In the silent heart of the Umbrian greenery, halfway between Florence and Rome and only a few kilometers from cities rich in art and folklore, such as Assisi, Perugia, Todi and Spoleto, in a splendid natural area rich in local plants and animals, the Nature Reserve of Torre Burchio is located.

The nearest town to this little paradise is Bettona: this town is without a doubt one of the most interesting historic and artistic sites of Umbria. Its imposing Etruscan walls, perfectly conserved and endowed with towers and drawbridges, enclose an group of buildings from the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries, harmoniously distributed and of fine construction.

The Biancalana and Baglioni Palaces, the Communal Palace and the Palace of the Podestà are of exceptional beauty and importance. Within the latter the Communal Art Gallery is located. This is one of the most important museums of the region, housing works by major Medieval and Renaissance artists like Perugino, Fiorenzo di Lorenzo and Dono Doni.

The churches of S. Maria Maggiore and S. Crispolto, the oratory of S. Andrea and the ex-convent of S. Antonio Abate also contain numerous works by the same artists, thus adding to the value of their already notable architectural beauty.

Bettona stands atop a hill that dominates the fertile plain surrounding it and from which the green valleys of the Tevere and its major tributaries are entirely visible, so that one can clearly admire the cities and villages that populate and dominate these valleys: Assisi, Spello, Torgiano, Bevagna, Perugia.

The Bettona hill divides the plane of the Umbrian capital from the low chain of the Martani Mountains facing it. Advancing towards these mountains one immediately encounters a vast vegetation of trees of tall and medium height, typical of the Mediterranean forest, and rich in wildlife. On the other side, descending towards the plain, one encounters the villages of Colle and Passaggio; within their confines one can admire other splendid and interesting buildings, such as the Etruscan Ipogeo (second century A.D.), the tall Tower of the Molinaccio, the imposing Villa of the Boccaglione, and many ancient churches and convents.

Torgiano, on the road to Perugia (about 6 kilometers from Bettona and 14 kilometers from the capital), is a medieval city, as one can see from the remains of the ancient walls and the imposing Guard Tower, which stands apart from the city itself. Torgiano is known above all, however, for its wine production, to which a museum has been dedicated.

Not far from Torgiano and still on the E45, we find Deruta, a center of ceramics production. For centuries this city has been known in fact for its production of prestigious and artistic majolica, hand-decorated by expert artisans. One should visit the various artisans’ studios, as well as the interesting collection in the Regional Ceramics Museum of Deruta, in the convent of S. Francesco (in whose church important works are conserved, including a painting by Fiorenzo di Lorenzo).

The church of the Madonna dei Bagni, which contains more than 700 votive tiles in ceramic, dating from the end of the year 600 until now, is also interesting from an artistic point of view.

About 22 kilometers from Bettona we discover a medieval jewel, the town of Bevagna. Situated on the Via Flaminia, Bevagna was an important Roman city, as the numerous monuments concentrated in the upper parts of the city testify. Next to the Forum, one can admire the baths (with valuable and important mosaics), the temple and the Roman theatre.

The predominate aspect of Bevagna is, however, that of a medieval city, with widespread artisan traditions, characterized by numerous shops opening onto typical little streets, and above all, a splendid central piazza, its appearance dating to the twelfth and thirteenth century, dominated by the facade of the Romanesque Church of S. Michele with its imposing bell tower.

Bevagna is remembered above all for the celebration that takes place the last ten days of June, called the Market of the "Gaite". For a week the city is filled with people in costume, who animate various businesses and trades along its streets and byways, as in medieval times. The "gaite" were in fact the neighborhoods into which Bevagna was formerly divided.

About 6 kilometers from Bevagna, we find the center of Montefalco which, because of its panoramic position, has come to be called the "balcony of Umbria".

The church of S. Francesco is very important. It dates from 1300 and today serves as the communal art gallery. Between 1451 and 1452, its apse was completely decorated in frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli. He also painted the chapel of S. Girolamo and the church of S. Fortunato. Also worth visiting are the beautiful gothic church of S. Agostino, with frescoes from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and that of S. Chiara (its twelfth-century frescoes are in the Chapel of Santa Croce).

Montefalco is at the center of a narrow zone dedicated to the production of two famous wines: Sagrantino DOCG and Rosso Montefalco DOC. There are many cantinas, to the joy of those who want to taste and know some of the best wines in the region.

Agritourism Torre Burchio is located in the Reserve bearing the same name, a plant oasis of 600 hectares at the center of this splendid tourist area: in the very center of Umbria, only 6 kilometers from Bettona, in the province of Perugia.

More than 470 hectares of Mediterranean vegetation, characterized above all by plants such as holm oaks, corbezzolo and Aleppo pine, live undisturbed in their natural habitat. These shelter many species of animals, including deer, wild sheep, rabbits, boars, squirrels, and porcupines. In the remaining hectares one finds the ideal setting of more than 5000 olives (from which they make an extra-virgin cold-pressed olive oil with an extremely low level of acidity) and fruit trees.

The estate produces oil, marmalade and honey using biological methods, without fertilizers or chemical additives. From the organic gardens of Torre Burchio one obtains all that is necessary for nourishment in an Agritourism establishment.

Still within the nature reserve, there is also a furnished riding stable with many horses of different races, including some stallions.