Known as the green lung of Italy, Umbria is known for its long history as a melting pot of different peoples and cultures and it has always been a cultural and religious crossroads. Perugia, the seat of the Italian university for foreigners, holds the Umbria Jazz Festival every summer. Spoleto cathedral frames the " Festival dei due mondi" in summer and it conserves some of the most beautiful churches in Italy: Sant'Eufemia, the cathedral, San Salvatore and San Ponziano. Assisi is the site of the famous basilica dedicated to Saint Francis, with the frescoes of Giotto, Cimabue, Martini, and Lorenzetti. Saint Francis was a poet of genius and a mystic in love with God. He looked upon Poverty as the Madonna, whom he considered as a lover and a wife. The Roman Temple of Minerva, dated the first century B.C., and the Roman Forum of the Museum (which includes the skirting-board of the temple and the roman paving) border on the Piazza del Comune.
We suggest a visit to Saint Chiara Basilica (1257-1275), built in Italian gothic style, which holds important pictorial works dated from the twelfth to fourteenth century. Admire the charming Saint Rufino cathedral with its Romanesque front, adorned by three rose-windows. You can visit other important monuments, such as "Rocca Maggiore", a typical example of medieval military architecture, Santa Maria Maggiore Church, first cathedral of Assisi built in Romanesque style and Fonte Marcella dated sixteenth century. You can also visit the municipal picture gallery and the contemporary sacred art-gallery. Gubbio maintains the structure of a medieval village, with the Cathedral, Bargello Palace, Consoli Palace, Palazzo Ducale and Saint Francis Church. Raffaello Sanzio changed from apprentice to master in Città di Castello ; in this town he created the "Sposalizio della Vergine" for an important family.
Other important artists, such as Luca Signorelli, Della Robbia, Gherardi, l Vasari, worked in this town in the fifteenth and sixteenth century; today the municipal picture gallery displays their work. Near Città di Castello you can find the waters of Fontecchio , already known in the first century A.C.
Todi is one of the most beautiful medieval towns and it has a Cathedral, Piazza del Popolo, Palazzo dei Priori, Palazzo del Popolo, Palazzo del Capitano, and the churches of San Fortunato and Santa Maria della Consolazione. Orvieto is situated over a plateau at an altitude of 300 metres and its looks down on a plain covered in vineyards. The cathedral is one of the most beautiful Romanesque-gothic cathedrals in Italy; visit an Lorenzo in Arari, and the little churches of San Giovenale and Sant'Andrea. Spello is famous for frescoes painted by Pinturicchio, today kept in Santa Maria Maggiore Church (XIIcentury) and for the churches of Sant'Andrea and San Lorenzo. The Lake Trasimeno touristic area includes the resorts of Castiglione del Lago , Magione, Passignano sul Trasimeno e Tuoro sul Trasimeno, which are built on the banks of Lake Trasimeno.
LOCAL CULINARY SPECIALITIES:
Above all black truffles, white truffles and extra virgin olive oil.
First course : bean and mushroom soup, various kinds of home made pasta, including ?ciriole ternane? and ?strascinati?.
Second course : chicken, pork and palombacci in ?porchetta?, in ?salmì? or ?on the spit?, fish from Lake Trasimeno, in particular carp; cheeses ?the caciotte of Monteleone?, ?tartufato?, ?smoked provole? and ?scamorze?.We suggest the side dishes such as the special lentils of Castelluccio, and the beans and broccoli of Trasimeno.
Desserts : ? brustengolo?, ?ciaramicola?, the cakes of Orvieto, the ?rocciata di Assisi? and the ?ossa dei morti?.
Wines : Torgiano Rosso Riserva, Sagrantino di Montefalco, Montefalco Sagrantino Passito, Grechetto and Orvieto.
