Art&Culture | Umbria
Umbria: a catalogue of masterpieces, great artists, a unique system of museums and works set in every place. Look around you: an Etruscan well, Roman monuments but also Byzantine mosaics and even Giotto and Perugino. You will find places not so different from centuries ago, where everything has kept its charm unchanged.
Stroll brick-paved streets and admire balconies draped with colourful flowers; discover nature, medieval art and tradition. Welcome to Montone, where nearly 880 years of history surround you and inspire you. Among the most important events, we mention theUmbria Film Festival (organised in early July), started by the director Terry Gilliam, who has close ties with Montone, which attracts world-famous actors and directors every year.
Standing out in the historic center is the Rocca, a superb medieval fortress, which has always been the symbol of the town. The Rocca is now the home of the Contemporary Art Center.
The historic center is surrounded by medieval walls with three gates: Porta Fiorentina, Porta Senese and Porta Perugina. There is an impressive fortress, the Rocca del Leone, one of the most interesting examples of medieval Umbrian military architecture.
The historical centre still maintains the typical medieval urban layout on which Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassic buildings were later constructed, proof of the artistic vitality of this city.
Built as a fortified medieval village, it is encompassed by a mighty city wall. It boasts top-notch museums and beautiful nature.
In the year 2000, Assisi, together with its historic center, the Basilica of St. Francis and other Franciscan sites, and almost the entire municipal territory, was declared part of the World Heritage of Mankind by UNESCO.
Gubbio is one of the most ancient towns in Umbria, remaining marvelously well-preserved over the centuries, with many monuments that bear witness to its glorious past.
Located in southeastern Umbria, Spoleto is one of the region's most fascinating art towns. Its wealth of history, varied cultural heritage and important arts events make it one of the tourist destinations most highly esteemed by visitors.
Spello combines its medieval features, such as winding alleys and ancient stone houses, with several remains of the Roman era, such as the town walls, the remains of the theatre and the amphitheatre.
Churches, towers and palaces give a noble silhouette to the town that stands at 412 metres, offering a breath-taking view onto the Via Flaminia.
Art&Culture | Tuscany
Tuscany is truly an open-air museum like nowhere else in the world. Cities that are rich in artworks alternate with centuries-old villages and a landscape of harmonious features with rolling hills and rows of cypress trees.
Cortona is a small, welcoming town in the mountains between the Valdichiana and the Tiber valley. It was such an important Etruscan centre that the existence of ancient settlements is still visible today, with its two kilometres of walls dating back to the fifth century BC.
This beautiful Renaissance hilltown, which still adheres to its medieval plan, is embedded in a picture-postcard landscape.
No one plans a visit to Tuscany without planning a visit to Florence: the city of the lily is a treasure trove of artistic treasures and the centre of a fervent vitality.
The Siena that greets you today is largely the same as it would have appeared back in 1300, and the preservation of its unique, coherent inheritance of medieval architecture is one of the main reasons to visit such a magnificent city.
With its forest of towers spiking the horizon, San Gimignano is one of the most recognisable and iconic destinations in all of Tuscany.
Montalcino is a gem of history and art, buried deep in the hills of the Val D'Orcia. Montalcino is also known as the town that produces Brunello di Montalcino, one of the most famous wines in the world.
In the stretch of Tuscany between Siena and Massa Marittima, immersed in the countryside, there are the spectacular remains of the San Galgano Abbey, one of the most important Tuscan monasteries.
Discover the region
A paradise for botanists and birdwatchers: the crisp scent of the forest, the different tones of green leaves and grass and blue sky and water. Inhale the clean air, listen to birdsong and relax into the rhythm of nature all around. Walking or pedalling through unspoiled landscapes with binoculars, a camera or a paintbrush.
