Umbria, the 5 most beautiful villages in the Region, here are which we have found and which we recommend you visit, read the post.
Password Medieval villages: this, apart from the green hills and the rich gastronomic tradition, is the allure that characterizes the most beautiful towns in Umbria. There are many, they are perched, they are famous (thanks to the fiction) and they are full of surprises. Here is my personal ranking of the 5 most beautiful villages in the Umbria region, without detracting from all the others!
Assisi
It would be a great mistake not to put this jewel in the first place. I was born and raised in Umbria and Assisi is one of my earliest memories: the imprint of a medieval village I received exactly there on the occasion of a historical re-enactment. During a walk through the characteristic alleys, suddenly from a large portal a knight in costume materializes on an imposing horse harnessed with weapons and harness. There my heart remained! Assisi, apart from the religious importance that covers it, is appreciable precisely for its architecture and for its immeasurable historical, artistic and archaeological heritage. Thousands of visitors come to admire the Basilica of S. Francesco and to retrace the places where the Patron Saint of Italy and S. Chiara lived.
The city can be easily visited on foot, considering that the oldest core is enclosed by the defensive walls of what is an imposing fortified complex accessible from 8 gates. A weekend is perfect for visiting Assisi, perhaps taking advantage of the numerous events that see it as an ideal location. In addition to the splendid paintings by Giotto, Cimabue and Lorenzetti in the Basilica of San Francesco, a walk in the center of Assisi will offer interesting historical and architectural insights. This is the case of the Piazza del Comune overlooked by the Palazzo dei Priori, the Palazzo del Capitano and the Torre del Popolo which share the space with the Temple of Minerva, a fascinating example of Augustan art. A visit to Assisi cannot ignore the tasting of some typical products such as a good dish of Umbricelli with truffles or Rocciata, an ancient baked cake filled with dried fruit.
Narni
Narni is a town with a strong medieval connotation located in the province of Terni. The exact geographical center of the Italian territory falls in its district, but the curiosities do not end there: the fantasy saga Chronicles of Narnia is inspired by this village whose name in Latin was precisely Narnia! Infused with scenic beauties and legends such as the presence of the Griffin, the Borgo di Narni presents a wonder unknown to most, the Narni Underground, going down in which you are literally catapulted two thousand years back in time in environments with a truly exciting uniqueness! The subsoil of Narni hides frescoed churches, Byzantine mosaics, very deep cisterns and dark dungeons in which the Holy Inquisition tortured prisoners.
La room of torments it is truly something unique: the massive amount of graffiti that covers the walls testifies to the sufferings and precisely the torments suffered by the (alleged) heretical prisoners. Masonic, kabbalistic and alchemical symbols: not all graffiti find meaning today. The reason is that the poor prisoners, not having paper and ink available, entrusted their history, their messages of justice and freedom to the walls in a "cryptic" way so that that suffering would not be lost over the centuries. And so the visitor is literally assailed by names, crosses, writings, dates and mysterious languages. As evidence of this, a side chamber preserves disturbing instruments of torture.
CittĂ Della Pieve
If until some time ago Città della Pieve was known to lovers of art history thanks to Pietro Vannucci known as Perugino, today this charming village is famous for being the set of the very popular fiction "Carabinieri". Undoubtedly, the visibility that the successful television series has given to the small Umbrian town has produced a large number of annual visitors who go on a "pilgrimage" to Città Della Pieve to find locations such as the Bar Pippo formerly Caffè Martucci or the one in the scripted is the Barracks but, which is actually a former seminary.
Getting lost in the picturesque streets of this Umbrian village with a marked fourteenth-century connotation is truly magical: try to enter the narrowest street in Italy Baciadonne alley! Only 50 cm wide you are forced to be really "close to close"! For food and wine lovers, CittĂ Della Pieve offers various culinary ideas: from preparations based on pure local saffron to the dessert called Torciglione, passing through wines and renowned DOP oils.
Gubbio
Always on the wave of media success, Gubbio has recently been known for being the set for another successful fiction: Don Matteo the parish priest played by Terence Hill used to run around with his bike in the streets of this great classic of the Umbrian villages. In addition to the ancient Roman theater, the city of Gubbio lends itself to pleasant walks among pretty alleys and sunny squares. The scenic Piazza Grande, for example, houses buildings of great historical and architectural importance such as the Palazzo dei Consoli and the Palazzo del PotestĂ , splendid examples of Gothic architecture.
It is not at all difficult to imagine ladies and maidens looking out over the magnificent flowered windowsills of this city. In addition to being linked to the figure of St. Francis, Gubbio is the location of a unique event of its kind that attracts onlookers and visitors from all over the world: folkloristic Race of the Ceri in honor of S. Ubaldo which is held every year in May. Do you want Eugubina citizenship? It's simple, just run around the sixteenth-century Fontana dei Matti in Largo Bergello three times and earn your “crazy” license! Gubbio, in fact, is considered the city of Fools!
Todi
Charming and elegant, Todi is the Umbrian medieval village par excellence. Perched on the hill overlooking the Tiber valley, it has the peculiarity of being circumscribed in wall bastions of Etruscan, Roman and medieval origins! The structure of the town roughly follows that of the typical fourteenth-century centers: the Piazza del Popolo on which the symbols of temporal power (the Palazzo del Capitano, the Palazzo dei Priori) and of spiritual power (religious complexes such as the Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata).
The 33 steps, like the years of Christ, to enter the Cathedral are truly emblematic! Even Todi, like Narnia, has immense underground treasures in which to experience a full immersion in the past. A visit to the Roman cisterns and the tunnels of the Fabbrica Della Piana is a must followed by a relaxing walk in the panoramic Oberdan Gardens. Here it is possible to admire the statue of Fra Jacopone di Todi, one of the best known and most respected medieval poets. And finally, after having been pleasantly lost in the delightful medieval alleys, you cannot leave Todi without having eaten the traditional pan caciato, a delicious round loaf with nuts, cheese and raisins!
