Bevagna, Umbria
 

Has anyone stayed at the historic hotel L'orto degli Angeli in Bevagna? I am debating between that and the Palazzo Bocci which I've read about extensively on this site. What are your opinions on staying in Bevagna vs Spello?Both sound very interesting which is making the decision agonizing for me. I would really appreciate some help. Thank you so much !!!

Hi skye5,

We have stayed at L'Orto degli Angeli and enjoyed it very much. The hotel is in the middle of Bevagna in a beautiful palazzo...the setting is a bit formal, but inviting. Our room was large and had a wonderful hand painted ceiling....staff was very helpful and encouraged us to wander the corridors and use the parlors and sitting rooms. I have never stayed at Bocci, but it seems to be a favorite on this board, so next time, that will be our choice just to experience it too...I can't imagine going wrong with either one.

To me, Spello had more charm than Bevagna, but Bevagna is quite pretty and flat, no hills and is also a stone's throw from Montefalco which we love. Another thing about Bevagna is that it had very, very few tourists while Spello was the opposite.

I've stayed at the Palazzo Bocci, and have visited Bevagna, but didn't stay there.

Spello is slightly larger (I think), and being on the mountainside, has more dramatic views. When we were there (early October), there were few tourists in either town. Because it's on the mountainside, every step from Palazzo Bocci is either up or down, so if you don't like steep streets, flat Bevagna may be better.

They're both wonderful little towns, and very close to each other, so you can't go wrong with either place. I know that doesn't help you make your choice, though.

Two great options!
I agree, the difference is hills--Spello is hilly.

I think we'd enjoy the hills more than the flats just for the views. And, from what I've read, I think there may be better restaurants in Spello. Is this true? Is it necessary to upgrade from a standard double room in either hotel? Sometimes it makes a huge difference in comfort or location. Thanks for your help.

FWIW, Le Casse Gialle (a favorite on this and other boards) is a stone's throw from Bevagna.

Also, I recommend that you google La Bastiglia in Spello. Its a nice hotel at the top of Spello with an adventurous kitchen.

skye,

Our room at l'Orto was called Angelo Custode and was beautiful...I know we requested a standard room. It seems to me there are more recommended restaurants in Spello than Bevagna...one favorite in Spello was Il Molino...L'Orto now has its own restaurant, but our dinner plans took us away from the hotel, so I don't know how good it is.

I can't locate La Casse Gialle anywhere. Perhaps you can steer me in the right direction. The Angelo Custode room looks "heavenly". Couldn't resist that pun. Thank you for sharing with me.

Here is the site for Le Case Gialle
www.lecasegialle.com

I had some trouble linking with the site while I was checking it for you, so maybe it is down today?

DRJ, do you know how to get their olive oil in the US, by the way?

skye5, I think you've got good info here; Bevagna a little quieter, charming walled town, and I liked the Osteria Podesta for dinner as well as the good pasta & pastry shops.

Spello is a picture perfect hilltown not far from Assisi and attracts more people. Didn't eat there but I think you can find restaurant rec's from others here at fodor's.

Lovely area, regardless of where you stay. Ditto the comments on Montefalco.
Had delicious pasta w/local saffron cheese at l'Alchimista on the main square.

I really like Perugia, too, for a larger city, some good sites, great pastry shop and a student vibe (a little funk to contrast with all the charm of the smaller towns)

Both towns are quite small, so there are accordingly a small number of restaurants. La Bastiglia, I believe, has a Michelin star, and we were looking for something more local this trip - the view from there looks fabulous, though!

We ate at Il Molino one night, and had a very nice time. The food and selection was very good, and the waitstaff helpful.

There are a couple (two, I think) other restaurants in the old part of Spello, both only open for dinner.

One of my favorite meals, however, was at Il Coccorone, in Montefalco. There were a lot of local items - I wished I could have tried them all! It's a bit smaller than Il Molino, and more cozy. It was an easy drive from Spello, even in the dark.

I also very much enjoyed Ottavius, in Bevagna, where we had lunch one day. It felt very local - there was one other American couple, and everyone else sounded Italian. The gnocchi was indeed heavenly, and I enjoyed my pecorino alla brace very much. The waitress/hostess even took the time to show me how they grilled the cheese.

Thank you all very much for your opinions, experiences, and suggestions. I finally was able to bring up le case gialle so I concur that the site was simply not working when I first tried it. We are so looking forward to this trip. I'm very appreciative for all I've already learned about the area from you.

Annabelle2:

I happen to be Mauro's US agent for his olive oil. In fact, I don't know what being an agent for a foreign producer entails since all I have done in the past several years is fill out one USDA form. LOL. If you email Mauro at LeCaseGialle he will arrange to send you some of his oil which has won nationwide awards in Italy. As I recall, a six pack of 750 ml bottles is about a hundred and fifty dollars and it arrives in about a week.

Thank you DRJ. I still have one little bottle left. I will see if any of my friends think it is worth it to order together.

I loved the strong taste, but perhaps it is the memory of being there that I really am trying to recapture...