Blessing the Animals in Assisi on the Feast Day of Sant’Antonio Abate
The Piatto di Sant’Antonio Abate is a winter festival near Assisi that features a parade of horses and a blessing of animals.
The Man, the Myth, the Legend: Saint Valentine of Terni
Saint Valentine, a Christian bishop from Terni, Umbria, was martyred in Rome during the 3rd century AD. Learn more about his life, death, and legend.
Will Work For Wine: Luca Signorelli’s Orvieto Duomo Contract and His Intoxicating, Apocalyptic Fresco Cycle
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…
Three Reasons to Love Perugia
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…
World’s Biggest Christmas Tree in Gubbio, Umbria
Rockefeller Center has nothing on this tree. The biggest Christmas tree in the world is, in fact, in Gubbio, Umbria. But this is not any tree. No, this is not a tree at all. Gubbio’s Albero di Natale is a dazzling neon feat–and Guinness Book of World Records holder–that has been lighting up the hills…