Umbria Flashcards
What is “il cuore verde d’Italia”?
It means “the green heart of Italy” and refers to Umbria with the stunning combination of gentle rolling hills, mountains and valleys covered in woods, pastures, olive groves and vineyards.
This sparsely populated, picturesque countryside remains largely untouched by urban development.
Much of Umbria still resembles Renaissance landscape paintings, suggesting that time has stopped in this corner of the world.
Name some things that Umbria is known for.
- history is strongly connected with culture, art and architecture
- region is dotted with strikingly well-preserved medieval towns
- black truffles
- lentils
- the chocolate of Perugia
- olive oil
- wine
How long has wine been produced in Umbria?
Since at least the time of the Etruscans, however it is only recently that the wines have achieved recognition.
Historically, this region has always been overshadowed by its more famous neighbor, Toscana.
In Umbria, a new era opened in the 1960s with what?
The release of the iconic wine Torgiano Rubesco by wine producer, Lungarotti. This wine launched a quality movement that continued into the early 1980s with the inspiring wines of Antinori’s Castello della Sala and the arrival of important consultant enologists such as Riccardo Cotarella who modernized winemaking practices.
What occurred in the 1980s in Umbria?
This region became a center of viticultural and winemaking experimentation. The explosion of popularity enjoyed by Sagrantino di Montefalco in the 1990s strengthened the burgeoning respect for the region.
Where does Umbria get its name from?
The Umbri, an ancient Italic tribe who settled in this area before the 1st millenium BC.
Who invaded Umbria during the time of the Umbri?
Under pressure from the advancing Etruscans, the Umbri were forced to withdraw to the eastern bank of the Tevere (Tiber) River while the Etruscans occupied the area on the western bank.
This left the region divided between two peoples until the Romans arrived and conquered them all in the 3rd century BC.
How did the Etruscans influence Umbria?
The founded important cities such as Perugia and Orvieto and had been instumental in developing viticulture and winemaking prior to the Roman conquest.
How did viticulture fair during Roman rule?
Viticulture continued to prosper. Umbrian wines were easily transported to Rome via the Tevere River and were written about in the texts of the day.
What occured in Umbria after the fall of the Roman Empire?
With this and subsequent barbarian invasians, the region became the center of contention between the Ostrogoths and the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantines). This conflict disrupted social order and brought about a deep decline in viticulture.
The Lombards annexed most of Umbria at the end of the 6th century and founded the Duchy of Spoleto. However, the western part of Umbria including the cities of Perugia and Orvieto remained under the control of the Eastern Roman Empire.
What happened to the Lombards in Umbria?
They were defeated by Charlemagne and his Franks in 774 and the conquered Umbrian territories were donated to the Pope.
What happened in Umbria during the Middle Ages?
Several cities acquired some level of independence at this time. Ultimately the entire region became part of the Papal States by the mid-16th century.
Viticulture here (and elsewhere in Italy) was rescued by the work of medieval monks who re-established the importance of vines in the agricultural landscape.
Orvieto’s white wines were highly prized and favoured by popes, but the wines produced in the rest of the region remained largely unknown.
How did Umbria fair after the Middle Ages?
The isolationist policies of the Papal States in the mid-16th century proved to be detrimental to the economic and agricultural development of Umbria. Viticulture, in particular, spiraled into a deep decline that would last for centuries.
Umbria continued to be part of the Papal states until 1860, when the region was voluntarily incorporated into the emerging Kingdom of Italy.
Where is Umbria located?
Italy’s fifth smallest region and one of the least populated is in the middle of central Italy and is the only landlocked region in the central and southern part of the country.
Toscana lies to the northwest, Lazio to the south and Marche is situated to the east, on the opposite side of the Central Apennines.
Describe the topographical landscape of Umbria.
It is characterized by an irregular succession of hills, mountains, valleys, basins and rivers.
Hills account for more than 70% of the total territory making this region Italy’s hilliest region.
The rest of the region is almost entirely covered by mountains (29%).
Flat plains are nearly non-existent even though the region has a number of narrow geological flat basins and river valleys.
The overwhelming majority of the vineyards are planted on hillsides.
Which mountains are found in Umbria?
The Central Apennines run continuously along the eastern side of the region forming the border with Marche. They are more rugged, higher in altitude and largely covred in forests.
The Sub-Apennines are a group of non-contiguous mountains that lie scattered in the western half of the region. These mountains are lower, rounder and gentler in shape.
Within the sub-Apennines is the Monti Martani, a low-altitude range of mountains and hills.
What is Umbria’s main valley?
Val Tiberina (Tiber Valley); it vertically bisects the northern half of the region stopping north of Perugia.
Forests are a predominant feature in Umbria and occupy how much of the total territory?
One-third; these woodlands alternate with pastures, olive groves and vineyards.
Name the rivers of Umbria.
- Tevere (Tiber) River: flows for more than 125mi/200km across Umbria into Lazio before emptying into the Tyrrhenian Sea.
- Chiascio River (tributary of Tevere River)
- Paglia River (tributary of Tevere River)
Name the lakes of Umbria.
- Lake Trasimeno: situated entirely within the region near the Toscana border. It is the largest lake in central/southern Italy and is Italy’s fourth-largest overall.
- Lake Corbara: a man-made reservoir near the Lazio border in the southwestern corner of the region.
What is the climate in Umbria?
The western half leans toward a more Mediterranean climate.
The central/eastern portions are increasingly continental.
What topographical features influence the climate in Umbria?
This region’s climate is impacted by its inland position and by altitude.
The Central Apennines protect the region from most of the cold northeasern winds, but they also block most of the warm air coming from the Adriatic Sea.
In the western half, lower mountains and gentle hills funnel some warm Mediterranean breezes from the Tyrrhenian Sea to partially moderate the climate. This moderating maritime influence is particularly noticeable in the southern part of the region which boasts the highest average annual temperature.
How do the bodies of water in Umbria influence the climate of the surrounding areas?
The macroclimate west of Perugia is moderated by the presense of the large, shallow Lake Trasimeno.
In the southernwestern part of the region, Lake Corbara and Lazio’s volcanic crater lake, Bolsena, also serve to temper the climate.
