Art Umbria Culture

Perugia, sitting atop an irregular hillside, is the region's largest city of art. Most of its treasures are enclosed in the historical nucleus, delineated by the Etruscan walls. Piazza IV Novembre is the fulcrum: in its centre lies the beautiful Fontana Maggiore, symbol of Perugia, and around it stand the Gothic cathedral and the magnifi cent Palazzo dei Priori, which houses the Collegio del Cambio, with frescoes by Perugino, and the National Gallery of Umbria, chock full of masterpieces (sculptures by Arnolfo di Cambio and paintings by Piero della Francesca, Duccio di Buonisegna, Fra Angelico, Pinturicchio, and more).
Isolated at the top of a tufa cliff, Orvieto emanates a unique fascination and captivating beauty for the millions of tourists who visit the city each year. Its fame is mainly tied to the Duomo, one of the absolute masterpieces of Italian Gothic architecture. The façade with rose window and relief sculptures by Lorenzo Maitani is magnifi cent, and Luca Signorelli's fresco cycle The Last Judgement in the Cappella di San Brizio is unforgettable. The most important public buildings include Palazzo del Popolo, returned to its original splendour by a painstaking restoration. Also of particular interest is the Pozzo di San Patrizio. Held tightly between its walls, Assisi is a magical place, and the fact that practically nothing has changed since the Middle Ages has kept its enchantment intact. One cannot help but admire the Basilica of San Francesco, one of the most famous sites of Christianity. It is composed of two churches one above the other: the lower church, which holds the tomb of the saint, is decorated with frescoes by Simone Martini, Cimabue, and Lorenzetti; the upper church features frescoes by Cimabue and in particular a cycle on the life of St. Francis, comprising twenty-eight paintings by Giotto or artists supervised by him. From the Basilica, Via al Santo leads to Piazza del Comune, which holds Palazzo dei Priori and the Temple of Minerva. Other important sites include the Basilica of Santa Chiara, the Cathedral of San Rufi no, and the Rocca Maggiore.
Visiting Gubbio is like stepping back in time. Noble and imposing, the city is situated at various heights on the slope of Monte Ingino, and is criss-crossed by stairways and marvellous medieval streets. Palazzo Pretorio and the lovely Palazzo dei Consoli face onto Piazza Grande; climbing to the highest part of the city, you reach the Gothic Duomo and Palazzo Ducale, a fi ne example of Renaissance elegance. Spoleto is a dense agglomerate of grey stone set into the green surroundings. Its austere mass conceals charming views and numerous architectural treasures. In addition to the zone of the Roman Forum and certain notable churches, one of the most important sites is the Romanesque Duomo (13th c.), which sets off a lovely piazza. Its façade is truly a masterpiece. Outside the town centre, the colossal 14th-century Ponte delle Torri (230 m long and 76 m high) is breathtaking. Todi emerges on a hilltop right out of the 13th century; it is the birthplace of Jacopone, the mystic poet of the Laudi. Piazza del Popolo is one of the most unique squares in all of Umbria. Città di Castello features the majestic Palazzo Vitelli; the pride of Foligno is Palazzo Trinci, with frescoes by Gentile da Fabriano. Spello, wedged onto a spur of Monte Subasio, is full of Roman vestiges; the Cappella dei Baglioni in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore has frescoes by Pinturicchio. Then there is Narni, with its Duomo and Palazzo del Podestà; ancient Trevi perched on a hilltop; Montefalco with the Museo Civico di San Francesco and frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli; Bevagna with Piazza Silvestri, a wonderful slice of the Middle Ages. But apart from the most well known cities, every town in Umbria holds wonderful surprises in store. Churches, palaces, museums, sculptures, bas-reliefs, frescoes, and paintings are all part of the history of Umbria. Another itinerary full of surprises and legends is to visit the many castles and fortresses. Arising from practical needs for defence, given the constant coming and going of armies through Umbria, these strongholds integrated perfectly with the landscape of cities and countryside alike, leaving an extraordinary