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Art and culture in Umbria

The region of Umbria, though it is not particularly large in its dimensions, has a very rich and various art history. The special relationships between man and nature, between art and landscape, are evident everywhere. Museums, castles and fortresses, modern and contemporary art, artistic and historical events: the secret of Umbria’s beauty lies in the bond that Umbrians have always had with their rich and glorious past. In the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, it was a pulsating region at the heart of Italian historical, cultural, and religious events, and its cities flourished in an extraordinary manner, accumulating an enormous wealth of artistic jewels.

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SOLOMEO - CORCIANO SOLOMEO is a typical Italian hilltop village situated 10 km to the north west of Perugia. Its history is typical of a village in the rural area around Perugia and dates back to Etruscan times. With the end of the Etruscan era and the consequent Roman influence villae rusticae (i.e. farms) started to multiply in this part of Umbria as elsewhere. The remains of these settlements have been unearthed along the slopes of the Solomeo hills, in the outlying hills of Rugolano and Montefrondoso and in Mandoleto. On the hill where the village rises today, there must have been a villa of large proportions; a water cistern that was discovered there in 1992 is testimony to this. The walls were used as foundations for a small 18th century church dedicated to S. Maria delle Grazie, in the park of the Villa Antinori -Tocchi. In Solomeo you can visit the Church of S.Maria del Mandoleto, the Church of S.Donato di Montefrondoso, the Villa Antinori- Tocchi and the Villa di Montefrondoso. Within easy reach of Perugia, there are a number of hill towns worth a visit. One example is CORCIANO, a small medieval town situated on a hill 5 miles from Perugia, on a detour of the road to Lake Trasimeno. Corciano is surrounded by a fine circuit of walls and fortified towers and the splendid castle dominates the maze of narrow alleys and flights of steps that connect the piazzas and their beautiful architecture. Some of the public buildings have spectacular interior decoration.

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PERUGIA - ASSISI - SPELLO PERUGIA is one of the most attractive towns in the area of northern Umbria and southern Tuscany both in terms of its ambience and its architecture and should on no account be missed if you are visiting central Italy. The Piazza IV Novembre forms the centre of Perugia which speads outwards along the steep alleys leading to the walls of the original Etruscan settlement and the ancient gates of Porta Marzia, Porta Sole, Porta Cornea, Porta Trasimena, Porta della Mandorla and the Arco Etrusco. The piazza is one of the most beautiful squares in Italy, surrounded as it is by fine buildings. A visit to the Umbrian town of ASSISI, the birthplace of St. Francis, is like going back to the 12th century. The town still retains its ancient rhythms. Apart from religious buildings too important to not be considered solely the heritage of Assisi such as the basilica of St. Francis, the tourist can also visit the churches of St. Clare and St. Peter. All those who have the good luck of visiting this splendid town have to agree with who says that the beauty of Assisi goes beyond a short, and necessarily incomplete list of works of art more or less extraordinary, but is however to be found in the atmosphere of places which the story and the faith of the Saint have rendered unique all over the world. SPELLO rises up between Assisi and Foligno, situated on a spur of the Subasio Mountain above a fertile and well-irrigated plain. Taking the Consolare street, the Matteotti square is reached, where the church of S. Maria Maggiore (12th -13th century) can be found with the Chapel of Baglioni, decorated by splendid frescos of Pinturicchio and paved with the maiolica of Deruta.

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LAGO TRASIMENO - VALDICHIANA - CRETE SENESI The area of TRASIMENO LAKE regard the part of the Umbria territory which continues in the neighbouring Tuscany, like a subtle variation of a unique landscape melody. This is a beautiful landscape of gentle hills reflected in the pictures of Perugino and young Raffaello, with the delicate profiles of the rounded hill tops loosing in the horizon and the silhouettes of the towns situated on the hillsides. This itinerary lies in a typical Tuscan landscape. It starts from the town of Cortona, that is rich of architectural and artistic heritage and, also, is the native place of the distinguished artist Pietro da Cortona; and it ends in Siena, the famous city of art. It proceeds among the green valleys of VALDICHIANA and the gently rolling hills around Siena. On your way, you will see some marvellous medieval monuments, like the abbey of the mount Oliveto Maggiore, the church of S.Antimo and the one of Farneta. Also, you will visit the towns of Pienza and Montepulciano. Practically, at every stage of your way there will be something interesting and curious to admire: for example, the unique landscape of Asciano, or the beautiful fortress of Montalcino.