Umbria and its surroundings
The Wellness Hotel Villa Fiorita is located in Foligno
If you stay in our wellness hotel you will have the opportunity to visit the most important towns of Umbria and discover the many beauties of this region: from the historical-artistic monuments to the religious heritage, from food and wine tours to nature trails… All to confirm that Umbria is wonderful in all its faces!
Assisi
The history of Assisi is deeply tied to the life and story of St. Francis, patron saint of Italy. St. Clare was also born in Assisi and she was St. Francis’ collaborator. Everywhere in the city you can perceive and breathe a spiritual and religious atmosphere: it is for this reason that Assisi is a place of intense Christian-Catholic pilgrimage that has made of it one of the most visited cities in the “Bel Paese”.
Foligno
Foligno is the 3rd town of Umbria and it is also the richest commercial and industrial centre of the region. Its history dates back to pre-Roman times, to the “Fulginates Umbrian”, an Italic population among the oldest ones of Indo-European origin. Foligno is counted among those cities called “Oil City” that form a non-profit organization that seeks to promote the production of extra virgin olive oil.
Parco di Colfiorito
It’s a regional natural park, the smallest of Umbria, founded in 1995 with the aim of safeguarding the homonymous swamp, with its ecosystem. Here you can admire a spectacular and rare flora species, as well as a rich and varied fauna, including important species of aquatic birds, amphibians and other animals. These are the guests of the swampy waters of the Park. The great expanse “Altopiano” of Colfiorito offers many areas that allow a diversification of the many species that find shelter in this important protected area.
Perugia
Perugia is the capital of Umbria, a city that counts about 170,000 inhabitants and it is home to 2 important universities: the “University of Studies”, one of the oldest in Italy, founded in 1308, and the “University for Foreigners”, the biggest in Italy. The origins of Perugia dates back to the XI – X century B. C., when are documented the first human settlements in the area. The city was founded by the Umbrian people in the IV century and became later on an important Etruscan centre. At the end of the III century fell under the domination of the Romans. It was a free commune in the XI century, while finally about the mid-sixteenth century became part of the Papal State, until the unification of Italy.
Spello
It seems that the name “Spello” comes from the name of ”Ispeo Pelisio”, one of Aeneas mates that was fleeing from Troy in flames: the Romans would later on changed to “Hispellum”. The certain fact is that the city has a long history and ancient origins. Like the nearby “Bevagna”, also Spello is counted among the most beautiful villages in Italy, and as well as Foligno it is part of the circuit of “Oil City”.
Bevagna
Bevagna is counted among the most beautiful villages in Italy. The village lies in the west side of the plain of Foligno and in the past it was famous for its valuablepaintings, the so-called “bevagne”.
Norcia
The human presence in Norcia dates back to Neolithic times. Instead, the city of Norcia was founded at the time of the Sabines, an ancient people of central Italy, related to the Umbrians. The artistic heritage of the town is really interesting, but has been unfortunately damaged by the earthquakes that over the centuries have plagued the Apennines area. In fact like Cascia also Norcia is one of the most seismic town of Umbria.
Cascia
The origins of Cascia date back to Roman times. Unfortunately, it has not remained almost nothing of that time because of the several depredations made by the barbarians and the numerous earthquakes that have struck the area. The town reached its magnitude during the Middle Ages.
Todi
Todi is an authentic Italic city, whose origins are lost in the dark of the pre-Roman era. The city was founded by the Umbrian people and later on was inhabited by the Etruscans andRomans: the remains of this past are still visible, for example in the walls of the city and in the Roman Amphitheatre. Moreover, at Todi there is one of the most beautiful squares in Italy, “Piazza del Popolo”. Known as “the most livable city in the world”, Todi is situated on the top of a hill 400 meters high, that overlooks the valley of the Tiber.
Chiesa di S. M. di Plestia
The building is located in the heart of the Plestin plateau, which is under the municipality of Serravalle di Chienti, nearby Colfiorito, where once stood the ancient city of Plestia, then disappeared in the X century. The church “Santa Maria di Plestia” is a basilica of the early Christian period, in proto-Romanesque style. Around the church you can admire the remains of an elegant portico. Its artistic importance was driven by the discovery during excavations of the remains of a temple dedicated to the goddess Cupra, venerated as the Mother of Plestini. During excavations has been found, in the crypt of the church, a few precious remains of a village of the iron age (VIII century B.C.).
