The region is named for theUmbri people, anItalic people which was absorbed by the expansion of theRomans. The Umbri, unlike the Etruscans, with few exceptions did not live in an urban society, but occupied small dwellings located in the Apennines.[5]Pliny the Elder recounted a fanciful derivation for the tribal name from the Greek ὄμβρος (ombros, "a shower"), which led to the idea that they had survived the Deluge familiar from Greek mythology, allowing them to claim to be the most ancient race in Italy.[6] In fact, they belonged to a broader family of neighbouring peoples with similar roots. Their language wasUmbrian, one of theItalic languages, related toLatin andOscan. The town ofGubbio houses today the longest and most important document of any of theOsco-Umbrian group of languages, theIguvine Tablets, written in Umbrian at the turn of the 2nd and 1st centuries BC.[7] The northern part of the region was occupied byGallic tribes.[citation needed]
The Umbri probably sprang, like neighbouring peoples, from the creators of theTerramara, andProto-Villanovan culture in northern and central Italy, who entered north-eastern Italy at the beginning of theBronze Age.[8]
TheEtruscans were the chief enemies of the Umbri. The Etruscan invasion extended from the western seaboard towards the north and east from about 700 to 500 BC. They eventually drove the Umbrians towards theApennine uplands and captured 300 Umbrian towns. Nevertheless, the Umbrian population does not seem to have been eradicated in the conquered districts.[8] The border between Etruria and Umbria was the Tiber river,[9] as testified by the ancient name of Todi,Tular ("border").[10]
After the downfall of the Etruscans, Umbrians aided theSamnites in theirstruggle againstRome (308 BC). Later communications withSamnium were impeded by the Roman fortress ofNarnia (founded 229 BC on the place of the umbrianNequinum, conquered in 299 BC).[11][12][8] Romans defeated the Samnites and their Gallic allies in thebattle of Sentinum (295 BC).[12] Allied Umbrians and Etruscans had to return home and defend each of their territories against simultaneous Roman attacks, leaving the Samnites without their help at Sentinum.[citation needed]
The Roman victory at Sentinum initiated a period of integration under the Roman rulers, who established some colonies, such asSpoletium, and built thevia Flaminia (219 BC).[12] The via Flaminia became a principal vector for Roman development in Umbria.[12] DuringHannibal's invasion during theSecond Punic War, thebattle of Lake Trasimene was fought inside the borders of today's Umbria,[12] but the local people did not aid the invader.
During theRoman Civil War betweenMark Antony andOctavian (40 BC), the city of Perugia supported Antony and was almost completely destroyed by Octavian. InPliny the Elder's time, 49 independent communities still existed in Umbria, and the abundance of inscriptions and the high proportion of recruits in theimperial army attest to its population.[8] Under Augustus, Umbria becamethe Regio VI of Roman Italy.[12]
Modern Umbria is different fromRoman Umbria. Roman Umbria extended through most of what is now the northern Marche toRavenna, but excluded the west bank of the Tiber, which belonged to Etruria.[12] ThusPerugia was an Etruscan city and the area around Norcia was in theSabine territory.[13]
Soon after the end of theGothic war, theLombards invaded Italy and founded theduchy of Spoleto, covering much of today's southern Umbria, but the Byzantine were able to keep in the region a corridor along the Via Flaminia linking Rome with theExarchate of Ravenna and thePentapolis.[12] The Lombard king controlled also the northern part of the region ruled directly by Pavia. WhenCharlemagne conquered most of the Lombard kingdoms, some Umbrian territories were given to the Pope, who established temporal power over them.[15] Some cities acquired a form of autonomy namedcomune.[15] These cities were frequently at war with each other, often in a context of more general conflicts, either between thePapacy and theHoly Roman Empire or between theGuelphs and theGhibellines.
