Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
You can get maps and information from the tourist office below the steps in the
main square, Piazza del Popolo; it's open from 9:30am to 1pm and 3:30 to 7pm
Monday through Saturday, opening at 10am on Sundays.
ACCOMMODATIONS IN TODI
If you decide to spend a night in town, you have three good options.
€€
You need to cut down a side street from the main square, and then climb
three flights of dark stairs to find
San Lorenzo Tre
(Via San Lorenzo, 3;
%
075-
8944555; lorenzotre@tin.it),
a “Residenza d'Epoca” consisting of six old-style
villa apartments turned into charmingly cluttered lodgings with spectacular views
of distant plains. Double rooms are
5
€
100; a single with shared bathroom is
€
70.
(Via Lorenzo Leonj, 3;
%
075-8943737;
www.fontecesia.it)
is a full-service hotel in a 600-year-old building with views, a
high-end restaurant, and modern, comfortable rooms. The junior suites with
patios are particularly nice. Doubles are
5
€€€
-
€€€€
The
Hotel Fonte Cesia
€
135 to
€
155 a night; a junior suite is
€
200.
55
(Loc. Canonica, 75-06059 Todi;
%
075-8947545; www.tenutadicanonica.com),
a
great base from which to explore central Umbria. The complex, with a swimming
pool and stellar views, includes three handsome stone structures—one medieval,
one Victorian, and one that actually boasts ancient Roman foundations. The
buildings are plush and comfortable, filled with antique furniture and offering
dozens of nooks and crannies filled with Italian art and history books hoarded by
co-manager Maria Fano, a former art-history teacher. She and her husband,
Daniele, both English-speakers, can help arrange local activities, including horse-
back riding, language classes, and hikes. A superlative chef from the
cordon bleu
Perugia, Daniele also offers cooking classes on-site. The standard rooms, with
oversize modern bathrooms, rich fabrics, and comfortable beds cost
€
130--or up
to
€€€
-
€€€€
Near Todi on the road to Orvieto is the
Tenuta di Canonica
170 in season.
DINING FOR ALL TASTES
€€
Todi offers the usual tourist fare of pizza and set-menu tourist specials. One
better option is the
Il Donatello
€
(Via della Storta, 29;
%
075-8942366),
run
by a former apprentice to one of Italy's top chefs. The small alley restaurant has a
country charm, with bright colors livening up its stone interior. The menu fea-
tures only a handful of items, but it changes every few weeks to feature the best
seasonal dishes. On my last visit I enjoyed the “Tower of Tomatoes”
(piccola torre
di pomodoro e mozzarella),
excellent mixed bruschetta, and an herbed lamb steak.
Primi
average
5
€
6 to
€
8,
secondi
€
7.50 to
€
10.
(Via S. Bonaventura, 13;
%
075-8942737)
is justly famous for its 15th-century interior and the views from the patio over the
countryside. The food is special, with steak or boar grilled over an open fire, and
rich spaghetti dishes. However, given its popularity, the place can be packed
(make reservations), and the staff indifferent. Pasta dishes range from a basic
€
8
5
€
-
€€€
The
Umbria
restaurant
