 Often
referred to as "the green heart of Italy", Umbria is a
predominantly beautiful region of rolling hills, woods,
streams and valleys, and despite the growing number of
visitors has largely retained an unspoilt air.
Within its borders it also contains a dozen or so
classic hill-towns, each resolutely individual and
crammed with artistic and architectural treasures to
rival bigger and more famous cities.
To the east, pastoral countryside gives way to more
rugged scenery, none better than the dramatic twists and
turns of the Valnerina and the high mountain scenery of
the Parco Nazionale dei Sibellini.
Umbria was named by the Romans after the mysterious
Umbrii, a tribe cited by Pliny as the oldest in Italy,
and one that controlled territory reaching into
present-day Tuscany and the Marche. Although there is
scant archeological evidence pertaining to them, it is
known that their influence was mainly confined to the
east of the Tiber; the darker and bleaker towns to the
west - such as Perugia and Orvieto - were founded by the
Etruscans, whose rise forced the Umbrii to retreat into
the eastern hills.
Roman domination was eventually undermined by the
barbarian invasions, in the face of which the Umbrians
withdrew into fortified hill-towns, paving the way for a
pattern of bloody rivalry between independent
city-states that continued through the Middle Ages.
Weakened by constant warfare, most towns eventually fell
to the papacy, entering a period of economic and
cultural stagnation that has continued almost to the
present day.
Historically, however, Umbria is best known as the
birthplace of several saints, St Benedict and St Francis
of Assisi being the most famous, and for a religious
tradition that earned the region such names as Umbra
santa, Umbra mistica and la terra dei santi ("land of
saints"). The landscape itself has contributed much to
this mystical reputation, and even on a fleeting trip
it's impossible to miss the strange quality of the
Umbrian light, an oddly luminous silver haze that hangs
over the gentle curves of the land.
After years as an impoverished backwater, Umbria has
begun to capitalize on its charms. Foreign acquisition
of rural property is now as rapid as it was in Tuscany
twenty years ago, though outsiders have done nothing to
curb the region's renewed sense of identity and youthful
enthusiasm, nor to blunt the artistic initiatives that
have turned Umbria into one of the most flourishing
cultural centres in Italy. Headline-grabbing earthquakes
in 1997 briefly dented tourist numbers, but they have
had a negligible long-term effect - at least as far as
visitors are concerned - as the majority of sights
suffered little damage.
Most visitors head for Perugia, Assisi - with its
extraordinary frescoes by Giotto in the Basilica di San
Francesco - or Orvieto, where the duomo is one of the
greatest Gothic buildings in the country. For a taste of
the region's more understated qualities, it's best to
concentrate on lesser-known places such as Todi, Gubbio,
ranked as the most perfect medieval centre in Italy, and
Spoleto, for many people the outstanding Umbrian town.
Although there are few unattractive parts of the Umbrian
landscape (the factories of Terni and the Tiber Valley
being the largest blots), some districts are especially
enticing: principally the mountainous Valnerina, Piano
Grande and Lago Trasimeno, the last of which is the
largest lake in the Italian peninsula, with plenty of
opportunities for swimming and watersports.
Getting around the region by public transport presents
no problems. Distances between the main sights are
short, and there are excellent rail links both within
the region and to Florence and Rome.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT
www.italiamia.com
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