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Umbria is situated in the centre of
Italy. It is crossed by the deep valley of the river Tiber
and is washed by the shores of Lake Trasimeno. It is a region
of hills, olives and vineyards, mountains, valleys and forests.
It is an ancient land. First contested between the Umbrians
and the Etruscans and then towards the 300 A.D. it came under
the controll of the Romans. It was, in the Middle Ages, the
cradle of many town-states which often fought between themselves;
they were rich and well-known for their churches containing
works of artist of the 13th and 14th centuries and of the
Renaissance, wonderful monasteries, palaces and civic buildings.
Umbria is an exceptional "container" of art and
history but also its towns have retained their slow-pace,
so allowing a quality of living that is sone of the best in
the world.
The capital of the region is Perugia (150.000) but also other
towns are wonderful and not to be missed, Spoleto, Todi, Assisi,
Orvieto, Gubbio, Città di Castello, Città della
Pieve, Umbertide, Gualdo Tadino. All these centres have from
15.000 to 25.000 inhabitants.
In all these town one can visit exhibitions, museums, theatres,
concerts, and international festivals (such as the Festival
of Two Worlds, the Dance Festival in Todi and the Jazz Festival
in Perugia). One can taste delicious local dishes in excellent
restaurants (typical are the truffles and well known vintage
wines), can do shopping in elegant boutiques or sit in cafe.
You can enjoy all this and more by strolling around the picturesque
medieval streets which are still intact after centuries. You
can admire the wonderful panorama that inspired the great
medieval and renaissance artists.
Todi, one of the pearls of this region, is also the "gateway"
to many other towns and less than one hour away. You can also
cross the "border" into Tuscany and visit nearby
Siena. Even Florence and Rome are only two hours away.
This is why a holiday in Todi, in the heart of Umbria and
historic Italy, in a renaissance building with all modern
comforts, would be an unforgetable experience.
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