Umbria

INTRODUCTION:

This guide dedicated to UMBRIA was born to provide the maximum of information on one of the most beautiful regions of Italy and give useful data to the travellers who are organizing a stay in this historical Italian land. This guide will provide as many details as possible about the history of the main towns of the region as well as the spots that should never be left off by any means. We will also deal with the gastronomy and outstanding cultural events of a land that is a real paradise to explore and boasts splendid places as to history, cultural interest and undeniable beauty of its scenery. Perhaps Umbria has been overshadowed, in a way, by its near and much more famous Tuscany. The fact that the neighbouring region has been the main character of innumerable best sellers inspired by it, and has been the location where many famous films have been shot, and the main character of endless scenic photographs has no doubt widely promoted it as a tourist destination. However, Umbria, with much less promotion, is anyway little by little drawing more and more visitors to it and making them fall in love with it … with this land that is deservedly called “The green heart of Italy”. The nearness of the Apennines, the height and weather are the factors which have made Umbria offer throughout most part of the year sceneries with all the imaginable shades of green of a really magical and serene beauty. The geography of the region is also characterized by its mountainous and hilly geography which abounds more than plains, which only total a surface of 6% throughout Umbria.The varied morphology of its scenery is its main feature and gives it a true “perfect imperfection” to the travellers eyes.

HISTORY:

The name Umbria derives from the antique Umbri that was the name of the first tribe that settled in the region in the 6th century BC. The Etruscans were the great enemies of the Umbri and invaded the region between the 8th and 6th century BC. After the Etruscans’fall, Umbria failed to repel the Roman invasion. After the Romans victory, a period of integration started.The construction of the Via Flaminia, which turned into the main way of communication and development of the Roman Umbria is witness to it. When the Roman Empire fell, the Ostrogoths and Byzantines fought for control of the region. The Lombards founded the Dukedom of Spoleto that lies over most of what is Umbria today. When Charlemagne’s army conquered most Lombard kingdoms, some Umbrian territories were given to the Pope, who established his temporal power over some of them. Alter the French revolution, Umbria became part of the Roman Republic (1789-1799) and of the Napoleonic Empire (1809-1814) and in 1860 Umbria was incorporated to the Kingdom of Italy. The current borders of Umbria were established in 1927 after the creation of the province of Terni and the exclusion of the province of Rieti which became part of the region of Lacio.Nowadays there are still many traces in the Umbrian towns of the ancient history of this beautiful central region of Italy. Travelling along the narrow and steep street of many of its towns, it is easy to travel in time and feel infinite calm and peace in places in which sometimes modern life stress seems not to be allowed to settle here.

INTERESTING DATA:
Lovers of long strolls enjoy the steep and endless ascent of streets in beautiful places such as Spoleto, Gubbio, Todi or Perugia. Those who are less sporty will be glad to know that many of this towns have moving walkways and elevators to make the ascent easier. Organizing a trip to Umbria is easy from the logistic point of view as there are many transport options, ranging from flights that arrive in Perugia, in some neighbouring Tuscany towns ( such as Florence or Pisa) or even in the airport of Rome that is only 130 km from the beautiful Orvieto, for instance. It is difficult to select places that should not be left out in Umbria, as there are many little towns and singular villages that deserve a visit. Besides, those who travel to Umbria for the first time will have to include in their itineraries : Perugia, Foligno, Gubbio, Assisi, Montefalco, Spello, Città di Castello, Spoleto, Terni, Todi, Trevi and the marvellous Lake Trasimeno.As well as its history and beauty, in Umbria at cultural level, among other events, the Umbria Jazz Festival has to be highlighted for its organization which after more than 36 editions goes on gathering leading figures that fill with music the streets of Perugia for 10 days in July. The winter edition of the festival is celebrated in Orvieto. All in all Umbria has whatever you may need to turn your holidays into an unforgettable experience from any point of view. Besides, the excellent gastronomy of the region also deserves attention. And we will highlight that its signature dish is no doubt the well-liked truffle. We trust this guide to be helpful to the travellers who are organizing a route around this beautiful region and we expect it is an interactive tool that grows with your contribution that we hope to receive after your Umbrian experience.