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Umbria
The calming wooded region of Umbria lies to the east of Tuscany in landlocked central Italy, a place where medieval heritage meets breathtaking scenery.
The “Green Heart of Italy,” Umbria takes its roots from the Italian word for “shadow” as its rolling hills and stellar mountaintops cast long shadows over the valleys below. The Apennines to the east border it with Mount Vettore at its peak hugging the country-wide Tiber River basin as well as the lake of Trasimeno. Marmore Falls can be found where rivers Nera and Velino meet near the city of Terni.
The capital of Perugia has important collections of Gothic Italian art at the National Gallery of Umbria. While the town of Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis, houses the famous Giotto frescoes in its basilica documenting the saint’s life story. The town of Spoleto houses an impressive contemporary art gallery, while folk arts are preserved in the Gubbio Civic Museum with archaeological finds from the 2nd Century BC.
The region’s rare delicacy is truffles. The famous and expensive black and the white varieties of which are the most valued of from Norica and Spoleto in the winter and spring months. Almost 80% of Italy’s truffles are produced and prepared in the region, thus influencing the delicacies of the area. Truffle lovers will enjoy exhibitions like Mostra Mercato (Market Exhibition) of Valtopina, the “Tartufo d’ Oro” (Golden Truffle) in Gubbio and the Truffle Exhibition in Norci and Fabro before and after truffle season.
Other local specialities include torta al testo (hand-made bread stuffed with meats or herbs and cooked on a special marble stone in a wood-burning oven),"faraona alla ghiotta" (roasted guinea-fowl) and roasted trout with wild fennel. For desert, there are cakes for special occasions like the patron saint of Perugia’s day cake called "torcolo" with pine-nuts, raisins and dried fruit washed down with glasses of "vinsanto," a home-made wine.
