Locality

Macchie

A traditional medieval village and frontier fortress, just 1.5 kilometres away, Macchie boasts a well stocked general shop owned by the Filippi family. In addition to all the normal household necessities, the Filippi family produce their own meat produce such as prosciutto, lonza and salsicie (wild boar sausages). The village, an old settlement of woodcutters and charcoal burners still maintains its age-old traditions in cooking and food preservation. The village also has a local bar, the Arco Baleno, a 20 minute walk from Poggio le Stalle.

Amelia

Amelia is a beautiful walled medieval town only 8 km from Macchie but sadly missed on many tourist itineraries. Reputedly the birthplace of Pontius Pilate, the walls of Amelia are said to be older than the walls of Rome and date back to 1700BC. Its original name. Ameria, was Doric for Hmeria (the day) which it is claimed bears testament to its archaic origins.

> the old walls of Amelia

> one of Amelia's main squares

Excursions

Poggio Le Stalle offers a perfect base for exploring the many picturesque hilltop medieval towns of Umbria. Spoleto, Perugia, Todi and Orvieto are less than an hour's drive away. Slightly further afield are many other famous towns such as Assisi, Siena, Arezzo, Urbino and Florence. Rome is a forty minute train hourney from the Orte train staion. The immediate vicinity of Amelia is dotted with ancient little towns such as Narni, Lugnano, Guardea, Aquasparta and Giove all just a short drive away, perfect for a look-around and a sit in the sun with a cooling drink.

Over the duration of the year there are various local festivals (Sagra) celebrating local food, wine, and medieval traditions. There are also numerous cultural events and music festivals such as the world renowned Umbrian Jazz festival in Perugia.

There is also a local italian language school for private or group tuition, plus a local horse riding association that organise treks and lessons in the surrounding countryside.