History Foligno This Umbrian city was conquered by the Romans around 295 B.C. who gave it the name Fulginiae. In the 12th century the city was made an independent municipality. Initially loyal to the Guelphs, it later aligned with the Ghibellines, and remained an important centre for the Imperial forces in the region who opposed the Guelphs of Perugia for many years. However, at the beginning of the 14th century, with the fall of the Ghibelline fortunes, Foligno (1310) was established as a Guelph faction, led by the Trinci family. Taking possession of power, Rinaldo Trinci made Foligno the centre of a dominion that gradually expanded its political and territorial influence, bringing prestige and riches to the city. In 1439, following a bloody episode that stained the hands Corrado III Trinci, Pope Eugene IV ordered the city to be occupied by the troops of Cardinal Vitelleschi. Trinci was put to justice and the territory was annexed to the Papal States. In 1860 Foligno was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy. Bevagna The name of the city of Bevagna originates from the Mefana family of Etruscan nobility. It was an Umbrian city and flourishing Roman municipium. A Lombard viceroyalty, in 774 it became part of the Papal States. After various vicissitudes, the Trinci family of Foligno ruled the town from 1371 up to 1439, when it is returned to the direct dominion of the Holy See. The year 1860 marked the end of the church's rule of Bevagna when it became part of the Kingdom of Italy. Gualdo Cattaneo The name of the town derives from "Wald", meaning "wood", which was given to Cattaneo by its founder, the Count Edoardo Cattaneo, under the reign of the Emperor Otto II of Saxony. Of ancient origins, in the Middle Ages Gualdo Cattaneo was part of the Dukedom of Spoleto. The town was founded 975 when the castle of Gualdo was built and given to the Cattaneo family. It was extremely important for its strategic position overlooking the Tiber and Spoleto Valleys. In 1493, Pope Alessandro VI Borgia entrusted its administration to Foligno, which commissioned a fortress to be built there in order to strengthen its defences. It became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1860. Montefalco Montefalco has been inhabited since the earliest traces of antiquity. In the Middle Ages it was known by the name Coccorone. In 1249 it was devastated by the troops of Frederick II, but it was soon rebuilt with its current name. Over the course of the 14th century it remained the preferred centre for the chancellors of the Dukedom of Spoleto (1320-1355). Then in the years between 1379-1424 and 1438-1439 Montefalco fell under the rule of the Trinci family of Foligno. From 1446 to 1860 it was returned to the Church authorities who recognized its independent government. In 1848 it was awarded the title of city. Nocera Umbra Nocera, which means New Construction, was founded by the Umbrians and its development is tied to the Flaminia road. In 571 A.D. it was attacked by the Lombards, acting in defence of the Dukedom of Spoleto. In the years leading up to 1000 Nocera took on an increasingly strategic function. In the 12th century the city was under the rule of Perugia. It was later administrated by the Papal State. From the Renaissance onwards, it became an increasingly popular tourist destination for its spring water, already renowned for its special qualities and beneficial effects. Sellano Sellano, located along the valley of the Vigi River, a tributary to the right of the Nera River, was founded around the year 84 B.C. by Lucio Silla who gave the city its name. Always considered to be an excellent strategic point for its geographic position, over the centuries its destiny was indelibly tied to that of nearby cities. Therefore, in later centuries it fell under the rule of the Dukedom of Spoleto, the Papal kingdom and finally to the domain of the Collicola family. Spello A town of Umbrian origins, the Romans first called it Hispellum. Years later, Constantine called Spello by the name of Flavia Costans, conceding various privileges to the town and choosing it as the site to build the temple to Gens Flavia. The Umbrians and the Etruscans, at this point confederated into religious associations, celebrated their annual festivals there. With the collapse of the Western Empire it met the same fate as the rest of Italy. Damaged during the invasion of the Goths, it became a part of the Lombard Dukedom of Spoleto and followed its sorts until the end of the 12th century, when it was taken over by the Church. In 1360 it