In the early 14th century, thesignorie arose and the most important of them were those of theVitelli inCittà di Castello,[16] of the Baglioni in Perugia[17] and of theTrinci inFoligno,[18] but the region was subsumed by the middle of the same century into thePapal States byCardinalAlbornoz,[19] who in this way prepared the return of the pope fromAvignon to Rome. Città di Castello was subsumed later into the Papal States byCesare Borgia.[16] During the 15th century Renaissance spread in the northern part of the region. It was in this period that humanists started to use again the ancient denomination of "Umbria" to name the area,[20] which until then had been named "Ducato", after theDuchy of Spoleto in the southern part of it. The supremacy of the pope on Umbria was reinforced in 16th century through the erection of a fortress in Perugia by PopePaul III, named after himRocca Paolina. The papacy ruled the region uncontested until the end of the 18th century.[19]
After Napoleon's defeat, the Pope regained Umbria and ruled it until 1860.[21] In that year, during ItalianRisorgimento, Umbria with Marche and part of Emilia Romagna were annexed byPiedmontese KingVictor Emmanuel II, and the people of Perugia destroyed in the same year the Rocca Paolina, symbol of the papal oppression.[21] The region of Umbria, with capital Perugia, became part of theKingdom of Italy in the following year.[21] The region, whose economy was mainly based on agriculture, experienced a dramatic economic shift at the end of the 19th century with the founding of theAcciaierie di Terni, a major steelwork placed in Terni because of its abundance of electric power due to theMarmore waterfall and its secluded position.[22]
The region of Umbria at the time was somewhat larger than today, comprisingRieti to the south, now part ofLazio.[21] Rieti was detached and added to the province of Rome (Lazio) in 1923.[21] In 1927, the region of Umbria was divided into the provinces of Perugia and Terni.[21]
During WWII, the industrial centers of the region like Terni and Foligno were heavily bombed and in 1944 became a battlefield between the allied forces and the Germans retreating towards theGothic Line.[23] In 1946, Umbria was incorporated into theItalian Republic as aregion, comprising the two provinces of Perugia and Terni.[23]
Umbria is bordered byTuscany to the west and the north,Marche to the east andLazio to the south. Partly hilly and mountainous, and partly flat and fertile owing to the valley of theTiber, its topography includes part of the centralApennines, with the highest point in the region atMonte Vettore on the border of Marche, at 2,476 metres (8,123 feet); the lowest point isAttigliano, 96 metres (315 feet). It is the only Italian region having neither a coastline nor a common border with other countries. Thecomune of Città di Castello has an exclave namedMonte Ruperto within Marche. Contained within Umbria is the hamlet ofCospaia, which was a tiny republic from 1440 to 1826, created by accident.
Umbria is crossed by two valleys: the Umbrian valley ("Valle Umbra"), stretching from Perugia to Spoleto, and theTiber Valley ("Val Tiberina"), north and west of the first one, from Città di Castello to the border with Lazio. The Tiber River forms the approximate border with Lazio, although its source is just over the Tuscan border. The Tiber's three principal tributaries flow southward through Umbria. TheChiascio basin is relatively uninhabited as far asBastia Umbra. About 10 kilometres (6 miles) farther on, it joins the Tiber atTorgiano. TheTopino, cleaving the Apennines with passes that theVia Flaminia and successor roads follow, makes a sharp turn atFoligno to flow NW for a few kilometres before joining the Chiascio belowBettona. The third river is theNera, flowing into the Tiber further south, at Terni; its valley is called theValnerina. The upper Nera cuts ravines in the mountains; the lower, in theTiber basin [Wikidata], has created a wide floodplain.
In antiquity, the plain was covered by a pair of shallow, interlocking lakes, the Lacus Clitorius and the Lacus Umber. They were drained by theRomans over several hundred years. An earthquake in the 4th century and the political collapse of the Roman Empire resulted in the refilling of the basin. It was drained a second time, almost a thousand years later, during a 500-year period:Benedictine monks started the process in the 13th century, and the draining was completed in the 18th century.[24]
In literature, Umbria is referred to asIl cuore verde d'Italia orThe green heart of Italy. The phrase is taken from a poem byGiosuè Carducci, the subject of which is the source of theClitunno River in Umbria.
