Assisi
Visible for miles around, the Basilica di San Francesco is the crowning glory of Assisi's Unesco-listed historic centre. The 13th-century complex is…
Must-see attractions in Umbria
Orvieto
Nothing can prepare you for the visual feast that is Orvieto's soul-stirring Gothic cathedral. Dating from 1290, it sports a black-and-white banded…
Umbria
Although the Basilica di Sant'Ubaldo, perched high on Monte Ingino, is a perfectly lovely church, the real adventure is getting there on the funivia. The…
Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria
Perugia
Umbria's foremost art gallery is housed in Palazzo dei Priori on Perugia's main strip. Its collection, chronologically displayed over 40 rooms, is one of…
Perugia
Flanking Corso Vannucci, this Gothic palace, constructed between the 13th and 14th centuries, is architecturally striking with its tripartite windows,…
Todi
Just try to walk through Piazza del Popolo without trying to photograph it from every angle. The rectangular piazza is one of Umbria's finest medieval…
Perugia
In Perugia all roads seem to lead to Piazza IV Novembre. This historic square, flanked by Palazzo dei Priori and the Cattedrale, has been at the heart of…
Umbria
This panoramic piazza, the result of an ambitious 14th-century urban development plan, is medieval Gubbio's showpiece square. Commanding huge valley views…
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Umbria
Narni’s main drawcard is this extraordinary subterranean underworld. Discovered by a group of young speleologists in 1977, and originally accessed through…
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Spoleto
A flight of steps sweeps down to Spoleto's pale-stone cathedral, photogenically set on a graceful hillside piazza. Originally constructed to a Romanesque…
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Perugia
Seat of Perugia's Moneychanger's Guild between 1452 and 1457, the extravagantly adorned Nobile Collegio del Cambio has three rooms: the Sala dei Legisti …
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Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo
Perugia
Also known as the Chiesa or Tempio di Sant'Angelo, this 5th-century Romanesque church is one of the oldest in Italy (and the most appealing in Perugia)…
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Spoleto
Many people gasp the first time they glimpse the medieval Ponte delle Torri, a 10-arch bridge that spectacularly spans a steeply wooded gorge – a scene…
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Assisi
The upper church of the Basilica di San Francesco was built after the Basilica Inferiore and consecrated in 1253, and the change in style and grandiosity…
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Assisi
The lower and earlier of the two churches comprising the Basilica di San Francesco, this basilica was commissioned by Pope Gregory IX in 1228, just two…
Cattedrale e Abbazia di San Pietro
Perugia
South of the town centre, past the Porta di San Pietro, is this atmospheric 10th-century basilica complex. The basilica, overlooked by a landmark bell…
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Assisi
Perched on the forested slopes of Monte Subasio, this monastery is set around the caves where St Francis and his followers prayed and contemplated…
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Assisi
Set amid lush olive groves 1.5km southeast of Assisi's historic centre, this atmospheric sanctuary is where St Francis is said to have heard the voice of…
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Umbria
Housed in Palazzo dei Consoli, this museum is home to the celebrated Iguvine Tables (also known as the Eugubian Tables or Tablets), seven bronze tablets…
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Spoleto
Dominating the skyline above Spoleto, this formidable fortress was built on the summit of Colle Sant’Elia as part of a 14th-century campaign to reassert…
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Lago Trasimeno
This island, accessible by ferry from San Feliciano, is a delight – not so much for its sights, of which there aren't many, but for its glorious unspoiled…
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Umbria
Head to this viewing balcony at the top of town for a living postcard view across the bucolic countryside below – on a clear day you can make out Assisi …
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Assisi
Hidden for almost 600 years, St Francis' tomb was discovered beneath the Basilica di San Francesco in 1818 following a 52-day dig, and painstakingly…
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Spoleto
Spoleto's Romanesque basilica, listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site as part of the 'Longobards in Italy, Places of the Power (568-774 AD)' group, dates…
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Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore
Umbria
The impressive 12th-century Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore houses Spello's main draw – a wonderful cycle of frescoes by the Perugia-born artist…
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Todi
Climb the 14th-century bell tower of the Chiesa di San Fortunato for exhilarating views across the hills and castles surrounding Todi.
Orvieto
The coolest place in Orvieto (literally), this series of 440 caves (out of 1200 in the system) has been used for millennia by locals for various purposes …
Perugia
Lording it over Piazza IV Novembre is Perugia's stark medieval cathedral. A church has stood here since the 900s, but the version you see today was begun…
Umbria
The 15th-century Palazzo Ducale was built by the Duke of Montefeltro’s family as a scaled-down version of their palatial residence in Urbino. Its walls…
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Umbria
Centred on a statue of St Benedict, Norcia's most famous son, this small piazza is flanked by the town's most impressive medieval buildings, many of which…
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Perugia
To visit the Wonka-esque world of Perugian chocolate, sign up for a 1¼-hour guided tour (in Italian or English, times vary) of the House of Chocolate…
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Parco Regionale del Monte Cucco
Umbria
In Umbria's wild northeastern fringes, the Parco Regionale del Monte Cucco is a gorgeous swathe of wildflower-speckled meadows, gentle slopes brushed with…
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Assisi
Built in a 13th-century Romanesque style, with muscular flying buttresses and a striking pink-and-white striped facade, this church is dedicated to St…
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Umbria
Deep in the Parco Regionale del Monte Cucco is one of Europe's most spectacular limestone caves, with 30km of galleries reaching depths of 900m. Those up…
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Umbria
Perched high on Monte Ingino, and accessible by the funivia or a steep 30-minute walk from Palazzo Ducale, this landmark basilica has housed the body of…
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Spoleto
The 18th-century Palazzo Collicola houses Spoleto's premier collection of modern art. The collection, named after its late former director and noted art…
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Perugia
The centrepiece of Piazza IV Novembre, the delicate pink-and-white marble Fontana Maggiore was designed by Fra Bevignate and built by father-and-son team…
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Casa Museo di Palazzo Sorbello
Perugia
This exquisite 17th-century mansion, once owned by the aristocratic Sorbello family, has been restored to its frescoed, gilt-clad, chandelier-lit, 18th…
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Perugia
About 5km southeast of the city, the Ipogeo dei Volumni is part of the Palazzone necropolis, a vast 2nd-century-BC Etruscan burial site. The tomb, which…
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Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli
Assisi
The enormous domed church you see as you approach Assisi along the Tiber valley is the 16th-century Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli, some 4km beneath…
