At 40 km from Perugia, on a winding, climbing road shaded by century-old trees lies the small medieval village of Saragano. In long-ago 1320, it was part of the territory of Perugia; later it belonged to Todi and today it is a hamlet of the town of Gualdo Cattaneo.
It is one of many hamlets located in the Umbrian hills, distinguished by the old fortified castle that warded off the attacks of the Perugini of the 1300s and where the Roman consul Lucio Lucinio Sura (for whom the village is named) devoted himself to idleness and to his passions.
The Roman consul chose to spend his free time at this castle for its pleasing position. Even today, hundreds of years later, Italian and foreign tourists choose this hamlet for their holidays. The mix of inhabitants of Saragano and tourists is both original and unique on the village piazza or in the narrow streets and lanes that lead to the lookout with a view of olive trees and vineyards as far as the eye can see.
During the summer, once a week on “la serata pizza” (pizza night), the 50 inhabitants of the place get together with the tourists to savour the queen of Italian cooking and enjoy the mild summer evenings.
There you have it, what sets Saragano apart: spend a weekend there and in the morning have breakfast with the woman who lives at civic address number 1.
SARAGANO, A JEWEL IN THE UMBRIAN HILLS
