Umbria
- a fascinating region of history and culture by Roger Coombes
Assisi
Hotels / Perugia Hotels
Umbria is located in the
geographical centre of Italy, between Tuscany and Le Marche. The capital
is Perugia, a city founded by the Etruscans. Umbria is the region where
in a relatively confined space the visitor can enjoy the best aspects of
Italian life, history and culture. Improved communications are opening
up the region to new types of visitors attracted by the artistic and cultural
heritage as well as the opportunities for having a second home, taking
holiday breaks in peaceful country locations, or enjoying outdoor sports
in attractive settings.
 The
hills, covered with evergreen oak, account for the traditional description
of Umbria as 'the green heart of Italy'. Between the Tiber valley and the
Tuscan towns of Cortona and Arezzo there is an attractive area of wooded
hills. Just west of Perugia is Lake Trasimeno, Umbria's largest expanse
of water, and scene of the battle where Hannibal and his elephants defeated
the Romans in 217 BC. South of Lake Trasimeno the landscape changes, becoming
gently undulating rather than hilly or mountainous and the houses are built
of terracotta bricks rather than stone, which gives a different look to
the countryside.
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Perugia is home to the National
Gallery of Umbria with a rich collection of paintings by Renaissance masters
such as Duccio, Giotto, Gentile da Fabriano, Fra Angelico, Piero della
Francesca and Pinturicchio. Città della Pieve to the south was the
birthplace of Pietro Vannucci, the Umbrian painter also known as 'Il Perugino'.
In Assisi the Basilica of Saint Francis is famous for its amazing set of
frescoes by Giotto.
For
sports-oriented visitors, Monte Cucco above Gubbio, and Monte Vettore near
Norcia, are centres for hang-gliding enthusiasts. Gubbio is home to an
annual international Arab horse endurance riding event. White water rafting
and kayaking are available in the Val Nerina near Spoleto, as well as skiing
in winter. |
Country walking, bird and
nature watching, and pony-trekking can be enjoyed almost everywhere in
Umbria. There are also several golf courses in the region.
Umbria has plenty of good
food and wine: there are truffles in the Val Nerina, as well as fresh and
smoked trout. Wild boar are hunted every autumn and the meat is turned
into prosciutto and sausages . Olives grow all over the region and Umbrian
olive oil is prized for its low acidity and delicate flavour. Montefalco
red wine and Grechetto white have a justly merited international reputation.
Alongside the genial and
hospitable Umbrians there is now a sizeable population of resident and
holidaying foreigners. Most have come for the countryside lifestyle and
settle in old farmhouses. Many of these have now been restored to levels
of comfort the previous inhabitants could only have dreamt of, mixing traditional
building materials such as stone, terracotta and chestnut wood fittings
with state of the art Jacuzzis and fitted kitchens. There is also no shortage
of town houses and apartments in historic buildings in very attractive
towns such as Città di Castello and Assisi.
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Assisi
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About the Author - Roger
Coombes is a Director of Cluttons Italy, specialist Italyian Realtors and
Estate Agents with particular experience of buying and selling property
in Umbria. |