Umbria was a former stronghold of theItalian Communist Party, forming with Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna and Marche what was then known as Italy's "Red Regions".[26] Umbria was considered a stronghold of theDemocratic Party and left-leaning parties for over 50 years, however in 2019 the candidate of the centre-right coalitionDonatella Tesei won theregion's presidential election against her centre-left rival Vincenzo Bianconi, garnering 57.5% of the vote.[27]
The present economic structure emerged from a series of transformations which took place mainly in the 1970s and 1980s. During this period, there was rapid expansion among small and medium-sized firms and a gradual retrenchment among the large firms which had hitherto characterised the region's industrial base. This process of structural adjustment is still going on.[31]
Economically the most important region is the upper Tiber valley withCittà di Castello.Terni steelworks (stainless steel, titanium, alloy steel) and processing companies (automotive, stainless steel tubes, industrial food facility) account for 20 to 25% of Umbria's GDP. In Terni there are also many multinational companies in the fields of chemistry, hydroelectric power, renewable sources of energy, and textiles (Alcantara,Cashmere). In the rest of the region the ornamental ceramics industry is much esteemed.[31]
Umbrian agriculture is noted for its tobacco,olive oil and vineyards, which produce wines. Regional varietals include the whiteOrvieto, which draws agri-tourists to the vineyards in the area surrounding the medieval town of the same name.[32] A notable wine is the Grechetto[33] ofTodi. Other noted wines produced in Umbria areTorgiano and Rosso diMontefalco. The Umbrian wineries are at the center of the "Cantine Aperte" or "Open Cellars" event, when local wine makers open their wineries to the public.[34] Another typical Umbrian product is theblack truffle found in Valnerina, an area that produces 45% of this product in Italy.[31]
The food industry in Umbria produces processed pork-meats, confectionery, pasta and the traditional products of Valnerina in preserved form (truffles, lentils, cheese).
Umbria has many small and picturesque villages, 31 of them have been selected byI Borghi più belli d'Italia (English:The most beautiful Villages of Italy),[36] a non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and artistic interest,[37] that was founded on the initiative of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities.[38]
Umbria is the region where theUmber pigment was originally extracted.[39] The name comes fromterra d'ombra, or earth of Umbria, the Italian name of the pigment. The word also may be related to the Latin wordumbra, meaning "shadow".[40] Umber is a natural brown or reddish-brownearth pigment that containsiron oxide andmanganese oxide.[39]
In the 20th century, natural umber pigments began to be replaced by pigments made with synthetic iron oxide and manganese oxide. Natural umber pigments are still being made, withCyprus as a prominent source.
InGubbio each year takes place theCorsa dei Ceri, or race of the "candles", which are symbolized by these tall wooden poles
One of the most important festivals in Umbria is "the festival of the Ceri (Candles)", also known asSaint Ubaldo Day inGubbio. The race has been held every year since 1160, on the 15th day of May. The festival is focused around a race consisting of three teams ofcerioli, carrying large symbolic "candles" topped by saints, including St.Ubald (the patron saint of Gubbio), S. Giorgio (St. George), and S. Antonio (Anthony the Great), and run through throngs of cheering supporters. The cerioli are clad in the distinctive colors of yellow, blue or black, according to the saint they support, with white trousers and red belts and neckbands. They travel up much of the mountain from the main square in front of thePalazzo dei Consoli to the basilica of St. Ubaldo, each team carrying a statue of their saint mounted on a wooden octagonal prism, similar to an hour-glass shape 4 metres tall and weighing about 280 kg (617 lb).
The race has strong devotional, civic, and historical overtones and is one of the best-known folklore manifestations in Italy, and therefore the Ceri were chosen as the heraldic emblem on the coat of arms of Umbria as a modern administrative region.[citation needed]
Umbria is not only known for its historical recollections such as the festival of the Ceri,Calendimaggio in Assisi and thegiostra della Quintana in Foligno, but also for one of the biggest jazz music festivals calledUmbria Jazz.Umbria Jazz was born as a festival in 1973 and since 2003 has been held in July in the Umbrian capital Perugia; it has become the fixed appointment of all jazz and good music lovers. Another important festival is theFestival dei Due Mondi (Festival of the Two Worlds), an annual summer music and opera festival which is held each June to early July inSpoleto.[citation needed]
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