My car’s headlights pierce the inky night, slicing through a thick blanket of forest. As I round a bend on a gravel road in the Umbrian countryside, two hulking wild boars waddle into view, trailed by 10 cannonball-sized piglets—a furry troupe basking in the glow. Driving deeper into Tenuta di Murlo, deer, rabbits, and other shadowy creatures bound into the brambles, a wild prelude to the 7,000-acre estate where nature reigns.
At Tenuta di Murlo, time slows: sip wine, swim under the Umbrian sun, and watch the hills glow at dusk. Photo: @tenutadimurlo
“Our guests call it the Murlo safari,” laughs Carlotta Carabba Tettamanti, who oversees Tenuta di Murlo with her husband, Alessio, whose family has owned the property for generations. The sprawling estate is a living landscape of forests, olive groves, vineyards and bees. Its most coveted treasure is truffles. Nature is the focal point here, and it is truffles that have drawn me in.
Life on the land: goats and chickens roam Tenuta di Murlo’s farm, where traditions of Umbrian agriculture meet luxury living. Photo: @tenutadimurlo
Luckily, a truffle hunt requires little more than a good night’s sleep, and that is no problem at the serene Tenuta di Murlo. Since 2006, nine of the estate’s 80 ancient stone structures have been carefully restored and converted into luxury lodging, each one unique. “My husband and I believe that the magical thing about Murlo is that it has been the same since the Middle Ages,” Carlotta says. “We have tried to keep everything authentic and in harmony with the estate’s environment.”
Villa Molinella, a restored 13th-century stone watermill at Tenuta di Murlo in Umbria, featuring two bedrooms, private spa, and natural pools along the valley stream. Photo: @tenutadimurlo
After my safari-like arrival, I settle into Villa Molinella, a 13th-century mill tucked beside a stream deep within the estate. Once a crumbling ruin and a secret picnic spot, the mill has been transformed into a stunning two-bedroom private retreat. Pools, some natural and one man-made, grace the grounds. But on a chilly evening in the Murlo valley, nothing compares to a long soak in the villa’s subterranean whirlpool spa, hidden beneath the living room floor where the millstone once sat.
Interior of Villa Molinella featuring exposed stone walls, wooden beams, mustard curtains, a glass floor detail, and cozy seating with soft lighting. Photo: @tenutadimurlo
After a night of deep sleep, morning light spills across Murlo’s rounded hills, their green slopes resembling the bellies of slumbering giants. After a hearty farmhouse breakfast on the terrace, I meet my truffle-hunting guide, Giovanni Calderini. He introduces me to Roy, a spirited seven-year-old Lagotto Romagnolo with clipped off-white fur and brown eye patches that give him a world-weary look. But Roy is anything but weary. Thrilled for the day’s adventure, he darts ahead, nose to the ground and tail whipping like a windshield wiper. Soon, he zeroes in on a stand of poplars, where black and white truffles nestle among the roots, thriving in a hidden exchange of water and nutrients.
Step by step, nose to the ground: truffle hunting is a centuries-old Umbrian tradition kept alive at Tenuta di Murlo. Photo: @tenutadimurlo
While keeping an eye on Roy zipping up soggy banks and through trees cloaked in moss, Calderini tells me that a truffle-hunting dog spends up to the first eight months of its life socializing with other puppies. “A dog that gets along with everyone works with happiness,” Calderini says, explaining the Lagotto Romagnolos he trains are taught to think of truffle hunting as play. Roy, clearly thrilled with his mission, suddenly stops, folds back his ears, and paws the ground. The dog looks to his master, indicating he’s caught the scent of a perfectly ripe truffle.
Calderini squats and pulls out a vanghetto, or small spade. He digs out a Bianchetto, a white truffle also known as Marzuolo, which he feeds Roy as a tasty reward for a job well done. Calderini jokes hunting the pricey fungi is work well done for himself as well. But rather than for financial gain, he first got into the endeavour nearly two decades ago because he loved spending time outdoors. “It’s so beautiful to leave in the morning with my dog and be in the woods for hours i silence,” he says. “It’s good for the heart and health.”
At Il Caldaro, meals are more than dining—they’re a celebration of Umbrian terroir.
After the excursion, I bid Calderini and Roy farewell. At Tenuta di Murlo’s restaurant, Il Caldaro, I savour bruschetta and scrambled eggs crowned with shaved black Scorzone truffles, their nutty, earthy flavours paired with a rosé from the estate’s vineyard. Carlotta had described Tenuta di Murlo as a place where guests can see, feel and breathe the beauty of Umbria. As I take my last bite, I realise they can taste it too.
Evenings at Il Caldaro are a feast for the senses, pairing truffles, wine, and Umbrian hospitality. Photo: @ilcaldaro
