Assisi 141

"Giotto" (1266/7 – January 8, 1337), is really one of the most famous Italian painters in the whole history. He was not just a painter but also an architect, born in Florence in the late Middle Ages. He is generally considered the first in a line of great artists who contributed to the Italian Renaissance.

Giotto's contemporary Giovanni Villani wrote that Giotto was "the most sovereign master of painting in his time, who drew all his figures and their postures according to nature. And he was given a salary by the Comune of Florence in virtue of his talent and excellence."

His masterpiece is the decoration of the Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padua, Italy (completed around 1305). This fresco cycle depicts the life of the Virgin and the life of Christ.

Lake Trasimeno is one of the most beautiful lakes on the Italian peninsula. It lies just over the border of Tuscany near Cortona, and dominates the northwestern part of Umbria.

The lake is surrounded on three sides by the hills that are so common throughout the region, with a lowland stretching out from the west of the lake. Olive groves dot the hills surrounding the area, and hills nearest Tuscany also grow many grapes, along with other fruits and vegetables. The climate here is warmer that the other hills surrounding the lake, as they are at a lower elevation. Portions of the shores are covered in many older pines, willows and poplars; many of them over 30m tall.

The towns on the lake are all rather small in population. Some of the notable ones are Passignano sul Trasimeno, Tuoro, Monte del Lago, Torricella, San Feliciano, San Arcangelo, Castiglione del Lago, and Borghetto. Castiglione del Lago is probably the most well known as its the largest peninsula onto the lake and has the largest shoreline by far. The water of Trasimeno remains very clean, with very few large farms and a small population living on the lake it has been able to avoid some of the modern problems.

If you have found a luxury villa in Umbria or a luxury villa in nearby Tuscany and are planning an Autumn getaway in Italy to enjoy the fertile and lush landscape, pretty towns, and hearty cuisine of the region of Umbria, then you might also be looking for something a little spookier to add to your itinerary as October unfolds ahead of us and Hallowe’en approaches. Italy, as one might imagine of a place with such a long and vibrant history and so rich in well-preserved historic towns, castles, palaces, churches, and other architectural gems, is full of tales of ghosts, goblins, ghouls, witches, demons, and more. There are plenty of supposedly haunted spots to visit, places where witch trials took place or deals with the devil are said to have gone down, and sites of famous superstitious traditions. However, if you are thinking of heading to explore Umbria and are in search of somewhere where you’re guaranteed to see something spooky this Hallowe’en, then look no further than the crypt beneath the Chiesa di Santo Stefano, or Church of St. Stephen, in Ferentillo.

A trip to Tuscany wouldn’t be complete without a visit to one of the biggest and most majestic castles in the region, The Rocca di Pierle in the Cortona area, beside the village of Pierle. The ruins of this magnificent structure still stand tall over Val di Pierle and many of its walls are still intact! Visitors would thoroughly enjoy a close up view of the castle and could stay in one of many farmhouse accommodation in the Cortona area for a day or two while they explore this beautiful area with a nice selection of historical and cultural activities to engage in.