A memorable evening in Deruta, Umbria

Antica Fattoria del Colle in Deruta, Umbria

As I approached the dirt track and the evening light was quickly fading, all my hopes were restored when a faded terracotta farmhouse suddenly stood proud in the middle of a glowing corn field. Two smiling faces greeted me like a long-lost friend and I immediately felt at home. Those were the days when my GPS was a battered old map of Umbria and although I knew parts of this beautiful region, as I had spent many childhood summers there, the charming B&B in Deruta proved to be elusive. Now standing in the courtyard, memories of playing hide and seek and building forts with bamboo sticks came flooding back and instantly transported me back to a time of innocence and endless curiosity and imagination.

The aromas drifting from the kitchen tickled my nostrils and made my mouth water, as I settled in my room and unpacked my belongings. As I made my way to the long dining room, a cheerful dog licked my feet and bounced its way in front of me also eager to be part of the memorable meal that was to come. There was something about that dining room — the smell of food mingling with old wood — that transported me straight back to Umbria and sitting with my cousins devouring a snack of cured ham and homemade bread. The unpretentious wooden benches invited me to take my place among the exuberant chatter of that unforgettable evening.

The anticipation for the food we were about to share was palpable and made all the more enticing by the way our host passionately described his wife’s cooking, briefly introducing the ingredients — all organic and locally sourced. All of a sudden dish after dish of the most delectable food appeared and our gastronomic journey through the authentic cuisine of Umbria began. His wife’s creations were nothing short of miraculous, elevating the simplest ingredients to new heights, for which our palates would be eternally grateful.

That evening highlighted one of the things I love most about my country: a sense of conviviality that I have never found anywhere else, where sharing food and conversation becomes a sacred act of community, warmth and belonging. Regardless of nationality, we were all brought together around a very special meal, lovingly prepared and generously shared — an experience that has stayed with us long after the evening ended.

Perhaps this is why that evening has remained so vivid in my memory. It wasn't simply the food, as extraordinary as it was. It was the feeling of being welcomed to a table, of strangers becoming companions through the simple act of sharing a meal and of experiencing something that felt so deeply connected to the Italy I love.

Years later, I can still remember the warmth of that evening — and the feeling that, for a few precious hours, we were all exactly where we were meant to be.

Deruta is one of those Italian towns that reveals itself slowly. Best known for its extraordinary ceramics, it is also a place of medieval streets, quiet corners and centuries of craftsmanship, not to mention an unrivalled sense of hospitality. If you're planning an Umbria itinerary, consider adding Deruta to your list. It's an easy place to overlook in favour of better-known Umbrian towns, which is precisely why I think it's worth discovering.

Ceramics in Deruta, Umbria