Posted by internetauthor on August 28th, 2009 — in Umbria
Umbria, the lovely region directly in the calf of Italy’s boot is lovely for many reasons – the least of which is its simplicity. The rolling hills and the quiet, modest people of Umbria welcome tourists with open arms, but don’t expect the same crowds here that you’d find in one of the larger cities or in the countryside of Tuscany. Umbria is a raw beauty just outside of the most popular locations in Italy.
The Main Square of Perugia
Perugia’s main square is dominated by Fontana Maggiore, a large fountain covered in intriguing base-relief structures. Piazza IV Novembre is also home to the city’s and region’s premier art museum, La Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria. Here you can view works by local artists as well as those not from the region. Perugia’s main square is a nice starting point as well for exploring the rest of the city as well. Stop by the churches and monasteries of the town to experience the peace and solitude that brought so many to the region long ago.
Spello
In this ancient city, you don’t have to compete with cars or motorbikes. The city is closed to traffic allowing only pedestrians to explore the wonders of the old town. (more…)
Posted by internetauthor on February 10th, 2009 — in Italy, Tuscany, Umbria
When planning a trip to Italy, you’ve likely included the hot spots – Florence, Rome, Milan – but when you begin planning a stop in the Italian countryside, are you immediately considering Tuscany?
If so, consider a journey into Umbria instead. Tuscany is beautiful, certainly, but Umbria has many assets over the extremely popular Tuscan region that might make it the better choice for your family.
Umbria is Less Crowded than Tuscany
Tuscany has feature films, books and every other sort of publicity imaginable. And with good reason. The region is beautiful and the scenery is diverse, but it is certainly not the only region in Italy that can boast these features. Umbria is just as beautiful, albeit a bit less varied. But the biggest asset to Umbria over Tuscany is the lack of tourists. Tuscany is full of tour buses and commercialism designed to draw in as many tourist dollars as possible. Umbria is simply beautiful and the simple is refreshing after the large cities. (more…)
Posted by internetauthor on February 7th, 2009 — in Italy, Umbria
If you want to truly experience life in Italy, head out into the more rural areas of the country, and then find a community festival, or sagra. The sagra is a festival organized by the town or by a smaller subdivision of the town, and the entire affair is designed to honor various Italian foods. Umbrian specialties range from wild boar to truffles, but you can find a sagra dedicated to all of the local items if you search hard enough and have a bit of luck.
Enjoying a Sagra
To fully appreciate a sagra, you have to understand how the Italians behave and the expectations of the event. A sagra can be one of the most enjoyable evenings you spend in Umbria, but to appreciate the time you spend in such a special setting, you’ll need to behave as the locals do. (more…)
Posted by internetauthor on January 13th, 2009 — in Abruzzo, Italy, Rome and Surrounding, Sicily, Tuscany, Umbria
When in Italy, eat as the locals do. This means you should sample a wide variety of foods from premium restaurants as well as the local fruit stands at the morning markets. Italians take their food very seriously, so everything is delicious, especially if you avoid restaurants specifically catering to tourists. Here are a few must-have items while traveling:
Gelato
Why not start with dessert? Italian ice cream is rich and gooey and usually overflows the cup or cone. There are plenty of flavors that you might not find at your neighborhood ice cream shop and the experience of the tiny cone alone is a fun memory. Be aware, however, that more than one person has become addicted to gelato, especially if they sample it early on in the trip. It might very well become a daily habit.
Pizza
Italian pizza is nothing like the kind you find in most restaurants back home, even the Italian ones. During your travels, find time to order both an authentic wood-fired pizza and sample take-away pizza or pizza al taglio. Pizza al taglio is sold in square sections by weight at small bakeries and corner stores. It makes a great snack while walking the city as you can have as little or as much as you’d like in a single sitting.
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Posted by internetauthor on November 27th, 2008 — in Abruzzo, Italy, Rome and Surrounding, Sicily, Tuscany, Umbria
The holidays are special everywhere, but if you plan on spending even part of the holiday season in Italy, you can do no better for fun, festivity and interesting customs you certainly won’t see anywhere else. When in Italy, celebrate as the Italians do!
Nativity Scenes
Sir Francis of Assisi was the first to create a full manger scene including animals and such as we know the nativity scene today. Since that time, the presepio has become legendary among the Italian people. Every town, city and church will be displaying their presepio throughout the holiday season, which in Italy lasts through Epiphany. Many of the oldest, wealthiest families in Italy have rooms devoted to their elaborate and priceless nativity scenes. The rooms are opened for only two months and closely guarded the rest of the year. (more…)
Posted by internetauthor on November 18th, 2008 — in Abruzzo, Italy, Rome and Surrounding, Tuscany, Umbria
When visiting Italy over the holidays, it is critical that you not only visit the magical sites of antiquity, but also the kinds of events you just can’t find anywhere else in the world. Where else can you get authentic, handmade Christmas gifts from genuine Italian craftsman other than the special Christmas markets spread throughout Italy.
Epiphany Fair in Piazza Navona
In the heart of Rome, the Piazza Navona is transformed during the holiday season. Booths offer handmade lace and handkerchiefs, delicate carvings and wooden creations, and homemade cakes and biscotti. Most especially, you can find beautiful presepio, or carved Nativity scenes. Artisans from the areas surrounding Rome have been bringing their wares to this fair for generations. Father Christmas is present to take pictures and fresh candy and treats are prepared on the spot filling the air with the smell of toffee and roasting chestnuts.
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Posted by internetauthor on November 11th, 2008 — in Abruzzo, Italy, Rome and Surrounding, Sicily, Tuscany, Umbria
If you’re looking for snow and fir trees this Christmas, you’d do well to travel outside of Italy, for the larger cities of Italy are not especially Christmas-y by traditional standards. Of course, Italy sets its own standards and that includes the celebration of Christmas. In Italy, there might not be giant blow-up lawn ornaments, but the Italians show their love for the season by celebrating it for an entire month.
The Month of Celebrations
In Italy, the Christmas celebration starts on December 8. This makes it easy for visitors to enjoy the holiday both in Europe and again at home with authentic Italian gifts for friends and family. The holiday season begins on December 8, and officially ends of January 6, Epiphany, an important religious holiday in Christianity.
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