Italy is a nation beloved by many for its layered history, artistic treasures, majestic landscapes, and renowned cuisine, all of which vary broadly from one region to the next. This variety is due in part to the fact that the Italian peninsula was once a mosaic of numerous smaller city-states, each of which added its own unique contributions to the cultural richness of the country, which is home to the highest concentration of UNESCO World Heritage Sites of any modern nation.
Art historian Sophia D’Addio of Columbia University, an expert in Italian Renaissance art and architecture, has traveled widely across the Italian peninsula over the past 20 years. In a second series of illustrated talks, she explores a trio of distinctive regions of Italy, revealing their histories, mysteries, and pleasures.
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A picturesque region of hill towns set among majestic landscapes, Umbria is known as the Green Heart of Italy; fittingly, it was the home region of Saint Francis, who celebrated all of nature as a reflection of the divine. Umbria’s most famed cities include Assisi (St. Francis’ hometown), Perugia, Spoleto, and Orvieto, among others—each of which is filled with artistic treasures of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The rich culinary specialties of the region focus on prized local ingredients such as black truffles, wild boar, lentils, and olive oil.
Additional Italian Regions to Discover Programs
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