In the surroundings

Umbria’s most beautiful villages and their main attractions

The rich artistic and cultural heritage together with the surrounding natural environment make Perugia a unique city of primary importance, and this has been the case since the dawn of its history. The Perugia of today is a modern and cosmopolitan city, known the world over for its artistic heritage, cultural events and the University for Foreigners, which has been present in the city since 1200.

One of the typical characteristics of Assisi is certainly its close bond with the church, nurtured and born around the figure of St Francis, patron saint of Italy, and St Clare, who lived and died in this city. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that the churches dedicated to them, the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi and the Basilica of St Clare, are considered something more than mere places of worship or art: they are in fact intimate and sacred places where one can breathe in the spirit and the most sublime religious nature.

Immersed in the green Umbrian hills, Lake Trasimeno is the fourth largest in Italy. On its shores are villages of breathtaking beauty and in its interior three picturesque islands: Isola Maggiore, the only inhabited one with its windmill and the church of San Michele Arcangelo, Isola Polvese, the largest, which offers visitors beautiful views from the top of the Rocca, and finally Isola Minore, which is private and cannot be visited.

Spello, perched on a spur of Mount Subasio, among the towns in the area is the one that certainly has the greatest number of testimonies to the Roman era: from the city walls to the splendid gates of the Augustan period. The medieval palaces, churches and winding streets contribute to making this splendid town one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.

The enchanting geographical position in which it is located has earned it the nickname ‘the railing of Umbria’. Indeed, from its belvederes one can discover a part of Umbria and admire all around the towns of Perugia, Assisi, Spello, Foligno, Trevi, Spoleto, Gualdo Cattaneo, Bevagna; but what is most striking are the hills covered with olive groves and vineyards! The splendid medieval walls, interspersed with imposing gates, frame a small, enchanting village.