Guardea, Umbria

The Umbrian town of Guardea is named for a sentinel word—the same root as “to keep,” “ward of,” “to ward off.” Two castles watch over its olive valley. The castles have a long history as host to families like the Borgias. In the 1940’s, they were reworked as an international arts center funded by the Whitney Museum and Poetry Foundation. The older, 9th century castle now standards as a main keep reinforced by a older man who lives at the top, Alessandro—as he calls himself—di Guardea Vecchia.

We love Guardea for its beautiful olive grove villas, proximity to great restaurants in the neighboring towns—Orvieto, Amelia, and smaller ancient areas. An array of wildlife covers the valley—birds who fly up the mountain from the World Wildlife Fund oasis below, large families of boar, porcupines, foxes.

Near a newly-refurbished Franciscan monastery in the woods, there is a Grotto where San Francesco slept. The story is the local water cured his eye ailment. If you drink from the Fontana nearby, choose the right end. Don’t drive too fast on the horse trail by the grotto or you might find yourself asking him for your tire sealant to cure—don’t worry; it will.

If you visit Alessandro on the fill, he might read you a Leopardi poem—L’Infinito: Guardea is an enduring, eternal land.