Boutique Hotels, Italy – Art and Architecture

For the ultimate bohemian break, book one of the boutique hotels Italy has to offer and discover art and architecture in style.

Staying in Perugia

If you are travelling to Italy to discover the Umbria region, it’s a good idea to base your stay in the town of Perugia. Perugia has its own airport with direct flights from London and boasts the best boutique hotels Italy has to offer. The town is renowned for its University and bohemian buzz. It’s also considered to be the heart of Umbria, and the ideal spot if you plan to tour the region.

Gubbio

If you are staying in one of the boutique hotels Italy does so well, you can set the tone for a unique and individual holiday. Don’t expect the usual tourist traps in Umbria. From Perugia, the hill-town of Gubbio is about 25 miles away. Here you are surrounded by green rolling hills, and can visit the Piazza Grande – the artistic high point of the town. Gubbio has been described as “a symphony in stone” with its narrow streets and stone buildings the town was central during the Renaissance.

Day trippers

Boutique hotels in Italy are often built to reflect the distinct architecture and history. Staying in boutique hotels is a great way to enhance the Italian experience. The Crusaders brought new ideas of art and architecture and Umbria features a network of towns and villages where you can trace these ideas.

Do your research

To truly enjoy the enriching experience of touring Umbria countryside, it’s worth spending one day idling around your boutique hotel, reading about Italy’s history while enjoying the pool. The next day, you can use your knowledge to explore the architecture on offer. Some recommend you read Dante’s Inferno: “It evokes the vivid, vengeful world the new art sprang from,” one travel journalist noted.

Assisi

From Gubbio, Assisi is 45 minutes away and is a popular pilgrimage because of the basilica of St Francis. The town is moving and spiritual, with plenty of art, architecture and museum pieces, but its university adds a vibrancy to the streets with the odd kite festival or bike race occurring.

Fascinating culture

Wether you are going on Russian holidays, trips to America or holidays to Italy, the culture should always be sought out. If you are staying in one of the boutique hotels in Italy’s Umbria region, it’s a chance to explore a fascinating culture. For example the pictures of Piero della Francesca have an incredible story. In San Sepolcro, his Resurrection is testament to the power of art – a British Officer in World War Two was ordered to shell the small town but stopped when he remembered an essay he had read by Aldous Huxley saying it was the greatest painting in the world. He held fire and now you can experience the greatest painting in the world for yourself.