Referred as "the green heart of Italy", it is a beautiful region of rolling hills, woods, streams and valleys with an unspoilt air. There are also a dozen or so hill towns, each resolutely individual and crammed with artistic and architectural treasures to rival bigger and more famous cities. The most famous are Perugia, Assisi (with the extraordinary frescoes by Giotto in the Basilica of San Francesco, Orvieto, where the Duomo is one of the greatest Gothic buildings in the country, Todi, Gubbio (considered the most perfect medieval centre in Italy), and Spoleto.
The green heart of Italy, just north of Rome |
Umbria - singled out |
 Umbria and central Italy, with all the towns |
Historically, however, Umbria is best known as the birthplace of Saint Francis of Assisi, and a religious tradition that earned the region such names as "Umbria Santa", Umbria mistica" and "La terra dei Santi" (land of Saints). The landscape itself contributed to the mystical reputation, for the strange quality of the Umbrian light, the silver haze that hangs over the gentle curves of the land.
Finally, Umbria is very near both Rome and Florence and it is an excellent base to trips to everywhere in Italy (Tuscany, Florence, the region of Rome, Venice, Verona, Bologna and Naples alike).
