Umbria

Dubbed the “green heart of Italy”, Umbria has a gentle pastoral landscape and a high mountain wilderness. Perugia, the region’s capital, dates from Etruscan times and has had many rulers, all of whom have left their mark. Visitors are able to stroll at leisure through the squares and narrow streets, bordered by medieval tower houses, visiting churches and museums in 13th and 14th century palaces with their priceless Etruscan, Roman, Medieval and Renaissance treasures. The hilltop town of Assisi, in the heart of Umbria, is indelibly associated with St Francis. The narrow streets afford lovely views at every corner, many lined with golden-pink stone buildings with flowers at their windows and balconies.