Umbria
Italy's green heart, Umbria is a land unto itself, the only Italian region that borders neither the sea nor another country. Removed from outside influences, it has kept alive many of Italy's old-world traditions. You'll see grandmothers in aprons making pasta by hand and front doors that haven't been locked in a century. Separated from Le Marche by the jagged spine of the Monti Sibillini, it contrasts wild, in-your-face beauty with the gentle fall and rise of overlapping hills and wildflower-flecked meadows. The Etruscans, Romans and medieval feuding families have left their indelible imprint on its pretty hill towns, where history seems to creep up on you at every corner – from the Gothic wonder of Orvieto to Assisi's saintly calling. Foodies are in their element here, with the rich earthiness of the tartufo (truffle), fine cured meats from Norcia and full-bodied local wines finding their way onto menus. Source: www.lonelyplanet.com
To Henry James, Umbria was "the most beautiful garden in all the world." St. Benedict and St. Francis were born and raised here, then went on to become two of the most powerful influences on Western spirituality. Perugino and Raphael started their famous schools here, and still today the serene landscapes and picturesque hill towns look almost as they do in canvases painted four hundred years ago. It's hard to explain the relative obscurity of this beautiful region. Five years from now Umbria will be all the rage. Today it is still a tranquil jewel, almost never crowded, frequented by the connoisseurs and pathfinders who always find the best places before the masses even know they exist.
The region's capital is Perugia. Lively home of the Università degli Stranieri (University for Foreigners), the hopelessly picturesque medieval town is reached by a very unmedieval escalator and dominated by Italy's largest fortress, the Rocca Paolina. Built after 1540 at the orders of Pope Paul III, it was intended to subjugate the independent Perugians to papal power. When Italy was unified in 1860 and the Papal States ceased to exist, the first thing the Perugians did was reclaim the fortress as their own. Independent to the man, woman and child, these Umbrians. Source: www.initaly.com
Italy's green heart, Umbria is a land unto itself, the only Italian region that borders neither the sea nor another country. Removed from outside influences, it has kept alive many of Italy's old-world traditions. You'll see grandmothers in aprons making pasta by hand and front doors that haven't been locked in a century. Separated from Le Marche by the jagged spine of the Monti Sibillini, it contrasts wild, in-your-face beauty with the gentle fall and rise of overlapping hills and wildflower-flecked meadows. The Etruscans, Romans and medieval feuding families have left their indelible imprint on its pretty hill towns, where history seems to creep up on you at every corner – from the Gothic wonder of Orvieto to Assisi's saintly calling. Foodies are in their element here, with the rich earthiness of the tartufo (truffle), fine cured meats from Norcia and full-bodied local wines finding their way onto menus. Source: www.lonelyplanet.com
To Henry James, Umbria was "the most beautiful garden in all the world." St. Benedict and St. Francis were born and raised here, then went on to become two of the most powerful influences on Western spirituality. Perugino and Raphael started their famous schools here, and still today the serene landscapes and picturesque hill towns look almost as they do in canvases painted four hundred years ago. It's hard to explain the relative obscurity of this beautiful region. Five years from now Umbria will be all the rage. Today it is still a tranquil jewel, almost never crowded, frequented by the connoisseurs and pathfinders who always find the best places before the masses even know they exist.
The region's capital is Perugia. Lively home of the Università degli Stranieri (University for Foreigners), the hopelessly picturesque medieval town is reached by a very unmedieval escalator and dominated by Italy's largest fortress, the Rocca Paolina. Built after 1540 at the orders of Pope Paul III, it was intended to subjugate the independent Perugians to papal power. When Italy was unified in 1860 and the Papal States ceased to exist, the first thing the Perugians did was reclaim the fortress as their own. Independent to the man, woman and child, these Umbrians. Source: www.initaly.com