Bradt's Umbria & the Marche is the most detailed guide to combine these two small central
Italian regions which offer all the beauty history and culture of neighbouring Tuscany only
without the crowds the traffic or eye-popping prices. Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls (authors
of the original Cadogan guide to the area) lived in Umbria in the 1980s and have been returning
regularly and writing about it ever since. They are the perfect guides to the region's
landscapes hill towns food and wine and art and architecture. The superb art cities of
Umbria and Le Marche steal the limelight - Perugia Orvieto Urbino Assisi Spoleto Loreto
Todi where art fills every church and palazzo. But never far from these centres wait unspoiled
countryside of rolling olive groves forests and meadows long walks and towns and tiny
villages nearly all with a masterpiece or two to show off and a great little family-run
restaurant. The Bradt guide covers them all along with the republic of San Marino. The
Apennines rule here. Le Marche's geography is dominated by a series of east-west river
valleys--the Metauro Esino and Tronto etc?twisting down to the Adriatic and often ending in
long sandy beaches from the historic towns of Senigallia and Fano through Ancona's Cornero
Riviera to the Riviera delle Palme at San Benedetto del Tronto. Landlocked Umbria where rivers
flow into the mighty Tiber has exceptional water features as well: Italy's fourth largest lake
Trasimeno the Tiber Valley Clitunno springs (once sacred to the Romans) and Italy's most
beautiful waterfall the Cascata delle Marmore. Featuring superb photography and expert
recommendations to suit all budgets Umbria & the Marche - the fifth in Bradt's increasingly
highly-regarded series of Italian regional titles - is a timely guide to a more authentic
corner of Italy.
