Because of its wild woods and fertile plains, craggy gorges and gentle hills, Umbria (OOM-bree-ah) is known as the “green heart of Italy.” Cobblestoned villages and lively international universities are scattered throughout the region, bringing a distinct vitality to the land. Three thousand years ago, Etruscans settled this regional crossroads between the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian coasts. One thousand years later, Christianity transformed Umbria’s architecture and regional identity. St. Francis shamed the increasingly extravagant Church with his legacy of humility, pacifism, and charity that persists in Assisi to this day. The region also produced medieval masters Perugino and Pinturicchio and holds Giotto’s greatest masterpieces. Umbria’s artistic spirit gives life today to the internationally acclaimed Umbria Jazz Festival and Spoleto Festival.
For 50 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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