The seat of city government this is decorated with giant frescoes, stained glasses windows and…read moreoriginal hard woods. Well worth a quick stop In while walking the piazza.

Nice shopping area with medieval buildings around. There are many stores from high ends to budget…read morestores - clothing, candy, pastries, and a variety of local products. Great place to buy dry pastas or olive oils as souvenirs. There's also and all kinds of eateries, from fine dining to snacks so no worries if you need to take a break. There's also the National Gallery of Umbria and the Cathedral of San Lorenzo and Museum right near by. Located on a hill top, this popular tourist area is about 10 minutes walk from another main attraction, the Etruscan Arch. If you arrive in Perugia by train, the Arch is about 10 Euro taxi from the train station. Once you reach the Arch, you can walk up to the plaza. Last but not least, walk through the shopping area and you'll reach a cliff that gives you magnificent views of the Perugia town and the green fields beyond. Absolutely the travel magazine Italian landscapes!

This is St. Francis' hermitage, the place where he would escape to from Assisi town, to pray and…read moremeditate along with his 4 companions. Thank God the Franciscan brothers still keep this place sparse and little decorated and it hasn't been made into a tourist circus like the town has. Many of them regularly walk the trails in the woods also to make sure tourists and pilgrims are not acting stupid. This is a holy sanctuary. This is the place where the stories of St. Francis preaching to the birds, receiving the vision of the angels and even levitating while experiences his spiritual ecstasies happened. If you want to come here and meditate and experience the same serenity that St. Francis did, by all means do so, there are many places in the woods and trails here for that and if you are in the right state of mind, stay quite and reverent and in a receptive state, some magical insights will come to you given how much St. Francis loved nature. St. Francis' energy is here but you have to be very patient and quiet to pick up on it, it is not in the town nor in the basilica where his bones and relics are. You'll get the feeling that you are a million miles away from the ugliness of the world but please take a reverent attitude here instead of an obnoxious, tacky tourist one. I saw both types of behavior in action here unfortunately. I saw very quiet and serious Italian pilgrims here given that the day I came was immediately after St. Francis' Feast Day. I also saw a yogini barefoot and doing a serious session of Earthing but I also saw the most obnoxious, loud, rude and uncouth Asian and Eastern European tourists who only show up because their guidebook tells them to but don't understand the significance of this place, the same types I saw at the Cave of the Apocalypse on the Greek island of Patmos, Mount Shasta in California and who had literally taken over the Sistine Chapel, they walk through the hermitage with the same amounts of poise and discretion as a brontosaurus, without even a second's worth of appreciation, take their stupid selfies and leave. Seriously, if that's the attitude you take, why bother even coming here? I spent a good three hours here, walking the trails and meditating at the the outdoor alters in the woods and in the caves that Francis' four closest brothers often went into seclusion to, for the purposes of deep, deep meditation and prayer, specifically Brother Leo, Brother Masseo, Brother Rufino and Brother Angelo. All four of their caves are here. I seriously hope the Franciscan Brothers can protect this place, this is one of the last real pure, spiritual refuges left in this world.

This magical place will blow your mind! Spend at least two hours here to silently soak up the…read morepeaceful atmosphere. This place is gorgeous and holy. It's kind of a long and steep walk from town so you may want to ride up in a car. You should bring some water if you want to hike around here because you won't find food or beverages for sale here.

GORGEOUS!!!! Like watching the sunset in Hawaii:))) wow! Love it here!! Photos don't suffice..read more

2009. We pedal up to…read moreCortona, another medieval Italian town that sits on top of a hill. The road up is a steep serpentine that never stops serpentining. We push on, each switchback like another cruel demonstration of the defensive advantage of building a town on top of a fricking hill. Cortona and its environs is where 'Under the Tuscan Sun,' Francis Mayes' insanely popular 1996 memoir about renovating a farmhouse in Tuscany, is set. The book was then adapted into an equally popular movie that was also shot around Cortona, though the plot was jazzed up, Hollywood-style. Instead of a memoir of a couple college professors doing a gut rehab, the movie is about a San Francisco writer who finds out her husband is cheating on her, so she moves to Italy and buys a run down villa and, you know, slowly repairs the house and her broken heart. The book + movie turned Cortona into a pretty serious tourist destination. More than that, it turned it into a fantasy destination. A place you can go after your life falls apart to find good food and laughter and a significant other with Hollywood looks. In other words, a place you can find in your guide book and reserve a hotel room in, but that doesn't actually exist.

How do you even begin to review this town....suffice to say it's just breathtaking, picturesque to…read morethe core, at the top of a hill enclosed in an old Etruscan wall. The highlight of our holiday in Tuscany..

If you know me, you know I love a good cathedral and this one is pretty great…read more Orvieto is a gorgeous, perfect hill town crowned with this jewel of a church. Started in 1294 (!) it took 300+ years to build. There's plenty of art including spectacular frescos by Signorelli. When you look at the elaborate decor - inside and out- reflect that most of this is hand laid mosaic work. Incredible

If you can only visit one place in Orvieto, the Duomo should be it! This strikingly beautiful 14th…read morecentury cathedral is likely the crown jewel of the small mountain town. It has amazing statues (check out all 18 of them, including the two right in front of the altar-- the unbelievable Angel of the Annunciation and the Virgin of the Annunciation! ) masterpiece frescos, and stained glass windows so vibrant that they etch into your heart! For just 5 Euros (at this writing) the beauty and memory you get is simply out of this world. A true marvel !!!

We were lucky enough to see the cathedral in October when the floors were uncovered and it was…read moretruly a sight to see. Absolutely worth the visit and make sure to go to the top of the bell tower during your visit for a spectacular view and a great photo opportunity.

The interior of the cathedral is lovely, especially the marble floors and stained glass windows…read more There isn't any printed information or leaflets. They have an audio guide but you have to use your phone. I didn't have good reception on my mobile so I wasn't able to get any information about the church or art. I did really enjoy the crypt, so I am glad I got the ticket that included access to that.