LA PIEVE

Ficulle - Medieval town, famous for its terracotta productions. Very close to the town you can find Castello della Sala, which was a Monaldeschi family country property and world wide famous today as Antinori family winery. Ficulle is a nice borugh famous for its typical pottery.

Way north,towards Monteleone d'Orvieto and Montegabbione, you reach an old medieval outpost, sited in a strategic position on the way to Perugia, called Montegabbione. A visit to Montegiove Rock with the castle and to 13th century Franciscan Scarzuola convent are definitely worth it. Tommaso Buzzi built this convent. Now it is a sort of fairy city: a suggstive and unique theatral scene.

ORVIETO - The famous rock of Orvieto is just the basis of a city where everything is about art and history. Ages come across the city starting from the Etruscan civilization, through the Middle Age, until today. Since then, time has not been able to damage the wild beauty of the red tufa plateau (which Orvieto is made of) but it testifies about a supreme art. Putting together the famous Duomo, the Saint Patrick well, the Moro’s clocktower and many other artistic treasures, you easily get a unique glance over the Orvieto masterpiece.
In the Orvieto surroundings, in any of its areas, both Tuscany and Latium directions, you can reach many historical attractions, as the Etruscan Necropolis at Crocifisso del Tufo, the Roman ruins over the Tiber (Pagliano’s roman harbour) and Giulio’s bridge (roman architecture near Paglia river).

Distances > Roma (110 km - 68 miles), Firenze (149 km - 92 miles), Perugia (66 km - 41 miles), Terni (75 km - 46,5 miles), Siena (120 km - 74 miles) Assisi (70 km - 43 miles), Todi (30 km - 18,6 miles), Bolsena (20 km - 12 miles), Viterbo (45 km - 27,9 miles).

Cathedral
Natural Orvieto's archeological ring
Etruscan ruins and necropolis
Archeological museums
Moro's clocktower
Palazzo del Popolo
Underground caves

PERUGIA - Perugia is the main Umbrian city, made of its five districts enclosed by original Etruscan walls 22 centuries old. The most important monuments and spots are: Palazzo dei Priori, the Cathedral, the Fontana Maggiore. All these elements can be found in the same place: Piazza Grande. Walking down the beautiful Corso Vannucci, there are several elements to see, as the Belvedere garden, the Rocca Paolina and the Umbrian Art Gallery. While eating some excellent Perugia chocolate, be ready to walk up and down the hill because stairs are another feature who make Perugia famous! Distances > Roma (180 km - 111 miles), Firenze (150 km - 93 miles), Terni (60 km - 37 miles), Orvieto (66 km - 40,9 miles), Todi (40 km - 24,8 miles), Assisi (10 km - 6,2 miles) Gubbio (50 km - 31 miles)

Umbrian paintings gallery
Palazzo dei Priori
Fontana grande
Rocca Paolina
Cathedral

PRODO & Campione Creek speleology and hydrospeed - Sited between the Titignano borough and the picturesque town of Prodo, the Campione creek represents the natural border line between the land of Todi and Titignano since the medieval age. The peculiarities of this creek allow the tourist to wander through its narrow cliffs along the entire wild rush.

ASSISI - Laying on a Mount Subasio side, everything in this small town talks about Saint Francesco. The shocking Basilica, also famous for Giotto’s frescos, is the top of a charming hill, facing the whole Perugia valley. Just out hte centre you can find interesting roman ruins.

A gentle, quiet atmosphere reigns in this town, it was an umbrian town then conquered by the romans and after devastated during the barbarian invasions.Later it became a free city-state and during the renaissance Assisi was ruled by many lords before becoming part of the Papal states. Beside the basilica, there are several interesting churches: the S.Rufino church, S.Damiano and the S.Chiara church. Distances > Gubbio (45 km - 27,9 miles), Perugia (10 km - 6,2 miles), Terni (70 km - 43 miles), Orvieto (70 km- 43 miles), Todi (50 km - 31 miles), Spoleto (45 km - 28 miles), Foligno (25 km - 15,5 miles)

Saint Francis cathedral
Minerva temple
Roman ruins
Carceri hermitage
Perkins museum
Santa Chiara cathedral
Porziuncola

Spa in central Italy

Saturnia’s natural Spa and Falls - A traditional lore narrates that God Nettuno created this natural springs tossing a thunderbird against a mountain. The Saturnia Spa have been appreciated both by the Etruscans and the Romans; today this area is an enchanting place characterized by its beneficent water and by its important Health Center.

