UMBRIA TRAVEL DIRECTORY
This two-part event takes places in towns 100km (62 miles) apart. Crossbows are the weapons of choice of the men of Gubbio and Sansepolcro - they have been since the Middle Ages when competitions were first held to practice the civil defence of the towns. In May, Gubbio hosts the competition and in September it is the turn of Sansepolcro. The format is similar in both cases. In the morning, a herald reads out the challenge proclamation to the visiting rivals. In the afternoon, there is a ceremony blessing the crossbows which is followed by a flag waving and throwing extravaganza - a continuous blur of colour - by the brotherhood of flag bearers, dressed in medieval costume. Finally, at the end of the day comes the target shooting competition using crossbows of various size and style. The earliest documented meeting between the two towns was 1619. You can see the Palio of the Archer in Gubbio joining in the Tour Palio of the Archers Gubbio May 2012
Anciently a medieval castle, Panicale is still surrounded by its original 12th century defensive walls, and is set in a dominating position above Lake Trasimeno. Within the walls the town is structured in a circular shape, that peaks at the highest point of the city from which it is possible to enjoy a breathless view of the Lake and the surrounding hills.
Just outside the city walls, Panicale keeps a treasure in a small oratory, the famous fresco made by Perugino, depicting the Martyr of St. Sebastian.
If you are interested in a package including Panicale Tour, write me
The town of Perugia, the regional capital of Umbria, has a history of thousands of years. It was in fact a powerful Etruscan town, so large as to have already 7 ports, including monumental Ports such as Pulchra or Augustus (Etruscan arc). The Acropolis is a wonderful collection of art and architecture: magnificent squares, majestic palaces, medieval streets and alleys, Perugia is a jewel to discover and visit. Many artefacts were found, testifing that the area was inhabited since prehistoric times, but under the Etruscan rule it becoma a lucumonia, tah is an Etruscan district administrative. Conquered by Romans after the battle of Sentino in 295 BC, it reached a partial autonomy. It was the protagonist of one of the black pages of the Roman history, the battle of Trasimeno, which took place a few kilometres from the city. After the defeat, Perugia was a refuge for many soldiers escaped to the massacre. Around 40 BC the city was sacked and burned by Octavian, the future Augustus, since it was the refuge of Lucio Antonio, brother of Mark Antony, rival to the imperial throne. The emperor, however, was magnanimous and rebuilt the city, so much so that this took the title of Augusta Perusia. With the fall of the Toma Empire, the town was invaded by Totila, who conquered and destroyed the city in 548 AC. In the eighth century the city came under the control of Rome, which nevertheless maintained a certain autonomy. In an effort to finally subjecting Perugia, Pope Innocent III died in the city in 1216. Those are the years of many wars with the neighbouring towns such as Cortona, Chiusi, Todi, Foligno and Assisi; against the latter Perugia won the battle of Collestrada in 1202, to which participated among others the future St. Francis of Assisi. Perugia can now be defined free, even though the Church tries to regain control, which remains rather formal. In the following years internal fightings between the noble families of the city, between Raspanti (bourgeois) and Beccherini (the people minutes, supported by nobles). These struggles severely weaken the city and the social and economic fabric. Around the end of the fifteenth century the Baglioni family establishes a true and proper lordship of the city, which did not resist for long. Indeed, in 1531 Pope Paul III defeated and conquered the city following Salt war, which broke out due to a tax imposed on salt. The Pauline fortress was built, to cover the portion of the city owned by the family Baglioni and to eliminate any possible ambitions of revenge. The city finally passed under the control of the Church, which is temporarily cut off only with the descent of Napoleon. In 1859 a revolt was stifled in the blood but the following year the Vittorio Emanuele troops entered the city and added Perugia to the the Kingdom of Italy.
The following Tours include a guided visit of Perugia in their itinerary:
Easter Holiday Vacation April 2012
Christmas - New Year 2012 / 2013