If you're looking to get well off the beaten track in central Italy, then Stroncone in the province of Terni is as good a place as any. For a town that has been inhabited since Roman times, and which still preserves its medieval walled structure, it is surprising Stroncone is so way off the tourist map.

In fact, we had to pull out all we had on Umbria before we found one small paragraph mentioning the town. Apart from what we have just said, Stroncone overlooks the 'conca Ternana' and must have provided a strategic forward point for the larger Terni.

Delicious Italy visited Stroncone on what can only be described as the worst day of the year. It was the first week of March on a windy, rainy, freezing afternoon as dusk arrived. It was so cold, we decided not to visit the fabulous Marmore waterfall, the main reason for making the trip to the zone. We left it for a later barmy summer's day.

The region of Umbria in Autumn is the perfect time to discard your summer weight watching diet and return to food for grown-ups. We are talking 'pappardelle pasta in hare sauce', liver bruschetta', 'fowl'  and so on. All prepared with genuine ingredients such olive oil, truffles, salami, cheese and vegetables in season.

With this in mind, October means mushrooms, one of the mostly popular ingredients in the Umbria cuisine. Below is a typical savory pie recipe from Spoleto which also features eggs, tomatoes and pecorino cheese. It is a very rich dish and could also be considered a main course.

Ingredients

800 gr. mushrooms, olive oil, clove of garlic, red tomatoes, 3 eggs, 100 gr, of pecorino cheese, broth, salt and red chilly pepper

Norcia and the Valnerina area are the most famous places for Umbrian prosciutto or ham production thanks to particular climatic conditions of their territories and to the skill of the local artisans. It is not by chance that the name norcino is used across Italy; Norcia's artisans have become the Italian ambassadors for a particular type of prosciutto, named salted or 'from the mountains'.

Besides needing the right amount of salt seasoning and pepper for preserving those parts not covered by skin, it also needs to be left to mature slowly in the light and dry mountain air. It is said that a good prosciutto needs to have at least 'experienced one Winter and one Summer'.

The ancient Norcia prosciutto, prepared in a rigorously hand-crafted and natural way, is seasoned for no less than two years, resulting in a product which comes first place on the Norcia local produce scale.

One of its familiar trademarks is its pear-shape which is obtained by trimming at right angles to the knuckle or knee-joint, forming a U shape instead of palming off a couple of centimetres from the bone as is the case in other prosciuttoes.

The House of Hospitality of Santa Elisabetta d'Ungheria is run by a religious fraternity member of the Institute of Piccola Fraternità Francescana di Santa Elisabetta d'Ungheria. As well as a place to stay in the town, it is of incredible historical interest, not least as it is located in the centre of Assisi, very close to the Basilica of Santa Chiara and the Municipal Square.

More specifically it is in Piazza del Vescovado where Saint Francis famously rejected his privileged merchant upbringing by returning his fine clothes to his father to then embark on his religious calling. You can still feel the peaceful atmosphere in the very spot where the Saint once lived.

For a full history St. Elizabeth of Hungary after whom the building is named, read this article and find out how her life was entwined with Saint Francis.

In Italian this is 'agnello allo zafferano', an easy and delicious recipe any time of the year. The zone of Spoleto actually produces saffron so look to buy a small pot or packet there to make the authentic dish.

SUGGESTED LINKS

Accademia dello Zafferano, Perugia - accademiaitalianazafferano.com

The history of saffron in Abruzzo

Ingredients

a joint of lamb, olive oil, saffron, white wine, broth, salt and pepper

For us, Gubbio is very much the iron fist inside Umbria's velvet glove. If you like suits of armour, maces and two handed swords, then this is the place for you.

Old Iguvium sits looking down the wide valley and ever since the Eugubini created their '7 bronze tables' in the 300BC, depicting life at the time, the town has retained an architectural and cultural style. The tables were found in 1444 in the area where the original Umbrian population lived and where the historical center is now located.

Interestingly, the Romans preferred the open land of the valley. Look out or the well preserved ampitheater and Mausoleum of Pomponio Grecino in the fields.

The Ceri Race is now the main cultural event in the city. Pronounced 'cherry' but nothing to do with the red fruit, the 'ceri' are three gigantic wooden structures over 400 kilos in weight. They feature the Saints Ubaldo, Giorgio and Antonio on top and see the light of day once a year on the anniversary of the death of the city's patron, St.Ubaldo. The reason is that they are raced by teams of youths from the historic center to the basilica on the summit of Mount Ingino. That's 1200 kilos all uphill by our calculations.