Assisi and the Valle Umbra
Art and history
Assisi is one of the most important tourism cities in Umbria. Without any doubt, its renown comes from its history's close link with the life of the saint who was born here. This town is the mystic centre of Umbria and the testimonies of the saint's presence are reflected in the countless historical, artistic and religious sites the make this town unique in the world. Also the territory surrounding it is rich in small towns, parishes, and castles showing an equally stunning beauty and evocative power. Its territory, characterized by the plain of the Valle Umbra and by smooth hills, is crossed by the Flaminia way, the road that has enlivened human, economic and cultural exchanges in this area for centuries.
Foligno, the centre of the district, is a place where the great ways of communication meet as well as many towns of historical and artistic interest. The group of towns that enrich this territory earned it the name of the "Rose of Umbria".
Montefalco is one of the towns worth being mentioned. It is also known as Ringhiera dell'Umbria; Bevagna, that in the ancient times was Properzio's fuliginous "Mevania" and it is also the cradle of craft traditions; Trevi, overlooking the Valle del Clitunno; Spello, a wonderful settlement of the gens Iulia; Nocera Umbra, a thermal town where to take the waters; Gualdo Cattaneo, with its stronghold and its suggestive medieval castles; Valtopina, with its Roman remains; Sellano, with the enchanting Valle del Vigi. The religious tradition is still alive and it manifests itself with rites and celebrations several times in the year.