CORTONA
19 miles away

Originally founded by the Estruscans and nowadays frequented by fans of local resident Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun, Cortona is one of the oldest and most scenic hill towns in Tuscany. The town is a maze of old streets and medieval buildings with breathtaking views over southwestern Tuscany and Lake Trasimeno in Umbria. Due to its steep location, virtually all modern development has been limited to the lower suburb of Camucia, where the train station is also located.

LAGO TRASIMENO
13 miles away

An immense volcanic crater lake, Lago Trasimeno is the largest lake on the Italian peninsula and fourth-largest in Italy overall. With an average depth of just 5 meters, it is currently in danger of drying up completely thanks to silting and irrigation. Of course, people have been saying that for centuries. In 217 BC, Hannibal handed the Romans one of the worst defeats in their history near Lake Trasimeno. Nowadays there are fewer elephants, and more swimmers, boaters, and windsurfers. The lake also has three inhabited islands. Isola Maggiore can be visited by boats departing from Passignano on the north shore. The fortified promontory jutting into the lake on the western shore is Castiglione del Lago.

PERUGIA
25 miles away

The capital of Umbria, Perugia has a particularly violent history. First it was conquered by Rome from the Etruscans in 309 BC, then it took the wrong side in the civil war following the murder of Julius Caesar. In the Middle Ages, Perugia was a major power center ruled by guilds and condottieri, and even conquered Siena in 1358. In 1538 the city came under Papal control when the colorfully demented Baglioni family was finally swept from power. During the Italian unification wars of the 1800s, the Pope's Swiss Guards were responsible for a massacre of civilians. Nowadays, Perugia is a center for international students, and its medieval streets, museums, and monuments are well worth a visit.

ASSISI
38 miles away

Do we need to explain Assisi? This tourist attraction and pilgrimage destination is known all over the world as the birthplace of Saint Francis. It's well worth a visit for its sweeping views, pink-stoned streets, and Giotto's frescoes in the Basilica di San Francesco. A toll-free autostrada gets you there quickly from Umbertide.

GUBBIO
26 miles away

Located deep in the forested Appenines, this terraced medieval town in the north-east corner of Umbria is remarkably picturesque and well-preserved.

AREZZO
35 miles away

The wealthy provincial seat of eastern Tuscany, Arezzo is known for its antiques market and jewelry industry, the Piazza Grande, and Piero della Francesca's frescoes in the church of San Francesco. These are only slightly less famous than Michelangelo's work in the Sistine Chapel.

UMBERTIDE
11 miles away

Okay, Umbertide isn't a tourist destination — just a regular town with a small medieval center, and the privately owned castle of Civitella Ranieri just to the northeast. However, Umbertide can still be a charming place to visit, and it's where the nearest supermarkets and Internet cafes can be found. The hospital staff at the ER is remarkably attentive should you show up with a possible ankle sprain.