Holiday flats for rent between Umbria and Tuscany, central Italy

COOKING CLASSES AND RECIPES
A stay at the Relais Parco Fiorito is a chance to attend the classes at the cooking school taught by Claudia, Giuseppe and Roberto Russo, the family that has always managed and lived on the holiday farm, driven by their desire to share the traditional local cuisine of Umbria and Tuscany with their guests.

A great way to spend time, get to know one another and sample the fresh ingredients in season, grown on the Relais Parco Fiorito organic farm and certified by AIAB, the Italian Organic Agricultural Association.

The classes will teach you to prepare local meals and dishes such as pici, panzanella, tegamaccio, tozzetti, torcoli etc, and learn about the local wines (Chianti, Montepulciano, Sagrantino, Brunello, Vino Nobile etc). At the end of the lesson, everybody dines together! All recipes are taken from Chef Russo's newest cookbook!

LOCATION
The Relais Parco Fiorito is on the Umbria-Tuscany border, in the heart of the verdant hills between Cortona and Lake Trasimeno. Lying in the town of Piazzano, the Relais Parco Fiorito luxury holiday farm is the ideal destination for a vacation surrounded by nature near delightful cities and exciting archeological ruins.

Cortona is just 6km away, Tuoro sul Trasimeno 19km, Arezzo 35km, and Perugia, Montepulciano, Montalcino, Siena, Assisi, Città della Pieve and Pienza are all within 50km of Parco Fiorito. Outdoor lovers can take their pick of either trekking, mountain biking or horseback riding on the shores of Lake Trasimeno and Trasimeno Park trails.

[ View on Google Map | map of region ]

Nearby sights include Cortona with its beautiful city centre of alleyways and medieval houses; the ancient Etruscan city still preserves its Cyclopean walls. Here you will find the Etruscan Academy and city of Cortona Museum, which houses some of Italy's most important findings of Etruscan civilisation, and the Diocesano Museum which houses Tuscan artwork from the 13th to 19th centuries, including the magnificent Annunciazione del Beato Angelico. The museum tour continues through the city streets and on the outskirts (Archeological Site), where ancient Etruscan underground tombs have been found including "il Sodo" and significant remains from the Roman Empire. On the hill stands the Girifalco Fortress, the magnificent castle which now houses exhibits and events.

SURROUNDINGS AND TOUR
There are many tours available to discover the culture and nature surrounding the Relais Parco Fiorito luxury holiday farm, ranging from city tours in Cortona, Perugia, Siena and Arezzo. Religious and spiritual tours in the sites and sanctuaries of St. Francis; nature tours in the Trasimeno Park and Tevere River Park; gastronomy tours on the wine and olive oil routes to sample the products of Umbria and Tuscany.