The Taverns of the Terzieri
Renaissance Flavours
Umbrian Renaissance cuisine is made of the earth's produce, robust flavours and recipes handed down by noble families and religious confraternities. Black truffle, wild boar, pici pasta, mountain legumes, wild herbs and the great hill wines all meet in the taverns of the terzieri.
During the Palio days, each tavern opens its kitchens in the festively decorated alleys. Long tables under fabric banners, candles, Trasimeno ceramics and terracotta cups: the atmosphere is that of a Renaissance refectory — convivial and popular.
Taverna del Castello
The Taverna del Castello is the beating heart of the Terziere — the first of the three to be re-established, in 1964, under the colours green and black. The cellars of Palazzo della Corgna, between brick and tufa, armour and tapestries, evoke the Renaissance atmosphere. The garden and cool halls host one of the strongholds of local gastronomy, on Palio days and in late June, in honour of Saint Peter.
Every evening, from 7:30 PM, the tavern opens its doors and the kitchen serves the Castello "specialities": the Gnocchi del Priore, pork morsels with saffron and polenta, grilled collagna with herbs. All accompanied by local red wine and sweetened by the ciambelline di San Rocco — patron of the Terziere, celebrated on 16 August — paired with the "mysterious" Ippocrasso.
Taverna del Casalino
The Taverna del Barbacane stands beneath the Bishop's Tower, one of the few remaining walls erected as a defence of the town — of medieval origin, ceded to the Bishop's palace in October 1572. Along the wall walk and in the wide courtyard below, handcrafted tables and benches welcome guests of the Terziere Casalino, founded in 1965 under the colours white, red and blue of the Confraternity of the White-clad (Bianchi).
Virtuous maidens and young townspeople, strictly in period costume, serve Renaissance dishes at the tables: Lumache alla Barbacane, pici with wild boar sauce, wild boar with tarragon, beans with pork rind, and a variety of grilled meats. The patron of the Terziere is Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, celebrated in June with the extraordinary Infiorata.
Taverna del Borgo Dentro
The Taverna della Rocca is the home of the Terziere Borgo Dentro. Inside Palazzo Orca it offers two distinct spaces: the first is the basement, with its characteristic brick vaults where you can breathe the atmosphere of the Renaissance tavern; the second is outdoors, in the inner courtyard of the palazzo, where the Terziere's moments of togetherness are lived until late at night.
Here you can taste all the dishes that have made the cuisine of Borgo Dentro one of the Terziere's many sources of pride: from the classic Stinco dell'Arciere, Trippa and Fagioli con le cotiche, to the dishes that the skilled hands of our cooks add each year, inspired by the Italian Renaissance tradition.
The Terziere's patron is the Blessed Giacomo Villa, known as "the Almsgiver" for his devotion to the poor, celebrated on the second-to-last Sunday of September.
Frank hospitality and honest prices, as the Borgo tradition demands: every evening, from 7:30 PM.
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Step inside, just like in old times
The taverns of the terzieri don't take reservations. You walk in, find a seat at the long wooden tables, order at your table. That's how Renaissance taverns worked — and how they still work today.
No Booking Needed
No lists, no phone queues. Arrive, enter, find a seat. Renaissance rule.
When to Go
Open in the evening from 6:30 PM to 11:30 PM. Tables free up continuously, but the best dining hours are between 8:00 and 9:30 PM.
Support the Palio
The proceeds of the taverns fund the organisation of the Palio: every raised tankard is a brick of a tradition that goes on.
For organisation information: [email protected] · 0578 298840