About Us

Secret Umbria is a unique service specializing in one of the most beautiful parts of Italy, Umbria. We fell in love with this remarkable region over many years of visiting with family and friends. We bought an old farm house and the 3 years spent restoring it allowed us to connect with the community, developing deep and lasting friendships with the locals. As an English-American couple who have adopted Italy as our home, our desire is to provide you with an intimate experience of this very special region and share with you our love of the people, places and food.

If you would like to explore Umbria “from the inside” with us, whether for a family holiday, a week-end getaway or a landmark event, Secret Umbria will work with you to plan the most wonderful and unforgettable visit.

About Umbria

In today’s busy world in which we are all rushed off our feet, surrounded by incessant stimulus and under constant stress, Umbria provides the perfect antidote to modern life.

Nestled in the heart of Italy, only 2 hours from Rome and Florence, this uniquely rich region will win your heart, touch your soul and leave you longing to discover more.

Somehow untouched by the fast-paced progress of the outside world, life here seems to exist in a time-warp and provides the perfect antidote to the hectic tempo of modern life. The exquisite mediaeval towns for which Umbria is so famous provide the perfect setting to experience the folkloric traditions which are still very much at the core of local life. Throughout the year, these colorful and historical festivities celebrate feast days, local harvests and seasons, highlighting both the depth of Umbrian culture as well as the extra-ordinarily warm and hospitable nature of the locals themselves.

This magically unspoiled region offers a special experience for everyone. Whether you are looking for historical or contemporary culture, musical and artistic inspiration, outdoor adventure, culinary exploration, spiritual awakening or total relaxation, if you want to get away from it all and take a step back in time, Umbria awaits you.

About Fiorenza

I grew up in London and, having completed my piano studies at music college, moved to Paris and then to Milan where I spent 11 years working as a performing arts manager, organizing performances throughout Italy for internationally renowned musicians and dance companies. Life took me to New York City where I met my husband and lived for 20 years with our family while working in fund-raising for arts organizations and children’s charities and practicing as a Life Coach and Hypnosis Practitioner”.

In 2017, we decided to make Italy our permanent home and moved to Montefalco in Umbria. Over the years, I have greatly enjoyed introducing my family and friends to this magical region as it always gives me tremendous joy to share my love for this place and see the impact its beauty and culture has on them.

This is why I decided to start Secret Umbria, to open the doors to one of the oldest, most wonderful cultures and enable you to discover its fascinating natural and architectural beauty, amazing cuisine, and warm and welcoming locals. Let me show you Umbria…… from the inside.  —Fiorenza Scholey

Fun Facts About Umbria
One of the smaller regions of Italy, it has a population of less than 900,000 and only 500,000 tourists per year
The altar in the Duomo of Foligno is a homage (and exact, if smaller, replica) of the Bernini altar in the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
The Lungarotti Winery in Torgiano produced the first DOC wine (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) in the area.
The smallest theatre in Italy is the Teatro della Concordia in Monte Castello di Vibio, with a capacity of just 99.
The Marmore Waterfalls, near Terni, were built by the Romans and are the tallest man-made waterfalls in the world.
Both founders of the principal Christian monastic orders were from Umbria; St. Francis from Assisi and St. Benedict from Norcia.
St. Valentine, the patron saint of love, came from the ancient Roman town of Terni, now a centre of industry.
The famous Bacio chocolate comes from Perugia, where their famous factory is open to tours for those interested in chocolate!
Even though Umbria is a landlocked region, thanks to the new highway, one can be at the beach and enjoy the sea and sun in just over an hour.
There is a stone placed in the heart of Foligno to mark the very centre of Italy (in dialect, it is in fact known as “lu centru de lu munnu”, the centre of the world).
The Umbrian people were named the happiest people in Italy according to an article in Italy’s leading economic newspaper, Il Sole 24 Ore.
The Umbri were an ancient people who pre-dated their enemies, the Etruscans.
Etruscan ruins dating back 2,500 years can be found in Perugia and Orvieto.