THERE are places we love because they are always changing and there are places we treasure because they never seem to change.

In Umbria, time seems to stop. The picturesque hillside villages of central Italy, with their church bells and unspoiled scenery, give visitors the sense of traveling back in time.

Umbria invites discovery. A centuries-old artisan spirit continues in Perugia, capital of the region and its largest art center.

Splendid fresco paintings and masterpieces by Perugino, Piero della Francesca, Pinturicchio and others await visitors. Equally intriguing are the modern-day artisans who carry on traditional skills hidden from the view of average tour groups.

My first stop was Studio Moretti Caselli which houses a family that has been making enameled glass windows in the historic center of Perugia since 1860.

The studio was acquired by Francesco Moretti in 1894. Since then, five generations of master glassworkers have been creating stained-glass windows that adorn many Italian and foreign churches and also many private homes.

Maddalena Forenza, a fifth-generation member of the family, gave me a tour of the studio.

“My ancestor Francesco Moretti rediscovered the art of glass painting that was abandoned from the 15th century onward,’’ she said. “He revived it and enriched it. Since the 19th century, our workshop has retained the frames, the easels, the colors, the kilns and the tools that allow skilled hands to execute marvelous enameled and baked stained-glass windows.’’

Moretti and his nephew Ludovico Caselli executed some extraordinary works, such as the restoration of the large stained-glass window of St Domenico in Perugia and one in the Cathedral of Orvieto.

Caselli’s daughters, Rosa and Cecilia, continue the family tradition. They made a 40-square-meter stained-glass reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper,” which can still be admired in the monumental cemetery of Glendale in Los Angeles.

Today, the studio is like a hidden museum in Perugia, with its archives, photographs, drawings and tools of the trade. The studio hosts courses and workshops for those wanting to explore this art form more deeply.

Not far from Studio Moretti Caselli is Giuditta Brozzetti, a beautiful handloom-weaving site located in an abandoned 14th-century Church of San Francesco Delle Donne on the fringe of the medieval center. Marta Cucchia, the fourth generation of the family, has dedicated her life to preserving the family craftsmanship.

The site was founded in 1921 by Cucchia’s great-grandmother Giuditta Brozzetti and is one of the last of its kind remaining in Italy. The 18th- and 19th-century wooden looms are arranged in a line along a stone wall.

Cucchia demonstrated how the old looms operate, producing true handiwork art that still finds buyers today. Exquisite tablemats, runners and accessories in traditional Umbrian and Italian medieval and Renaissance designs are displayed here, at prices that seem modest compared with the time and energy it took to make them.

Throughout Umbria, one can find exquisite artworks, from the world-renowned ceramics of Deruta, once sought after by European nobles during the Renaissance to wrought iron works in Gubbio. Goldsmithing using the traditional Etruscan granulation technique has also been revived.

Famed cuisine

It’s not only art that engages a visitor. There is also the famed cuisine of the region.

Norcia, which is located in the southeast corner of the region, is famous for its pork butchery and abundance of truffles. It is also the home of St Benedict, founder of Western monasticism.

In truffle season, highly trained dogs sniff out the precious black truffles. The streets off the Piazza San Benedetto are lined with traditional butcher shops. It’s said the men of Norcia are artists in the art of preparing pigs for dining.

My gastronomic journey in Norcia started at Palazzo Seneca, a charming 16th-century residence that has undergone careful restoration by owners Vincenzo and Federico Bianconi. Their family has been offering great dining and hospitality since 1850.

Vincenzo Bianconi, an elegant gentleman, regales guests with tales about his beloved hometown and its dolce vita.

Just a one-minute walk from Palazzo Seneca, one can find the Granaro del Monte restaurant, the oldest restaurant in Umbria. It’s also run by Bianconi family. Vincenzo’s father still greets guests at the door.

The menu include classic regional cuisine, including pork, porcini, wild boar, mountain cheeses, and, above all, truffles.

“Its success is based on three elements: wholesomeness, genuineness and tradition,” Vincenzo Bianconi said. “Our history is love for our work and for our town.”

He told me the town of Norcia, set in the heart of the Sibillini Mountains National Park, is an eco-destination of clean air and unpolluted vegetation.

Inside the palazzo hotel, all the furniture has been handcrafted by Umbrian artisans.

Bianconi home sits not far from the hotel. That’s where I took a cooking class from experienced chefs using local produce.

When the season is right, Palazzo Seneca organizes truffle-hunting activities. According to Bianconi, there are three different seasons for the black truffle. The most precious is the tuber Melanosporum vittadinis, which is harvested from December 1 to March 15.

This relaxing town is also rich in activities such as trekking, mountain bike excursions, horse and mule riding, rafting, canoeing and paragliding. The town has been awarded as the “best destination for families in the center of Italy.’’

Gubbio, the most thoroughly medieval of the Umbrian hill towns, is also a must-see for travelers.

It is perched on the slopes of Mount Ingino, affording panoramic views of the valleys below.

It’s a joy to just wander through the hilly streets and twisting alleyways. The Piazza Grande is one of the most outstanding main squares in the region.

Every year on May 15, the Race of the Ceri takes place on the eve of the feast of the patron St Ubaldo.

The Ceri are three tall, wooden structures supporting the statues of St Ubaldo, San Giorgio and Sant’Antonio Abate. Ceri bearers dress in different colors, depending on which saint they carry on their shoulders while running through the town.

This is one of the few folk and religious festivals that has survived history and not lost any of its charm or tradition.

Umbria is best visited in spring and early summer.

Fulco Pratesi, an environmentalist, writer and founder of the World Wildlife Fund in Italy, said: “The nature and landscape are still the same as those we admire in the paintings and the frescoes of immortal Italian artists.’’

It is indeed an unspoiled canvas.

Lord Byron once called the 165-meter-high Marmore Waterfall “horribly beautiful’’ during his grand tour of Italy in 1817. The waterfall, formed by the river Velino in Valnerina, is harnassed to generate hydro-electricity. Its waters plunge into the Nera River less than 10 kilometers from Terni, after dropping 165 meters.

Central Italy’s largest lake, Lake Trasimeno, lies at the western edge of Umbria bordering Tuscany. It is a perfect sanctuary for those seeking peace and solitude. Visitors can fishing, enjoy water sports or walk along magical trails.

And don’t forget the local cuisine. Residents here are proud of high-quality wines, olive oils and the famous Trasimeno carp.