San Casciano dei Bagni Spa - Placed in a panoramic corner of the Tuscany lowlands, not far from Siena, the hot springs of Fonteverde comes up among a typical green countryside. You may choose between a complete healthy treatment at the Thermal centre of Fonteverde (just at the beginning of the town) or enjoy the ease of the public bathtub. Other important spa in Tuscany are in Asciano (Terme di San Giovanni), Pitigliano, Paganico (Terme di Petriolo) and the famous Montecatini and Chianciano terme.

Popes’ thermae (Viterbo) - The thermal resources of the whole Viterbo’s basin are certainly one of the most precious and large ones in Italy. The original 14 thermal buildings, built under the instructions of several popes, are dislocated along a wide area around the city of Viterbo. Today the biggest hot spring water (called “Bullicame”) is exploited by the main thermal establishment. Maybe relaxing your body inside this hot water (58 °C – 136.40 °F) is the best way to describe this spa benefits. Other important spa in Latium are those of Tivoli, just 18 km far from Rome.

In Umbria the most famous thermae are in Città di Castello (Terme di Fontecchio) and Parrano.

Panicale- pretty borough inside the Perugia district it offers to the visitormany attractions, above all the San Sebastiano church (inside you findsome Perugino's frescoes),the Theatre, the Holy furnish museum and the Tulle Museum (includes a collection of some embroider masterpiece).

Deruta -south of Perugia, it is famous for its ancient artistic pottery tradition that you can see, a different types, inside the Pottery Museum.

Città della Pieve - south of Perugia, near Chiusi (in Tuscany), this up hill position boroughs is very interesting and worth a visit. It is different from many other umbrian places because of its red-bricks palaces. This town is much more similar to the low tuscany towns.

TRASIMENO LAKE PARK - this Park created in 1995 is a large protected area 13.000 ha large holding in its territory the town of Castiglione del Lago Magione, Panicale, Passignano and Tuoro on Trasimeno.
The lake is one of the biggest in Italy and its shores are ideal both for bathing and for fishing.
In the Trasimeno lake there are 3 nice islands: Polvese, Maggiore and Minore. Near the lake there are several etruscan and roman ruines. From Passignano you can take the boat to reach the Polvese island. A visit to the Rocca del Leone in Castiglion del lago is a must. From its towers you can enjoy a wonderful view of the whole lake.

Rocca del Leone
Polvese and Maggiore islands
Historical town of Castiglion del lago
Roman ruins

TUSCANY LOWLANDS - This area spreads south of Florence and it includes three main areas: Crete Senesi and Chianti, with Siena as its main city, the Casentino area with Arezzo and the whole Maremma with Grosseto as its representative city.

Maremma - this large area is divided into the coast, the inland and the mountains. The Tyrrhenian Sea coast has unique landscapes and stunning untouched natural oasis, such as Feniglia, the Argentario Mountain, the Orbetello lagoon. The Maremma inland is rich of small historical towns and boroughs. Among the best towns: Capalbio, ith its castle, Montorgiali & Montepò castles in Scansano, Porto S.Stefano with its vineyards, Pitigliano, Sovana and its Necropolis, Sorano and Saturnia, famous all over the world for its spa.
For those who love mountains and excursions, one of the best central Italy mountains stands: Mount Amiata.
Casentino - the Eastern Tuscany area has its most important city named Arezzo, which is famous for its gold and jewels producers and the Camaldoli convent (1023).

Crete Senesi & Chianti - a large area, which Siena is the city symbol of, this is a land where arts and intense flavours perfectly coexist since ages. Visitors should definitely visit Siena and its surroundings: ASciano, Colle Val d'Elsa (the crystal town), S. Gimignano (its downtown is Unesco patrimony), S. Casciano dei Bagni and Chianciano Terme (both places are famous for their spa).

THE CRETE SENESI AREA AND VAL D'ORCIA

The famous Crete Senesi lands are composed by five main comunes: Siena, Asciano, Colle Val D'Elsa, Poggibonsi, San Gimignano.
Colle Val D'Elsa shows its magnificent Palazzo Campana and Palazzo Pretorio; Poggibonsi is world wide famous for its Siena Chianti Classico production and for some monuments such as Saint Maria Assunta's Collegiata and the medieval architectonical masterpiece of Poggio Imperiale Fortress; San Gimignano, one of the most beautiful Italian boroughs, with its 100 rooks, rich of artistic treasures such as Saint Jacopo and Saint Pietro churches, the Duomo (where Benozzo Gozzoli and Taddeo di Bartolo frescoes can be seen) and the Palazzo del Popolo.In this area there is also the Nature Train (info line 0577-207413) which crosses the suggestive Siena landscapes and surroundings: it's a must!
Then Pienza, beautiful town in Val d'Orcia and Roccalbegna, San Quirico, Castiglione d'Orcia, Asciano.