 Umbria
Umbria has the characteristics of a Mediterranean climate, although they are somewhat altered
by they fact that the province is not actually on the coast, but lies within the Italian land
mass. Summers are hot and dry; winters relatively mild. The Apennines - the large range of mountains
that is the "backbone" of Italy - form a natural barrier to wet weather coming in from
the Adriatic sea, and also to cold air from the north-east. A series of hills and small mountains
around the Tyrrhenian sea produce a similar effect. The climate is therefore essentially continental,
above all in the hilly regions and in the valleys.
The topography, which varies greatly in height and form, has produced a large number of micro-climates:
in the area around Lake Trasimeno temperatures are mild all year round, while in the Apennines,
summers tend to be cool and there is snow in winter. But it never really gets all that cold anywhere
round here, for the vegetation is typically Mediterranean, including, for istance, olive trees.
Gastronomy
 Umbria
abounds with culinary specialities, and each of its areas offers simple and genuine traditional
dishes. Salami and cold pork meats are prepared throughout the region, but above all in the town
of Norcia. It’s not by chance that this town is the birthplace of the most famous master
cold cut makers: "the norcini". In almost every area the specialities include roasted
meats, chicken liver sauces, and game meat sauce, all accompanied by the typical, local "pane
sciapo" or "tasteless bread", which is made without salt to best complement flavourful
dishes.
An abundance of pastureland and good fodder ensure that the region’s Dairy Products and
Cheeses, which are used in many Umbrian recipes, are of the highest quality.
Legumes are another important part of Umbria’s traditional cooking. The lentils grown in
Castelluccio di Norcia are amongst the most well known and sought-after in the world, also for
the difficulty involved in finding them (less than 100,000 kg are produced annually).
A variety of truffles can also be found: black truffles are the most prevalent; then there are
rarer, extremely high-quality white truffles, which give off a heavenly odour, and lastly, the
summer truffles.
The fish from Lake Trasimeno is also very delicious and of excellent quality: European perch
filets, carp seasoned and flavoured in the same method used to prepare roast sucking pig, fried
sand smelt…., the unique taste of the unobtainable "fagiolina del Trasimeno" and
the inviting "camette del lago", which are cooked in the region using traditional methods.
Sweets in Umbria are tied to holidays and are generally accompanied by the aromatic flavour of
"vinsanto" dessert wine. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the region, and, above
all, its capital city, Perugia, have become world-famous for a chocolate confection known as the
"Bacio Perugina".
Local wines are common, although a number of them are highly esteemed. Most of the olive oil
produced in the region is extra virgin. Olives, which have been cultivated since the times of
the Etruscans, produce oil with low levels of acidity.
Craftmanship
Craftsmanship is tied to tradition, customs, and age-old activities. The highest levels of craftsmanship
have been reached in the Ceramic sector with the production of terracotta and majolicaware. The
most renowned production centres are: Deruta, Gualdo Tadino, and Assisi, but there are master
artisans in many other towns as well.
There are also a number of wood-working shops (furniture makers, inlayers, and carvers) as well
as iron and copper work shops: in fact, craftsmen produce wrought-iron goods for the furniture
and building industries as well as for other craft and industrial sectors.In a number of towns,
there are craftspeople who still dedicate themselves with great passion and skill to the ancient
art of embroidery and lace making.
Irish lace, made by the women of Isola Maggiore, arrived in the area directly from Ireland by
order of the Marchess Guglielmi. The art of linen weaving is still alive in Perugia and its surrounding
area, as are the uniqueness of Assisi embroidery (birthplace of the Assisi stitch) and the originality
of the napkins and laces of Orvieto, in addition to weaving activity in Montefalco and Città
di Castello, famous for Umbrian cloth.
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