DESTINATION INFORMATION

The enchanting region of Umbria was first hailed as ‘Umbria Verde!’ or ‘Green Umbria’ by Italy’s Nobel Prize-winning poet Giosue Carducci at the end of the 19th century. The cognoscenti who have been quietly discovering Umbria for years still know it affectionately as the ‘Green Heart of Italy’. Those seeking relaxation will find it in abundance amid the tranquillity of Umbria’s rolling hills, covered with vines and olives, cypresses and Aleppo pines, oaks and chestnut trees. Painters in particular will relish the seasonal splashes of colour – the brilliant red of poppies or rich yellow of sunflowers in summer, the browns and golds of autumn – while walkers or adventurous motorists can enjoy the starker splendours of Umbria’s mountain scenery. Few summer visitors will want to miss a visit to Lake Trasimeno – central Italy’s largest lake – where they may choose to relax on the beaches, enjoy the restaurants of the lakeside towns, or take a ferry to one of the lake’s islands. Throughout the year, Lake Trasimeno, like the Lago di Alviano in the south of the region, offer particular delights to naturalists, who may observe at leisure grebe and duck or catch a glimpse of hobby or osprey. Elsewhere, even those with a more casual interest in wildlife may see hoopoes, or buzzards and hawks wheeling in the clear blue skies. At night they may enjoy occasional sightings of wild boar or porcupine and in early summer, the magic of fireflies and the song of the nightingale. For those wishing to combine relaxation with more active pursuits, Umbria offers a fascinating history. From Etruscan through Roman, mediaeval and Renaissance times, the region contains a wealth of evidence of its varied past. Assisi, Perugia and Orvieto are artistic centres renowned worldwide, but the discerning visitor may find much to enjoy in a host of smaller towns and villages, such as Gubbio, Todi, Bevagna, Spello, Citta di Castello and many more. Home to St Francis, Umbria holds many reminders of the saint’s presence, from the great basilica at Assisi, with its frescoes by Giotto, or the colourful fresco cycle by Benozzo Gozzoli in the former Franciscan church, now a museum, at Montefalco. In the region’s arts and crafts, past meets present, as with the centuries-old pottery centres of Deruta, Gubbio and Gualdo Tadino, or in summer music festivals presenting symphonic or chamber concerts, opera and jazz. A chance to meet local people and share in their love of good food and wine is provided by the numerous festivals or sagre held in small villages throughout the region each summer. Besides its wealth of attractions, Umbria is not a remote region and it is the ideal base for a wider exploration of central Italy. Florence, cradle of the Renaissance, like Rome itself, is easily accessible by road or rail, 1–11/2 hours away. Most of our villas border southern Tuscany, so that visitors may also want to consider shorter day trips to the Etruscan hill-town of Cortona, mediaeval Siena, with its imposing black and white-banded cathedral, or a leisurely drive through the vineyards of Chianti.