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…
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…
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…
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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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
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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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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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…
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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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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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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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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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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…
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Museo Archeologico Nazionale dell'Umbria
Perugia
Housed in the former convent of the Basilica di San Domenico, Umbria's regional archaeology museum harbours an encyclopaedic collection of Etruscan and…
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Museo dell'Opera del Duomo di Orvieto
Orvieto
Housed in a complex of papal palaces, the Palazzi Papali, this museum showcases a fine collection of religious relics from the Duomo and paintings by…
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Perugia
Commissioned by Pope Paolo III in the 1540s, this fortress wiped out entire sections of a formerly wealthy neighbourhood. Its insides have long since been…
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Umbria
The sight of this ruined 13th-century basilica – formerly Norcia's showpiece church – gives a chilling insight into the force of the 2016 earthquake: only…
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Assisi
Lording it over Piazza del Commune is the imposing form of the Roman Tempio di Minerva. In fact, little remains of the original 1st-century BC structure…
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Perugia
Originally dating from the 14th century, Palazzo Baldeschi features a series of palatial rooms decorated with stunning Murano chandeliers and frescoes…
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Museo della Città e del Territorio
Umbria
Housed in the 17th-century Palazzo Eroli, Narni's principal museum packs several wow moments into its small collection. Chief among these are two 15th…
