UMBRIA & THE UPPER TIBER VALLEY

The Italian Language School “L’Abbazia” is situated in the Upper Tiber Valley in northern Umbria, and as such is just a short journey from a number of interesting historical Umbrian and Tuscan towns – including Perugia, Città di Castello, Assisi, Arezzo, Cortona, Gubbio, Sansepolcro, etc – as well as a multitude of delightful medieval hilltop villages, some of which we will be visiting on trips out from the school. These trips, which vary according to the season and the various locally-organised events, give students the opportunity to practice their newly-acquired language skills in a series of relaxing, yet interesting situations and settings tailor-made for the occasion.

Umbria, Italy’s green heart, is a region of rolling hills, wooded valleys, lakes and mountains, dotted with innumerable towns and villages dating from the Middle Ages or before, most of which have been delightfully restored in recent years, and each of which offers the visitor a range of interesting things to see and do: there are numerous historical monuments, churches and art galleries to visit, medieval quarters to stroll around where traditional craft shops nestle beside more modern architecture, in a harmonious blend of old and new that thoroughly epitomises the spirit of the Umbria region.

Our students are given the chance both to enjoy the peace and natural beauty of a region once home to St. Francis and St. Benedict, and as such one that boasts innumerable vestiges of its historical role as an important centre of western spirituality, and also to witness the creative spirit of the region’s many craft industries (textiles, clothing, ceramics, reproduction period furniture, printing, to name but a few). Umbria is also duly famous for its excellent extra-virgin olive oil and fine wines (such as Sagrantino, Orvieto, Grechetto and Montefalco Rosso), its cured meats and game, and its wild mushrooms and truffles, which our students will have ample opportunity to taste during the course of their holiday with us.