ASSISI, the nearest town, is the home of St. Francis and his female counterpart, St. Clare. For seven centuries Assisi has been a focus for pilgrimage, and the area is rich in traditions associated with the saints. The town itself has been carefully preserved, its steep medieval streets winding between churches and houses of rose-coloured stone.

The town's calendar revolves around traditional festivals - the commemoration and celebration of Holy Week in Easter, the Calendimaggio (a three-day recreation of the medieval celebration of Spring when much of Assisi dons medieval dress for street theatre, music, dance, and a series of contests between the upper and the lower parts of the town), and the Feast of St. Francis in early October.

The great Basilica of S. Francesco, built over Francis' tomb, contains frescoes by Cimabue, Lorenzetti, Martini and Giotto, the painter who heralded the Renaissance in Italian painting. The Upper Basilica was damaged by tremors in 1997, it has been fully restored and is open once again to the public.

For modern pilgrims Assisi offers cafes, restaurants, shops and a swimming pool. Larger supermarkets can be found in the neighbouring towns of S. Maria degli Angeli and Bastia. Paragliders fly from the top of Mount Subasio.

UMBRIA, known as the "Green Heart of Italy", lies between Tuscany, Le Marche and Lazio. The region's forests and farms are famous for their truffles, olive oil and pork, the town of Deruta for its painted earthenware; Orvieto and Torgiano for their wine.

Within a 60 km (40 mile) radius of Casa Rosa are the ancient hill towns of Gubbio, Spello, Cortona, Spoleto, Orvieto and Todi, each with its medieval centre. Perugia, the region's capital, is 25 km. (15 miles) away, a stylish university city with striking medieval architecture, important Etruscan remains and major works of art.

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To the West, Lake Trasimeno offers swimming and water sports for most of the year. To the South and East lies Umbria's wildest scenery - the forests and gorges of the Valnerina, the mountain peaks and remote alpine pastures of the Monti Sibillini. Umbria holds many of the great artistic treasures of Medieval and Renaissance Italy - the most celebrated art and architecture are at Assisi, Perugia, Orvieto, Spoleto and Todi, but churches across the region contain stunning frescoes, and even a very small town can boast a masterpiece. Almost every town in Umbria has its own 'festa' - from colourful traditions rooted in the Middle Ages to modern celebrations of music and the arts.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Click here to download: Calendar.doc