Category: Umbria

A landlocked region, Umbria is a lovely green region in central Italy known for its hill towns.

  • Blessing the Animals in Assisi on the Feast Day of Sant’Antonio Abate

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    The Piatto di Sant’Antonio Abate is a winter festival near Assisi that features a parade of horses and a blessing of animals.

  • Who Was Saint Valentine?

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    Saint Valentine, a Christian bishop from Umbria, was martyred in Rome in the 3rd century AD. Learn more about his life, death, and legend.

    Basilica di San Valentino (facade)
  • Will Work For Wine: Luca Signorelli’s Orvieto Duomo Contract and His Intoxicating, Apocalyptic Fresco Cycle

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    In 1499, Tuscan artist Luca Signorelli signed a contract to paint two remaining sections of the Cappella Nuova (new chapel) of the Duomo in the Umbrian town of Orvieto. By 1502 (or 1504, depending on which documentation you read), he had completed his “End of the World” fresco cycle in what is now known as the…

    Orvieto Cathedral
  • Three Reasons to Love Perugia

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    Perugia, the picturesque capital of the region of Umbria, is a destination I like to recommend to travelers looking for a new place to explore in Central Italy. Perugia is an austere, university town – indeed, it’s one of Umbria’s hill towns – with several unique characteristics that make it ideal for discovery. Here’s my…

    Griffin and lion statues, the mythical symbols of Perugia