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Umbriathe green heart of Italy

Between Rome and Florence lies a region without a coastline, full of rolling hills, medieval towns, olive groves and old traditions. This is where our community lives and works.

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Municipal boundaries: ISTAT, via openpolis (CC BY)

Umbria at a glance

  • 92municipalities
  • 8,464km² of hills, lakes and valleys
  • ≈850,000inhabitants
  • 2provinces: Perugia and Terni
  • 0km of coastline

Umbria is the only region of the Italian peninsula with neither a coastline nor a border with another country.

Events and festivals

A year of celebrations

From jazz to medieval contests, flowers and saffron: something happens in Umbria in every season.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Feb to Mar

Nero Norcia

Norcia

The black truffle fair fills the town with stalls, tastings and the best of the Valnerina.

Late April to May

Corsa all’Anello

Narni

Knights on horseback try to thread a ring with their lance, in a month of medieval celebrations.

Early May

Calendimaggio

Assisi

The two halves of the town challenge each other with music, costumes and processions to welcome spring.

15 May

Festa dei Ceri

Gubbio

Three teams race huge wooden ceri through the streets and up Mount Ingino.

Corpus Domini

Infiorate

Spello

Overnight the streets are carpeted with designs made entirely of flower petals.

June

Mercato delle Gaite

Bevagna

The town returns to the Middle Ages, with ancient crafts, taverns and costumes.

June to July

The flowering of Castelluccio

Norcia

The lentil fields of the Piano Grande bloom in a sea of yellow, red and blue.

June to July

Festival dei Due Mondi

Spoleto

Opera, theatre, music and dance from around the world, since 1958.

July

Umbria Jazz

Perugia

Since 1973 the world’s greatest jazz musicians have played in the squares of Perugia.

October

Eurochocolate

Perugia

The chocolate festival fills the old town with stands, tastings and sculptures.

Late October

Zafferiamo

Città della Pieve

The town celebrates its saffron, grown here since the Middle Ages, with markets and dinners.

End of December

Umbria Jazz Winter

Orvieto

The winter edition of Umbria Jazz welcomes the new year in Orvieto.

At the table

The Umbrian table

Simple, generous cooking from the land and the forest. Here is what to try.

01From the land

Black truffleNorcia and the Valnerina are famous for the black truffle, grated over pasta and eggs.
Castelluccio lentilsTiny, tender lentils from the high plain of Castelluccio di Norcia, protected by an IGP label.
SaffronGrown around Città della Pieve since the Middle Ages and celebrated every October.
Olive oilThe groves between Assisi and Spoleto produce one of Italy’s most prized PDO oils.

02Bread and pasta

Torta al testoA flatbread cooked on a hot plate and filled with cured meats, cheese or greens.
StrangozziHand-made pasta, often served with black truffle or a simple tomato sauce.
UmbricelliThick hand-rolled spaghetti, the pasta that carries the region’s name.

03From the butcher

NorcineriaNorcia gave its name to the art of curing pork: hams, salami and sausages.
PorchettaSlow-roasted pork with wild fennel and garlic, sliced into a bread roll.

04Sweets and wine

Baci PeruginaThe famous chocolate kisses, made in Perugia since 1922.
TorciglioneAn almond cake shaped like a coiled snake, typical of Perugia and Lake Trasimeno.
Sagrantino di MontefalcoA deep red wine with a DOCG label, from the hills around Montefalco.
Orvieto ClassicoThe golden white wine of the Orvieto hills.

Nature

The green heart of Italy

Lakes, mountains, waterfalls and springs, all within an hour or two of each other.

01

Lake Trasimeno

Italy’s fourth largest lake, with three islands, beaches and sunsets over the water.

02

Monte Subasio

The mountain behind Assisi: a regional park of beech woods and wide open meadows, with views over the whole valley.

03

Monti Sibillini

Wild mountains around Norcia and the Piano Grande of Castelluccio, perfect for walks.

04

Marmore Falls

Three leaps of water, one of the tallest waterfalls in Europe, near Terni.

05

Fonti del Clitunno

Clear springs and a pond surrounded by willows, praised by poets since Roman times.

Living in Umbria

First things to know when you arrive

Practical information to help Sri Lankan families find their way in the first weeks.

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  1. Residence and documents

    Register at the registry office (anagrafe) of your Comune. You need it for an identity card and many services.

  2. Healthcare

    Registering with the National Health Service gives you a health card and lets you choose a family doctor at your local USL office.

  3. Getting around

    Regional trains, Busitalia buses and Umbria International Airport in Perugia.

  4. School

    School is compulsory from age 6 to 16; enrolment is done online or at your local school.

  5. Learning Italian

    CPIA adult education centres offer free Italian courses in Perugia, Terni and other towns.

  6. Ask us

    Our association helps newcomers find their way. Message us any time.

A short history

From the ancient Umbri to today

  1. Before Rome

    Umbri and Etruscans

    The Umbri lived east of the Tiber and the Etruscans to the west: Perugia and Orvieto began as Etruscan cities.

  2. 220 BC

    The Via Flaminia

    The Romans build the great road from Rome to the Adriatic, right through Umbria.

  3. 1182 to 1226

    Saint Francis of Assisi

    The patron saint of Italy is born in Assisi. His Canticle of the Creatures is one of the first works of Italian literature.

  4. 1540

    The Papal States

    After the Salt War, Perugia comes under the full control of the Pope, like most of the region for three centuries.

  5. 1860

    Italian unification

    Umbria becomes part of the new Kingdom of Italy.

  6. 2000

    UNESCO World Heritage

    Assisi, the Basilica of Saint Francis and other Franciscan sites join the World Heritage list.

Umbria Api Sri Lankan Unity

New to Umbria? You are not alone

Our community welcomes, informs and supports Sri Lankan families living in the region. Get in touch with any question.

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