The Umbria Itinerary: A Journey through History and Beauty
By Paolo Sperini, art historian and tour guide in Umbria
In Umbria, time seems to stand still, and you need to travel only a few kilometres to find yourself in places where you can truly savour history. Ancient festivals are celebrated in charming villages where rituals have been repeated for centuries, and where a momentary glance is enough to realise that you’re exploring unique places.
One of these places is Gubbio, which is home to one of the best preserved historical centres in Europe, where one of the oldest religious festivals in the world – La Corsa dei Ceri – takes place in the town centre every year on 15 May. The festival features teams that carry three 10-metre-high wooden structures topped with statues of saints. The teams hoist the structures onto ceraioli (candles) and then run uphill through the streets of Gubbio to the Basilica of Saint Ubaldo. The event dates back to the 12th century and is dedicated to the patron saint of the city, Saint Ubaldo.
In addition to being known for the festival, Gubbio features several ingenious engineering solutions, such as its iconic hanging square, home to the beautiful Palazzo dei Consoli, one of the most interesting examples of civil architecture in central Italy.
The holy traveller Saint Francis also passed through the city, com- ing from the not-too-distant Assisi, another hamlet symbolic of the Umbrian Middle Ages. Assisi gave birth not only to Saint Francis but also to Italian painting. The Florentine painter Giotto, who, together with other great masters, decorated the Basilica of Saint Francis, introduced one of the first examples of pictorial perspective into art. Here, art and spirituality complement each other perfectly.
Inspired by this harmony, the citizens of Assisi initiated the Calen- dimaggio festival in 1927. Calendimaggio is a traditional folk festival that celebrates the return of spring and the renewal of the cycle of life. The festival consists of historical re-enactments of medieval life, representations of trades, floats, and musical challenges that in the end are judged by a jury of renowned experts in the field.
If you are in the area from 12 to 22 July, take a trip to Perugia, which has been hosting Europe’s most important jazz festival, Umbria Jazz, for the past fifty years. It is an iconic open-air festival where you can hear some of the most prominent figures in jazz history as well as special guests, like Lenny Kravitz, who will perform at the festival in 2024.
Amidst the musical notes that fill the streets and squares, you’ll be visiting a city with seven museums and more than 2,000 years of history, where all eras are clearly visible. Don’t miss the underground passages of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, where, descending 25 metres, you can travel through history from the time of the Etruscans, through the Roman period and back to the Middle Ages, when Perugia was a papal residence.
If you prefer classical music, opera, or ballet, we have the perfect solution: Spoleto’s Festival dei due Mondi. Since 1958, visitors have been enjoying high-level performances in a refined and lively atmosphere at various locations around this dynamic city. Among Spoleto’s squares, theatres, and gardens, you can enjoy a rich programme immersed in beauty.
The centre of Spoleto is the Duomo, with its Romanesque façade of rare beauty and an interior rich in priceless paintings by great Renaissance masters such as the Florentine Filippo Lippi and Pinturicchio, the favourite painter of Pope Alexander VI. Not to be missed is the architectural jewel of the city, the Bridge of Towers, which unites the landscape with the urban context in an extraordinary way.
An obligatory stop along your journey is the town of Spello and its annual magical feast of Corpus Christi, when the charming streets of the city are covered with flowers for the so-called infiorate. The feast will take place this year on 2 June, when around two kilometres of streets and alleyways will be covered with a floral carpet made from the petals of more than 70 different types of flowers. The effect is incredible but brief, lasting only until the religious procession passes by a few hours later.
With its pink stone and ridge-top location, Spello offers travellers picturesque views and a magical atmosphere. The town’s most import- ant artistic masterpiece is the Baglioni Chapel in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, painted during the Renaissance by Pinturicchio.
When it comes to the Renaissance, we can’t forget Pietro di Cristoforo Vannucci, known as ‘Perugino’. The most important Umbrian master between the late 15th and the early 16th centuries, Perugino undertook a number of famous projects, including painting frescoes on the walls of the Sistine Chapel. For this reason, we recommend a visit to his birthplace, Città della Pieve, a village distinguished by its red colour, produced by the use of red brick.
In the small oratory of Santa Maria dei Bianchi, Perugino left one of his most iconic masterpieces, the Adoration of the Magi (painted in 1504). This large fresco occupies the entire back wall, enabling viewers to fully appreciate the undisputed skill of this great painter.
The best time to visit the village is during the Palio dei Terzieri, a 10- day period of historical remembrance, established in the 1960s, that usually takes place in the second half of August (this year’s dates have not yet been released, but they should be 9–18 August). The whole village, including its inhabitants, take a dip into the past, returning to the time of Perugino. During the event, one can savour typical traditional dishes in the historical taverns and enjoy various shows, including a beautiful parade. Everything ends with an enthralling challenge between the three terzieri (quarters), where, armed with bows and arrows, participants must try to hit the moving silhouettes of Chianina bulls.
Architectural landmarks
L A SCARZUOL A IN MONTEG ABBIONE
The 20th-century architect Tomaso Buzzi’s highly original architectural complex with fantasy-like features, disproportionate stairways, and tunnels, which leaves an everlasting impression on visitors.
Photos: @lascarzuola
DUOMO OF OR VIETO IN OR VIETO
A 14th-century Gothic cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The façade of the cathedral is decorated with vibrant frescoes, mosaics, sculptures, and bronze elements.
Photos: Unsplash.com
VILL A OF MOSAICS IN SPELLO
One of the most extraordinary archaeological discoveries in Umbria, with nearly 500 square metres of recovered mosaic tiles which include geometric decorations, drawings of wild animals and mythical creatures, human figures, and scenes of ancient everyday life.
Photo: Villa Dei Mosaici di Spello
PAL AZZO DEI PRIORI IN PERUGIA
A Gothic town hall which now houses the National Gallery of Umbria, an art gallery of international renown with a collection of paintings and sculptures from the 13th to 19th centuries. Read about the gallery’s 2023 dedication to the Italian Renaissance painter Pietro Perugino in our first edition here.
© Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria. Photo credits Marco Giugliarelli
PAL AZZO TRINCI IN FOLIGNO
The former residence of the Trinci, a ruling family active from 1305 to 1439, which currently unites several museums and an art gallery under its roof.
Photos: Comune di Foligno – Servizio Musei
Ottaviano Nelli da Gubbio, Cappella Storie della Vergine, part. Cappella 1424, Foligno, Palazzo Trinci. (Photo: Comune di Foligno – Servizio Musei)
BASILICA OF SAN FR ANCESCO (SAINT FR ANCIS) IN ASSISI
A Gothic masterpiece with a Lombardic touch, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Learn more about the Basilica in our magazine’s first edition here.
Photo: umbriatourism.it
If you’ve already visited Umbria, you’ll know that it is one of the most exquisite and unconventional travel destinations for architecture enthusiasts. We hope you enjoy exploring our six favourite architectural wonders and must-visit landmarks of this enchanting region.
In Umbria, you will find a blend of medieval, Romanesque, and Renaissance architecture.
The region’s architectural heritage covers every historical era to the present day: from the practical approach of the Etruscan period to the religious symbolism of the Middle Ages, from which a sophisticated contemporary style was born.