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HISTORY
OF UMBRIA
HISTORY OF UMBRIA
Umbria, AKA the 'Green heart of Italy' is the only landlocked
region of Italy. It has a very central, and therefore strategic
location, acting both as a north/south crossroads and as
a gateway between two seas, the Adriatic and the Tirrenian.
As with many other areas of the country, Umbria has historically
integrated and adapted to many diverse cultures, from Etruscans
through to Romans, Longobards and on to the Pontifical state
and becoming a destination for pilgrims from all over the
world.
Numerous archaeological finds have unearthed a human presence
in Umbria dating back to Palaeolithic and Neolithic periods;
flints and arrowheads have been found on several river plains
and around the shores of Lake Trasimeno, and burial chambers
close to Spoleto date to the time between the Bronze and
Iron Ages. At around one thousand years BC a tribe - probably
of Indo-European origin - known as the Oscan-Umbrians (Umbri)
arrived in the region, establishing many settlements and
the foundations of towns and cities such as Terni, Todi,
Spoleto, Assisi, Gubbio and Città di Castello.
Eventually the Etruscans arrived, forcing the Umbrians to
concede much of their territory and to retreat into various
central valleys and plains; their was cooperation with the
Etruscans, and, many centuries later, the two peoples put
up a united front against the might of Rome.
Quite who the Etruscans were is far from clear. The three
main theories have it that they came to Italy by sea from
the Far East, that they came down from northern Europe,
or that they are descended from the so-called 'Pre-Italians'
of the Bronze Age. They were superlative road builders,
they began to clear swamps and marshlands and were great
sea-farers, they produced exquisite art works and jewellery,
and their tombs and 'cities of the dead' (necropolis) have
survived across the centuries and have told much of what
is known today. They have shaped Umbria like no other people.
They conquered the cities of Umbria, also founding their
own, establishing them as autonomous city states with federal
agreements between them. Their tenure is still clearly visible
in many Umbrian towns and cities, particularly Orvieto,
Perugia and Città della Pieve, where the Etruscan
city-scape evolves around ridge-following roads, not around
central squares, as with Roman settlements. It was the might
of Rome that saw the relatively swift decline of the Etruscan
civilisation, and the battle of Sentino in 295 BC saw the
Etruscans, alliances notwithstanding, defeated, with all
of Umbria falling under the control of Rome.
Many Umbrian cities were converted to colonies, avoiding
direct confrontation, and, in 90 BC, the Umbrian people
are granted the full status or Roman citizenship. Roman
rule brought to Umbria a long period of relative peace and
increasing cultural and economic prosperity, and, par for
the course, an extensive period of construction and modernisation:
roads, aqueducts, drainage, villas, theatres and entire
new settlements.
In common with other areas of Italy, Umbria was subjected
to great rack and ruin come the fall of the Roman Empire.
The population is decimated by the 'Barbarian hordes', and
there is widespread famine and disease. The struggle between
Barbarians and Byzantines created a power vacuum that began
to be filled by Christianity. By the 4th century there were
already 21 distinct dioceses throughout Umbria, and the
Bishops came to be the cultural and spiritual figureheads
of the region.
Umbria was to enjoy a brief period of calm when the Byzantines
finally defeated the Goths in 522, this lasting until the
Longobards arrived and took possession of large parts of
eastern Umbria, eventually establishing the Duchy of Spoleto.
The Duchy achieved a large degree of autonomy, and the prosperity
gained ensured that that it survived well beyond the end
of Longobard rule.
Having been donated by Pippin the Short (no, really) and
Charlemagne, the Umbrian territories, including the Duchy
of Spoleto, were passed to the church. With the fall of
the empire of Charlemagne, Rome and the church consolidated
their position, formally declaring Umbria to be part of
the Papal State. In common with much of the rest of western
Europe, many independent city-states were formed in Umbria
at the beginning of the 11th century. The region flourished,
and there were increases in both prosperity and population,
with merchants and artisans acquiring respect and positions
of authority.
The continuing history of Umbria, up until the 16th century,
is marked by internal conflicts and sparring (notably Guelph
versus Ghibelline) alongside steady economic, artistic and
spiritual growth. The region was a centre of learning courtesy
of numerous Benedictine and Franciscan monasteries, and
the University of Perugia was established in 1308. The Papacy
'took' Umbria in the 16th century, with Perugia, the main
city, being the last to fall in the year 1540. Umbria was
briefly help by France from 1798 to 1800 and again later
from 1808 to 1814, after which it again reverted to Roman
rule. Several anti-Papacy revolts later, Umbria joins the
Italian state in 1860.
The twentieth century saw Umbria embracing the Industrial
Revolution, with Todi being dubbed the 'Manchester of Italy'.
Various areas were heavily damaged by WW2 bombing, and extensive
urban reconstruction was undertaken. Umbria today is an
increasingly popular tourist destination, with the wonders
of the Etruscans mixing in alongside those of Ancient Rome
and the splendid array of mediaeval towns and hilltop villages.
History of Umbrian
Towns
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Vacation
Properties in Umbria |
Real
Estate in Umbria |
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