Umbria
About Umbria
Known as “the green heart of Italy”, Umbria is a land that will never fail to amaze with its untouched landscapes. This region comprises mainly hills, mountains, hollows and plains and extends along the Tiber’s central basin. At the heart of the boot, it is the only region with no coastline.
Anyone visiting Umbria cannot help but be captivated by the beauty of its lush countryside and abundance of medieval towns and villages perched on gently rolling hills. Umbria’s central location, peace, rural simplicity, history, art and culture are some of the many reasons why the region remains so popular.
Throughout the region, there is plenty to occupy any visitor to Italy’s best kept secret. For those who want the mix of culture, history, and modern shopping that Florence offers, but like to avoid the high prices and oppressive heat of the city-centre in summer, Perugia, Assisi, Orvieto , Gubbio, Spello and Foligno are excellent alternatives.
Perugia is the capital of the Umbria region is a lively medieval walled hill town with historic buildings, people-filled squares and modern shops. It is home to a university and a large Italian language school for foreigners. Etruscan remains are still visible in several places. Perugia is famous for chocolate and holds its chocolate festival, Eurochocolate, in mid-October. The city hosts a huge international Jazz Festival, the Umbria Jazz Festival, that runs for two weeks in July and MusicFestPerugia, two weeks of classical music performances in historic monuments and churches in August. Fantastic attractions within the city include Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria, Rocca Paolina, Duomo, Fontana Maggiore e Palazzo dei Priori.
Lake Trasimeno – central Italy’s largest lake is just 15 km from Perugia. The area still has the remains of Etruscan settlements, particularly around Castiglione del Lago, where the loveliness of the natural landscape combines with the romanticism and stillness of the lake. The Cascate delle Marmore waterfalls near Terni are some of the most beautiful in Europe. The waters dive into the River Nera with a spectacular 165 m (541 ft) drop, and are surrounded by lush vegetation. This is the spot for sports lovers who enjoy canoeing, kayaking, and simply relaxing in the beautiful countryside.
Assisi, known as the birthplace of Saint Francis, is one of the top places to visit in Umbria. Though the first stop for most travellers is Assisi’s imposing basilica dedicated to Saint Francis, there are many historic and spiritual Franciscan sites in Assisi that are equally important and evocative of this fascinating man’s life and work.
Umbria’s grand hill town Orvieto is worth a good half-day of sightseeing. Just off the motorway between Florence and Rome, with three popular claims to fame (cathedral, Classico wine, and ceramics), it’s loaded with tourists by day and quiet by night. The town sits majestically on a big chunk of volcanic rock called tuff, and the streets are lined with exhaust-stained buildings made from the carvable stuff. Train travelers and drivers use a handy funicular that shuttles them quickly from the train station and car park at the base up to the hilltop town.
Gubbio is a well-preserved medieval hill town in the Umbria region of central Italy. The compact centre has a good selection of medieval, Gothic, and Renaissance monuments built of grey limestone and has great views over the beautiful countryside. Just outside the town is a Roman amphitheatre. Bizarrely, Gubbio is also famous for the largest Christmas Tree in the world.
Spello is situated on a spur of the Subasio Mountain above a fertile and well-irrigated plain, between Assisi and Foligno . Famous for its Infiorate manifestation which takes place every year on the ninth Sunday after Easter. The floral creations cover streets throughout the historical centre in preparation to the passage of the Blessed Sacrament carried in procession by the bishop on Sunday morning. The result is a unique one mile-long path of beautiful floral creations with an explosion of colours and scents.
Spoleto was once a typically sleepy Umbrian hill town until, in 1958, Italian-American composer Gian Carlo Menotti founded the Festival dei Due Mondi, now known around the world as simply the Spoleto Festival. Combining theatre, dance, music, spoken word and other art forms, the festival has gained a reputation as one of the best of its kind in the world and has put this town firmly back on the map. However, even outside of festival season, Spoleto has more than enough museums, Roman ruins, restaurants and streets to keep any visitor busy for a good day or two.
Last but not least is Foligno, an ancient town in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the Topino river where it leaves the Apennines and enters the wide plain of the Clitunno river system.
Although the region is extremely rural, there are many luxury villas and hotels throughout Umbria.
Similar to Tuscany, each of the Umbrian hill top towns basks in the sun, the gently rolling hills flower with poppies, vetch and wild thyme in May, fields burst with sunflowers in June, olive groves dot the hillsides and even one or two vineyards add a note of colour in the southern areas. Try the Sagrantino di Montefalco as it is unique, the vines won’t grow anywhere else. Passito a type of sweet red desert wine is also made across Umbria but the more famous whites from Orvieto and full bodied reds from Torgiano also hit the spot. A tip? Try the red wine from the Fanini estate near Petrignano del Lago as it is a Montepulciano so called “Super Tuscan” but can’t be called that because the Cantina is in Umbria even if 90% of the vines aren’t.