became an independent Commune. From 1389 to 1583 Spello fell under the influence of the Baglioni of Perugia who would rule over the town in spite of the various vicissitudes of other dominions. In 1583 it was definitively turned over to the Papal States. During this period the city was enriched by various Renaissance masterpieces. Trevi Ancient Trevi rose along the Flaminia road, exactly in the locality of Pietrarossa. Trevi had a difficult and troubled past, repeatedly destroyed, it was finally rebuilt in a high position to better defend itself. Occupied by the Lombards, Trevi was a seat of stewardship and was attacked by several civilizations. It was united with Foligno by Pope Innocent III. The Pope assigned it as vicar to the sons of Nicolò Maurizi from Tolentino, who retained possession of the town until 1440. In 1470 Trevi was the site of the first printing works in Umbria, and the fourth in all of Italy. In 1784, Pope Pius VI made Trevi a city. In 1860 it became part of the Kingdom of Italy. Valtopina As an analysis of its name reveals, Valtopina, which in ancient times was perhaps called "Cerqua", rises up along the valley of the Topino River between Foligno and Nocera Umbra. The first records which testify to the existence of a settlement go back to a few years before the year 1000; from then on, the town shared the fate of its neighbouring townships, passing under the dominion of Assisi and under the dominion of the Trinci family of Foligno in 1383. Gubbio Tourists visiting Gubbio will immediately discover its artistic heritage and natural beauty. Rolling hillsides rich with forests, vineyards and olive groves alternate with ample valleys of trees and fields. Medieval villages and castles offer an extraordinary variety of panoramas and suggestive views. Characteristic farmhouses, nestled between fields of various forms and colours, design a charming polychromatic mosaic. Countless works of art are scatted throughout the various towns, which blend into the landscape in perfect harmony. The altitude, the variety of terrains, the positioning and the distribution of the landforms and the valleys enrich the countryside with various characteristics. Città di Castello Situated on a slight elevation, Città di Castello is the most important and highly populated town in the Upper Tiber Valley. The first lake dwellings were built on the tiny islands of Lake Tiberino, which today have almost completed receded. In all likelihood it was founded by the Umbrians, who settled in central Italy in around 1000 B.C. and named it Tiferno. Around the 7th century they made commercial exchanges with the Etruscan people who had penetrated the area up to the right bank of the Tiber River. Terni The foundation of the city of Terni is attributed to the 7th century B.C., based on an inscription on a plaque from 32 A.D., dedicated to the "Perpetual well-being of Augustus, to the public liberty of the Roman people, to the Genius of the municipality in the 704th year since the foundation of Interamna under the consulate of Gneo Domizio Enobardo". According to the inscription, the city was founded in 672 B.C., and even if this date cannot be taken literally, archaeological finds indicate that there were human settlements on the site beginning in that same period (8th -7th century B.C.). The first of these settlements was likely constituted by the Umbrians or the Sabines in the Neolithic Age. Around the 3rd century B.C. it was conquered by the Romans, who exten­ded their presence along the Flaminia road. Settlements rose up throughout the area, favouring the transformation of some centres into municipia and later into a flourishing municipium. Orvieto The city of Orvieto, in symbiosis with the tufa cliff it is built onto, is an exceptional example of the integration between nature and the work of man. In certain cases, the knowledge of this relationship between nature and architecture is explicitly manifested, like in the special inscription found on the famous St. Patrick's well that says "quod natura munimento inviderat industria adiecit" clarifying that "What nature stinted for provision - which in this case is water - was supplied by human intervention". A visit to this city is like passing through history, since the traces of almost three-thousand years are found, stratified and concentrated in this pre-constituted physical space.                                   Source: The Surfingitaly tourism web site and the Region of Umbria's institutional web site       <<Back       Versione Italiana       Aucklandviaggi Privacy Design