COUNTRY - CITTA' DI CASTELLO

Città di Castello is without doubt the most reppresentative center of the Alta Valle del Tevere, in fact, beyond having very ancient origins, in the Renaissance it was a very powerful comunity and a very important cultural center and this has enriched notably the center of works of art of major artists of the epoch that lived and worked there.

Some works of the major Italian painters, among whitch Raffaello and Signorelli, are conserved the comunity art gallery located in the Palazzo Vitelli alla Cannoniera, while the museum of the capital hosts an important gathering of sacred objects. The center of popular traditions hosts important testimonies to the farming and craftsmen of world but there are very many other monuments the deserve to be visited, among whitch the cylindrical steeple, the Torre Civica, the Churces of S. Domenico, S. Francesco, S. Maria Maggiore and of the Madonna delle Grazie.

Città di Castello  is important for the craftsmenship, in fact the master craftsment of the alta Valle del Tevere are famous for there stylish furniture, for the characteristic ceramics, for the lines of pure liner woven with hand looms and, naturally, for the gourmet specialties characteric of the region, like truffles, the wines and cold cuts.

Another actrative of Umbria are the Umbria Jazz and UmbriaFumetto. This two festivals whose fame extends well beyond Italy. The former has become a must for true jazz fiends from all over the world. The latter, which started in 1992, was the brainchild of a local group of fans of comic book art.

Umbria Jazz began in 1973, and town squares throughout the region were suddenly transformed into jazz venues. The event brought a breath of fresh air to the region and helped Umbria renew its image. Before long, Umbria had earned a reputation in Europe and the USA as one of the world's music capitals. It hosted living legends like Miles Davis as well as emerging groups that blended tradition with technology.Over the years, the event has changed format many times. Originally, Umbria Jazz took place in the summer only, but in 1993 the town of Orvieto began hosting Umbria Jazz Winter. In 2000, Umbria Jazz will take place on 14-23 July, and Umbria Jazz Winter in the period running from late December 2000 to early 2001.

UmbriaFumetto is a more recent invention. Its organizers set to work in 1992, and the first UmbriaFumetto festival took place the following year. Only a few hundred people (mostly children) attended it in the opening year, whereas the last festival drew a crowd of 5,000. The display of comic strips and drawings, some of them vintage works, takes place in the Rocca Paolina (the fortress in the center of Perugia). Admission is free.