SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
EXPERIENCES MAKE THE TRIP
“Don’t wait passively for cultural experiences. Reach out and make them happen.”
– Rick Steves
WINERY VISITS AND TOURS
Visit, tour, taste
It’s easy to include a stops at any number of beautiful wineries in Tuscany and Umbria. The highly acclaimed Palazzone Winery is just 10 minutes from Benano, and 10 minutes farther, you can visit Cantina Neri and get a gorgeous view of Benano. There are plenty of well-known wineries in Tuscany such as Banfi that welcome drop-ins. True wine connoisseurs will delight in finding lesser-known wineries and perhaps tasting new-to-them varieties. We can point you to guides who can help you pursue your particular interest.
BUFFALO FARM / MOZZARELLA FACTORY
Cheese like you’ve never had it before
Tour the farm, watch cheese being made from the buffalo’s milk and stay for a fantastic lunch. The farm/factory/restaurant is about 30 minutes from Benano and makes for a fun and delicious outing.
COOKING CLASS
Learn authentic Italian culinary tricks and recipes
Learn to cook Umbrian classics and enjoy the delicious results of your work. We have two recommendations for you; each is about ½ hour from Benano.
- A Sagraincasa cooking class is a highlight of many guests’ trips. Chef Simona Fabrizio trained in Rome and at Michelin-starred restaurants in the US. She and her partners teach their classes in a restaurant in Ficulle.
- Former restaurateur Chef Lorenzo Polegri recently opened a cooking school on his farm just on the other side of Orvieto. He offers a number of experiences to pair with a class for a day you’ll never forget.
CUSTOM WALKING TOURS
Make the most of special sites in the area
Our favorite tour guide, Emanuela, is a public school teacher who speaks perfect English. When she’s not in the classroom, she leads walking tours of the most special sites in our area. We particularly enjoy her tours of her hometown of Orvieto.
Elena, another great guide, specializes in walks or hikes in the countryside. Learn about the Etruscan civilization, wars between medieval villages, and squabbling über-rich families of the Renaissance. There are plenty of walks within an hour of the villa.
WORLD-RENOWNED ARTIST STUDIO VISIT
Meet the artist and learn about his techniques and inspiration
Spend the afternoon in the castle housing the studio of renowned ceramicist Marino Moretti. Marino will tour you through the studio and castle, then visit with you over an aperitivo featuring local products.
OLIVE OIL
Appreciate what makes good olive oil so special
Tour the small museum at a family-run oil mill and orchard, sample their oil, and let them serve you lunch in their orchard. The mill and orchards are about 1/2 hour away.
ORGANIC FARM
Tour a hidden gem in the neighborhood
Our neighbors Marco and Chiara, passionate organic farmers, offer Sunday morning tours of their farm called Pulicaro. The experience includes the tour followed by lunch. Pulicaro is only 10 minutes from Benano.
COOKING WITH THE BAND
Fun in the kitchen and music to remember
You might get lucky and catch Bartender, an acoustic trio and Orvieto’s favorite band, at a public performance. Or you can hire them to come to the villa and make dinner for you and finish up the evening with a private concert.
SPA HEAVEN
Relax during a busy week of touring, tasting, cooking, walking, eating …
Book just a massage or reserve the entire spa area for your group. The spa is in a resort just outside Orvieto, about 20 minutes from the villa.
AND MUCH MORE…
If these ideas aren’t enough, hop over to the Rocca di Benano Pinterest site. You find boards on seasonal festivals, biking, restaurants and more. You’ll even find information about a fly fishing guide!
WHAT OUR GUESTS SAY
About the special activities
The meal we had catered in the villa was one of the best of the trip and we highly recommend doing this. We really enjoyed meeting with Marino at his “castle” and this was another great suggestion per Karen.
John M., – Portland, OR
The farm tour was fun and the eggplant parmigiana was some of the best we’ve ever had — such nice people. Simona’s cooking was so good the night we got there that we had her come back the last night for an encore. Isabella gave us an informative and interesting winery tour. But I have to save my highest praise for Emanuela. She’s extremely knowledgeable, personable, and accommodating. She even took the time to help us at the grocery store at the end of the day. She’s a gem!
Rick N., – Cincinnati, OH
Simona and Catarina (sagraincasa.com) coming to the house (twice it was so good!) and making a most memorable meal of five courses, explaining each course as presented. Simply fabulous.
Bob G., – Danville, CA
What really made things great were all the suggestions and guidance from Karen. She really wants guests to have a fantastic experience and goes above and beyond to ensure that you do. Without her insider tips and ideas, we would have missed out on some really lovely experiences. We have stayed at many homes and apartments using VRBO or HomeAway, and Karen has been by far the best.
Nathan L., – Phoenix, AR
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