Region Umbria

ON HOLIDAY IN UMBRIA

Umbria (Italy: Umbria), "the land of Francis of Assisi", is a region of green, gently rolling hills covered with vineyards and olive groves above, but there are many fields of wheat, sugar beet, tobacco and sunflowers. The region is located in central Italy, in the valley of the River Tiber to the lake Lago di Corbara. Umbria, also called the green heart of Italy, has a mild Mediterranean climate, so the summers are dry and sunny although the winters can be quite cold and wet, especially at higher altitudes as in the Apennines. Umbria Tuscany is bordered in the west (Lake Trasimeno) in the east and the Marche Apennines (an impressive mountain range with deep valleys and high plains) and in the south of Lazio. The area of the region is 8456 km ² and in 2001 it had 825,826 inhabitants. Umbria is characterized by old walled hill towns with steep streets that reveal a rich cultural history.

Umbria offers a good home for thousands of years in the wine and that is mainly due to the following factors: the gently rolling hills with a good exposure to the sun, the wealth of rivers and waters, continental but mild climate, soil structure which generally consists of good clay-like limestone. All these favorable conditions, the inhabitants of the area early to be induced the production of wine first, so the Umbrian wine today can boast of an ancient tradition of winemaking. For quality red is especially the Sangiovese and Sagrantino grape of interest, while white wine especially Grechetto and Malvasia grapes is made.

The capital of the region is Perugia. The region consists of two provinces: Perugia and Terni.

The province of Perugia is rich in historic cities and villages. The university town of Perugia has a long history behind it and was already significant in the time of the Etruscans. There are still parts of the city wall from that time to find. Most of the city is medieval. The showpiece of the city is the Palazzo dei Priori to the Piazza IV Novembre with its medieval fountain. The city is also the Università per stranieri established for foreigners who want to learn the Italian language.

Assisi at 15 km. from Perugia is an important religious center and pilgrimage. It is the city of the 13-century saint Francis of Assisi. Two years after the death of San Francesco, in 1228, has started construction of the Basilica di San Francesco who actually two superimposed churches located there. On September 26, 1997 Umbria was hit by an earthquake that severely damaged the church. Further counts Assisi many other churches, small squares and a Roman temple, the Tempio di Minerva, from the time of Augustus.

Spello is one of the most authentic medieval villages of Italy. The medieval center of Todi and Gubbio are well preserved and are among the attractions of the province. In terms of natural beauty, the Monti Sibillini the highlight of the area, the mountains, the status of national park. Lake Trasimeno is very set on tourism and has several campsites and many hotels. The three islands lie more.

Terni is one of the two provinces of Umbria and is located in the hilly central part of Italy. The county was created in 1927 as a division of the province of Perugia. The area around the modern capital of Terni is among the most industrialized areas of central Italy. In the Second World War the city largely destroyed by the many (108) bombing. Something of Terni lie east of the enormous artificial waterfall Cascata delle Marmore, not always flow, but only at set times on weekends and holidays.

The Italian city of Narni is located in the central Italian region of Umbria in the province of Terni, precisely at the geographical center of Italy. It is located on a cliff high above the River Nera. Narni was founded by the Umbrians called Nequinum, the Romans conquered the city in 299 BC and named her Narnia. The main Via Flaminia north of Rome which ran close to the city league. The Roman emperor Nerva was born in Narnia.

Today is a quiet provincial town of Narni. The medieval center is rich with attractions such as the 12th-century cathedral, the massive castle from the 14th century La Rocca and the basement under the Roman church of Santa Maria in Pensol. Outside the city lies on the Monte Santa Croce the walled, 10th-century abbey of San Cassiano. The geographical center of Italy lies exactly on the Roman bridge Ponte Cardona.

The cities of Orvieto is the most important. The city rises on a volcanic plateau 300 meter above the surrounding landscape. The Duomo is one of the largest of the Italian Romanesque-Gothic churches and has an ornate facade. Other tourist sites are: Narni, Acqua Sparta, Stroncone Porano and all four have well-preserved medieval core. The River Tiber (Tevere) is pushed two places where the lakes and Lake Lago di Alviano Corbaro created. In place Avigliano Umbro, just west of the fossilized forest is Montecastrilli Dunarobba.

Square metres : 8456 km²
Inhabitants : 825826