.