Visiting the Tuscany Umbria Border Area of Italy

Orvieto Le Dôme-Façade-Ombrie-Italy- (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By []Emma Cordingley

South eastern Tuscany meets its smaller neighbour Umbria, on Umbria's  north
eastern border.  The border area of Tuscany and Umbria in Italy is a wonderful place
to stay as the visitor is able to visit the many cities and towns of the two regions
while staying in one of the most picturesque areas the world has to offer and
enjoying one of its greatest cuisines.  The area is largely rural, the main crops are
sunflowers, maize, olives, vines and tobacco which is being phased out.  Modernity
has been slow to reach this area and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, many
visitors feel as if they had stepped back in time 30 or 40 years.   Staying in this area
you are within 90% of UNESCOs world art treasures: Rome and Florence are within
two hours drive and one must not forget the important art works of nearer towns
such as Arezzo, Siena, Perugia and Assisi.  Apart from their art treasures these
towns are places everyone enjoys visiting.  All have their own architectural delights
and meandering lanes and interesting shops and restaurants. Also worth visiting are
the Tuscan towns of ; Cortona and Sansepolcro and the Umbrian towns of
Gubbio,Citta di Castello, Todi and Orvieto.  Lovers of ceramics will also want to visit
Deruta famous for its production of some the world's finest majolica. 

Visiting the Tuscany Umbria Border Area of Italy

Image via WikipediaBy Emma Cordingley


South eastern Tuscany meets its smaller neighbour Umbria, on Umbria's north

eastern border. The border area of Tuscany and Umbria in Italy is a wonderful place

to stay as the visitor is able to visit the many cities and towns of the two regions

while staying in one of the most picturesque areas the world has to offer and

enjoying one of its greatest cuisines. The area is largely rural, the main crops are

sunflowers, maize, olives, vines and tobacco which is being phased out. Modernity

has been slow to reach this area and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, many

visitors feel as if they had stepped back in time 30 or 40 years. Staying in this area

you are within 90% of UNESCOs world art treasures: Rome and Florence are within

two hours drive and one must not forget the important art works of nearer towns

such as Arezzo, Siena, Perugia and Assisi. Apart from their art treasures these

towns are places everyone enjoys visiting. All have their own architectural delights

and meandering lanes and interesting shops and restaurants. Also worth visiting are

the Tuscan towns of ; Cortona and Sansepolcro and the Umbrian towns of

Gubbio,Citta di Castello, Todi and Orvieto. Lovers of ceramics will also want to visit

Deruta famous for its production of some the world's finest majolica.
Wine lovers are also in for a treat as many great wines are found in this area.

Although Chianti is not strictly on the Tuscany Umbria border it is only a short drive.

The brunellos of Montalcino and Vino Nobile of Montepulciano are found in this

area.
There is a wide choice of accommodation available for those wishing to come to this

area of Italy. Agriturismi offering either self-catering apartments or B&B type

accommodation have sprung up everywhere. A popular choice for the visitor to this

area of Tuscany and Umbria is to rent a self-catering villa, farmhouse or apartment

through a rental agency. With a rental agency one can be sure that the house or

apartment has been properly scrutinised and is priced fairly to reflect its quality,

situation and accessibility. Farmhouses, villas and apartments with or without

swimming pools are all available. If one wishes to stay in a country property in this

area car hire is almost essential. Public transport in the rural areas of Tuscany and

Umbria although reliable, is sparse. Most villages have a bus service once a day,

relying upon this creates a lack of flexibility. Many of the farmhouses and villas for

holiday rental are on hillsides a good walk from a main road. Often vacation rental

houses in Tuscany and Umbria are reached along gravel roads or "strade bianche" .

City inhabitants are often alarmed at these gravel roads but after the initial drive

along them the nerves are soon overcome.

Please visit http://www.tuscanyumbria.com to find a rental property for your holiday in the

Tuscany or Umbria regions of Italy.
Emma Cordingley, originally from the UK has lived on the Tuscany Umbria border for 7 years with her husband and 2 daughters. Together with her husband she runs a vacation rental agency offering villas, farmhouses and apartments for holiday rentals, http://www.tuscanyumbria.com and walking holidays; http://www.tuscanyumbriawalks.com.

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Orvieto, Umbria

Image by vic15 via Flickr

By Marcus Smith
You realize you are visiting somewhere a bit special even before you enter Orvieto. The town sits in a dramatic location on the cliffs above the surrounding plains of the Umbrian countryside - a position that lent itself well to meeting the defensive requirements of an early Italian town. On entering Orvieto you will head first to the main square, which includes the substantial cathedral, a couple of impressive palaces, and a sprinkling of interesting museums.

Orvieto cathedral is the highlight of your visit. The ornate exterior, with carved stone arches and various painted decorations provides, is impressive while the interior is covered on almost all available surfaces with paintings and frescoes dating from the 14th century. These continue into the chapels of the cathedral - note particularly the painting called 'The Damned' in the Chapel of San Brizio, for example. Of the museums, the 'Opera del Duomo' is perhaps the highlight and features many important works of art by local artists from the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries, many of them noteworthy for their use of colour and light.

Elsewhere in Orvieto, head next to the northern part of the town to follow the narrow streets that wind through the old town passed medieval townhouses and palaces, revealing occasional glimpses of quiet courtyards and decorative features that will entice you to explore further.

Orvieto also has a couple of underground secrets - a large number of passages have been carved into the soft rock to create an underground 'city' while the deep and ornate well that was once used to store water for the town is also a remarkable achievement. Stepping further back in time you can see the remains of the original Etruscan defenses for the city, built more than 2000 years ago. The Albornoz fortress and the 14th century 'Palace of the Captain of the People' are other unmissable highlights of your visit.

Be sure to allow plenty of time for your visit and to explore the town, and then to sit quietly in a cafe people-watching, ideally early in the evening and with a glass of the highly regarded local Orvieto wine to enjoy - at the same time as watching the world go by and reflecting on the many inhabitants who have passed along the same streets over the last 2000 years.

Learn more about Umbria and the fascinating historical towns before you visit. Orvieto is just one of the fascinating places to explore here - one of the other popular historical towns can be seen at Todi a little way to the east.

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