Eastern Umbria is an exotic mix of flora and fauna, cured meat delicacies, and a beautiful, Gothic-style St. Benedict church.

The official capital city of Umbria is Perugia, however the walled city of Norcia enjoys the reputation of being the culinary capital of the region. In the area’s untamed and mountainous east, beneath the well-known Appennines, the forests give shelter to game birds; its rivers are well-stocked with trout; and, the pork and truffles are the best in the world.

The Norcinerie

Norcia is well-known for its grocery stores, most especially the pork butcher shops (norcinerie), which still stay true to centuries-old practices in killing and butchering the pigs. These practices date back to the Middle Ages. In the markets, you’ll find pork items like prosciutto ham, pancetta bacon, as well as innumerable salami and sausage varieties.

The shop interiors are awe-inspiring! Watch out for the stuffed boar’s head, hunks of prosciutti hanging from hooks, shelves full of salami, and the scent of mounds of cheeses wafting through the air. At ground level, you’ll see sacks of locally-grown legume varieties like black-eyed peas and pale cannelloni. To sample the finest of lentils, request “lenticchia de Castelluccio di Norcia”.

Mix and match any of these delicious items for an impromptu snack that you can prepare using popular panini breads. Norcia is also famous for its truffles. They are a mainstay of menu items, and you can bring home the taste in a bottled version. Delectable truffle-based sauces may serve as a pasta sauce component in combination with anchovies, garlic, and olive oil.

Cathedrals and So Much More!

Norcia is home to Saint Benedict, founder of the Benedictines, an order of monks. The city’s inspiring architectural pride is the great Gothic-style church that is named after St. Benedict. It is the focal point of the piazza at the core of the city that bears this name. Due to multiple earthquakes, the church retains only some of its original exterior fa