This is the Umbria & Le Marche chapter from Lonely Planet’s Italy guidebook.

Umbria and Le Marche will entice with soft olive- and vine-clad hills, jagged mountains and ancient towns, without the incessant crowds. It’s a region proud of its agricultural traditions, which has meant an easy transition to become a Slow Food destination.

• see where the best 13th-century art, religion and history intersect at the Basilica di San Francesco in Assisi
• maps
• meander through fields of wild flowers or trek up snow-capped peaks of Monti Sibillini
• transport
• dine off the beaten path in one of any number of excellent fish restaurants in the stunning Parco del Conero
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Umbria, Perugia, Torgiano, Lago Trasimeno, Todi, Assisi, Spello, Gubbio, Spoleto, Norcia & the Valnerina, Orvieto, Le Marche, Ancona, Parco del Conero, Urbino, Pesaro, Grotte di Frasassi, Macerata, Ascoli Piceno, Monti Sibillini and Sarnano.