Perugia is the cultural and historical heart of Umbria which for the last 30 years has played an increasingly important role on the international music scene as host city for the "Umbria Jazz" festival. Miles Davis, Satn Gets, Dizzy Gillespie, Keith Jarrett, and Sting are just some of the performers to have graced the stage of this world famous music review. Perugia is known for another event too, the ever popular "Eurochocolate": occasion when the streets of the Umbrian capital are filled with stands brimming with every kind of chocolate, chocolate to be admired, tasted, and earnestly discussed in conferences attended by the world's greatest experts.
Perugia's National Gallery of Umbria houses masterpieces by some of Italy's most famous artists, artists such as Beato Angelico, Pinturicchio, Duccio di Buoninsegna, Piero della Francesca and Perugino. Immediately outside the gallery, lies the city's magnificent Cathedral and the Fontana Maggiore. Just outside Perugia, and perfect for those travelling with the family, there is Umbria's own version of Disneyland, the Città della Domenica: a fun park much loved by younger visitors to the city.
Leaving Perugia behind us, in little time at all we come to Lake Trasimeno, a great expanse of water the marshy shores of which provide the ideal habitat for a great variety of birds. Wild ducks, coots, herons and birds of prey all populate this area, much to the joy of the birdwatchers who regularly come to the area. From Passignano, a small town situated on the lake shore, ferries head to the tiny island in the middle of the lake. Over the years Isola Maggiore's attractive little fishing village has become a favourite tourist destination.
The most picturesque of the towns skirting the lake has to be that of Castiglione del Lago. Included in the list of the most beautiful towns and villages of Italy, Castiglione, with its maze of narrow streets, is protected by an ancient perimeter wall. The 13th century Castle, built under the reign of Federico II of Svevia, dominates the town. Theatrical performances, cultural reviews, and concerts animate the town during the summer season. In nearby Tuoro, in 217 B.C, the Roman army guided by Caio Flaminio suffered a crushing defeat by the Hannibal's Carthaginian troops. Such was the entity of the battle, it passed in to the history books as the legendary "Battle of Trasimeno".
Moving away from the lake, we head for the town of Città della Pieve. Here, the town's Cathedral, the Oratory of S.Maria dei Bianchi, and the Churches of S.Antonio Abate and S.Maria dei Servi, house works by Pietro Vannucci, better known as Il Perugino, native to Città della Pieve. The 14th century town center is enclosed within splendid perimeter walls in brick and terracotta. Likewise, the nearby town of Monteleone di Orvieto, perched on a great spur of rock, has its origins in the middle ages. Since then, it would seem that time has stood still for centuries in a historic center characterised by its almost unaltered medieval aspect.
As we travel through Umbria's gloriously green and fertile countryside we soon come across the imposing form of the city of Orvieto, towering high above us on a great spur of rock from where it dominates the surrounding valleys and hillside. Prior to entering the city gates, we take a quick detour so as to visit the Badia, a wonderfully conserved abbey dating back to the 4th century.
Overlooking the main square of the historic center of Orvieto, the city's Cathedral is one of finest examples of Italian gothic architecture. Inside the church, in the recently restored San Brizio Chapel, there are a series of exquisite frescoes by Luca Signorelli and Beato Angelico. From the top of the Torre del Moro a glorious view extending as far as Mount Amiata can be enjoyed.
Much of Orvieto's charm is hidden, hidden underground in a complex network of passageways, caverns, cisterns, and wells. The Pozzo di S. Patrizio is the most famous of the city's wells, commissioned by Pope Clemente VII and built to the designs of Antonio da Sangallo. An incredible feat of engineering, the well descends some 62 meters below ground level, and features two immense spiral stairs, illuminated by a total of 72 windows. Before leaving Orvieto, visitors should take time for a tour of the city's Medieval district, home to a great number of artists' workshops and fascinating craft shops.
Towards the end of each year, Orvieto is transformed in buzzing stage for one of Italy's most important jazz reviews. An almost uninterrupted succession of concerts, jamming sessions, and jazz dinners make the "Umbria Jazz Winter" festival an event of great international appeal.
