Umbria, the green heart of Italy, is a region of historic and modern central Italy, amid the green hills of the Apennines. Umbria is bordered by Tuscany to the west, Marche to the east, and Lazio to the south, making Umbria the only region in Italy that is completely landlocked.
Umbria has a continental climate with cold winters and warm summers. Rain and snow are common, especially in the Apennines. The best time to visit Umbria is in the spring or summer, with the hottest month being August.
Umbria is a verdant, unspoiled region, with a mixed landscape of hills, flatlands, and fertile valleys that extend along the Tiber’s central basin. Umbria is a place for vacationers seeking to enjoy some of the natural wonders of Italy that harmoniously exist with artistic and historical sites.
Orvieto
TOURS AND ACTIVITES
Bicycling: Umbria is a great location for exploring nature on two wheels, offering paths that will meet the needs of the amateur to experienced cyclists.
Horseback Riding: Pick up a map of the horse riding trails, and blaze your way around Lake Trasimeno.
Canoeing, Windsurfing, and Sailing: Lake Trasimeno is the spot if you’re looking for nautical activities. Canoe, windsurfing, and sailboat rentals can be found in Castiglione del Lago at La Merangola, as well as Tuoro at Belneazione Tuoro.
Hang-Gliding: Umbria is considered a perfect area for hang-gliding due to its elevations, windy conditions, and stunning vistas. Some of the prime locations for hang-gliding in Umbria are Monte Cucco and Monte Sibillini.
Wine Trails: Take a walk along the famous wine trails of Umbria that will be sure to satisfy all five senses. On the wine trails you will experience nature, taste, history, and traditions, while sipping wine from local wineries, enjoying local cuisine and old crafts of ceramics, glass, and wood.
PLACES TO VISIT
Perugia: The once Etruscan settlement is now the main town of Umbria, and largest province of Umbria, covering two-thirds of the whole region. The landscape presents different aspects: a wide area of plains in the Umbra and Tiber valleys, framed by hills and mountains in the eastern part. The rest of the territory is covered by woodland.
While in Perugia, it is easy to tour around the many piazzas, especially Piazza IV Novembre, which can be considered the monumental and social core of the city. In the center of the piazza is the Maggiore Fountain, a sculptural masterpiece by Giovanni and Nicola Pisano. This architectonical complex also includes the Palazzo dei Priori built between the 13th and the 14th centuries, and now houses the National Gallery of Umbria, which contains the most important collection of Umbrian paintings, including a number of pieces by Perugino. Finally, the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, the main façade is on Piazza Danti, while the façade looking onto Piazza IV Novembre has San Bernardino’s pulpit, from where the saint used to preach.
Assisi: One of the most famous towns in Italy is Assisi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and, above all, homeland of Saint Francis, and Saint Clare (Chiara d’Offreducci), the founder of the Order of Poor Clares. Here you’ll find the Basilica overlooking the entire valley on Mount Subasio, a dedicated shrine to San Francesco (St. Francis), which preserves the Saint’s tomb and the Giotto’s frescos.
Orvieto: Perched on a 3,200 sq. foot meter lump of volcanic tuff rock between the rivers Paglia and Chiani, is Orvieto. A city with rich Etruscan roots, Orvieto is known for its many architectural sites and mysteries. The main monument to visit is the 13th century Cathedral built to celebrate the Corpus Domini miracle, which took place at Bolsena in 1264. Inside is the fresco The Apocalypse by Luca Signorelli. Other monuments to visit are the St. Andrea’s Church, the Opera del Duomo Museum, the Pozzo di St. Patrizio, and tour the mysterious Underground City—a labyrinth of tunnels, stairways, and paths lead away from the city’s walls.
Todi: Once classified by the Italian press as the most livable city in the world, Todi is a town in the province of Perugia, perched on a tall two-crested hill overlooking the east bank of the river Tiber. Said to have been originally built by Hercules in 1330 B.C., Todi has many interesting landmarks to visit, including: San Maria della Consolazione, Palazzo dei Priori, Cathedral of San Maria Annunziata, and Palazzo del Capitano.
Gubbio: Gubbio is a town in the far northeastern part of the Italian province of Perugia. It is located on the lowest slope of Mt. Ingino, a small mountain of the Apennines. The city’s origins are very ancient. Known as Ikuvium, starting in the Bronze Age, Gubbio was an important town of the ancient Umbrian people in pre-Roman times. Made famous for the discovery of the Eugubine (or Iguvine) Tables, a set of bronze tablets that together constitute the largest surviving text in ancient Umbrian. Here you can also see the second-largest surviving Roman theatre in the world.
Spoleto: Another of Perugia’s tourist destination, Spoleto is a tourist and cultural center of international fame. Monuments to visit include: Cathedral, Rocca di Albornoz, Chiesa di S.Pietro, Municipal Gallery, and Mont Luco.
Trasimeno Lake: Lake Trasimento is the largest lake on the Italian peninsula. It has three islands: Isola Maggiore, Isola Minore, and Isola Polvese. Its banks are famous in history, because the Roman consul Caius Flaminius was defeated there by Hannibal.
FOOD SPECIALITIES
Umbrici: Thick spaghetti-like pasta often served with black truffles.
Crostini alla Norcini: Crostini are popular in Umbria, little toasted bits of bread topped with various spreads like tartufo (black truffles), chicken liver (with capers and lemon), and crostini alla norcina, a blend of anchovies, truffles, and chicken liver.
Ciriole Ternana: A fairly thick tagliatelle, often dressed with olive oil, garlic, and a dash of chili pepper.
Perugina Chocolate: Perugina is a world- famous confectioner based in Perugia. They are most known for Baci, or Italian chocolate kisses filled with hazelnut, wrapped in a multilingual love note.
Pan Nociato: A typical Umbrian bread, this is a small bread that’s made of white flour, pecorino cheese, walnuts, and pine nuts. Though this bread is not sweet bread, some recipes call for small amounts of dried fruit that delights the taste buds when experienced.
Castelluccio Lentils: A main accompaniment of several Umbrian dishes, Castellucio lentils, with their subtle nutty flavors are wonderful additions to any meal, especially pork.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Umbria Jazz: Are you looking to ride the wave of smooth rhythmic jazz, or perhaps something more upbeat that will get your toe tapping? The world-renowned Umbria Jazz Festival is the event where you will find whatever it is you’re looking for. The festival has been held annually since 1973, usually in the month of July, in Perugia, and surrounding cities of the region.
The Eurochocolate: If the idea of attending a festival dedicated to fine European chocolate sounds like an event for you, it probably is. EuroChocolate is an annual chocolate festival that takes place in Perugia. Since its inception in 1993, it has become one of the largest chocolate festivals in Europe. EuroChocolate draws nearly one million tourists and Italian natives each year. This event is held every October and lasts for 9 blissfully indulgent days. EuroChocolate offers entertainment, chocolate art displays, experimental chocolate tastings, street performances, and chocolate sculpting. In recent years, an igloo has been constructed out of 7,900 pounds of chocolate bricks. And finally, if you’ve never experienced the rejuvenating effects of a chocolate facial, this is your chance to make your chocolate day spa appointment.
The Corpus Domini: One of the main celebrations of the liturgical year for the Catholic Church. For the Orvietani it is the most awaited and meaningful event of the year. It was in Orvieto that Pope Urban IV established the holiday of the Corpus Domini back in 1264 with the Papal Bull, Transiturus. And since that day, this holiday has been celebrated every year with an ever growing number of initiatives encompassing faith, history, tradition, and folklore.