9 Iconic Buildings to Explore in Umbria

The so-called temple of Minerva, of Augustan art, rises in Assisi, in Piazza del Comune, probably dedicated to Hercules and erected in 30 BC. It was transformed into the church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in the sixteenth century, with its bell tower, called "Torre del Popolo". It turns out to be among the best-preserved Roman temples of the ancient world. The building belongs to the typology of the Corinthian prostyle temple "in antis", with fluted columns resting on high quadrangular plinths

The Teatro Della Concordia in Monte Castello di Vibio, in the province of Perugia, is the smallest Italian theater and one of the smallest historical theaters. It is defined with the slogan "the smallest in the world" as it is the faithful and successful miniature reproduction of the great Italian and European theaters.

The hermitage of the Carceri is the place where St. Francis of Assisi and his followers retired to pray and meditate. Located 4 kilometers from Assisi, at 791 meters above sea level on the slopes of Mount Subasio, the hermitage of the Carceri rises near some natural caves, frequented by hermits already in the early Christian age.

Etruscan Arch, also known as Arch Augustus which date back to the III Century B.C., built along the perimeter of the old Etruscan Wall, it was the most important entrance to the city. It is made of travertine, as most Etruscan buildings, extracted from the cave of Saint Sabina. The cubes were assembled without using any mortar. The arch is placed in the middle of two trapezoidal towers built using the same technique.

The Palazzo dei Consoli is located in Piazza Grande, in Gubbio, and represents one of the most impressive public buildings in Italy. The palace was the first building to have running water, used to power the splendid fountain located inside the palace. It was built between 1332 and 1349, according to some scholars on a project by Angelo da Orvieto, according to others on the project of the Eugubino Matteo Gattaponi. The architects were inspired by the disappeared Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo

Piazza IV Novembre is located in the historic center of Perugia, and as Serafino Siepi wrote, "it is the most beautiful and most ancient square in the city, central to the same". The asymmetrical square opens up to the convergence of the five road axes that structure the medieval city and for its scenography, it has represented in every age the privileged place of urban functions: here the ancient forum was located and there are preserved monuments connected to the system urban planning of the E

The Rocca Albornoziana of Narni is a stronghold located in the homonymous city, in southern Umbria. It was built in 1367 for defensive purposes at the behest of Cardinal Egidio Albornoz and is located at 332 m asl. It dominates the town and the valley of the Nera river from a very favorable strategic position. It overlooks, on one side, the Ternana basin, being able to easily control the access roads to Perugia, Amelia, and Terni; on the other side, it faces the SSO, dominating the via Flaminia

The Rocca Maggiore has dominated the citadel of Assisi and the Tescio valley for more than eight hundred years, constituting the most valid fortification for their defense. You can reach the fortress on foot through the Perlici gate, built-in 1316: you can admire the Assisian walls still intact which, in their long journey, connect the two fortresses, Maggiore and Minore. It is one of the iconic attractions in this area and attracts a lot of tourists here.

This 45m-high civic project from the late 13th century was built to keep an eye on Orvietan territory. In the 19th century, it served as the main cistern for the city's new aqueduct system, then became the bell-ringing, communal timekeeper, when a mechanical clock was installed in 1876. You can clamber up for a sweeping view of the city and, on clear days, the countryside as far as Mts.