This route starts from Piazza Mazzini in the centre of Umbertide, and it follows the course of the River Tiber south, through a series of old farms and landed estates that characterise this particular area of Umbria. You leave Umbertide from Piazza Mazzini, following the signs for Perugia, Rome and Pierantonio, which take you on to the main SS3bis road. You then continue along this road for several kilometres out of Umbertide, and the first section of the ride (up to km.4) is along a cycle path to the right of the main road, which shortly afterwards runs into the SS219 Gubbio road. At the junction with the latter road, continue to your right and follow the signs to Pierantonio, which is situated 7 kilometres from Umbertide.

Go through Pierantonio, and continue straight on past Sant’Orfeo della Cinella, along the Strada Tiberina Nord (the North Tiber Way) towards Perugia. At 11 km. you get to the village of Tavernacce, where you get a fine view of the rounded peak of Monte Tezio to your right. Carry straight on, past Solfagnano-Parlesca, and at km. 13.8 you come to the turning for La Bruna: take this local road to your right, an almost traffic-free country lane taking you through the very bucolic Upper Tiber Valley countryside. As you begin cycling down this country road, you will see the delightful hamlet of Pieve San Quirico perched on high before you. The road then veers round to your right, leaving the River Tiber behind, and you soon come to the hamlet of La Bruna (km. 18). 

[Ritorno a capo del testo]Continue along this road until you reach the junction with the SP169 (the ‘Pantano’ road), and then turn right. Just a few metres on, however, take the road to your left (km. 21.6), which is once again a quiet country lane. After a couple of short climbs, you get to the hamlet of La Badia di Montecorona (Montecorona Abbey), where you then continue along the SP170: keeping to your right, you come to the Perugia-Rome junction; at this point, carry straight on and past the local estate known as the Podere di Santa Beatrice di Guardengo. Carry on along this road for a further three kilometres or so, with the River Tiber to your right and the sharp peak of Monte Acuto to your left, until you come to the railway underpass and the junction with the main SS3bis road. Turn right here ride back to Umbertide. Just past the bridge over the River Tiber, turn right following the sign to Montone, and this takes you back into the town square, Piazza Mazzini, which is situated just a few metres from the old town centre of Umbertide.

The most immediately visible building in the town of Umbertide is its symbol, the superb medieval fortress known as La Rocca, which has been completely renovated and is currently home to Umbertide’s Centre of Contemporary Art. Other buildings of interest include the churches of Santa Maria della Reggia and of Santa Croce. Other churches worth visiting are San Bernardino (1556), Santa Maria della Pietà (1486), containing a fresco claimed to have been painted by Pinturicchio, and San Francesco, Umbertide’s oldest church (1299). The monastery at Montecorona (Eremo di Montecorona), situated along this cycle route just a few kilometres outside of Umbertide, was built at a height of 700 m. in the middle of a beech and chestnut wood overlooking the Camoldolese Abbey below, founded in the year 1008. The area around Umbertide boasts a good many castles worth visiting, including Civitella Ranieri, Serra Partucci, Montalto, Ascagnano, Romeggio and Polgeto castles, together with the ancient medieval hamlets of Santa Giuliana and Pieve San Quirico.