La Romita School of Art is situated in Umbria near the old Via Flaminia, an hour north of Rome by train or car. Umbria is an area known for its artisans producing pottery and textiles and agricultural products like olive oil and
wine and hearty Italian cheeses, meats, and pastas. It is hilly and temperate and criss-crossed by rivers like the Tiber and the Nera. It was a center of the Etruscan civilization and the Roman Empire and the archeological evidence of these cultures is intricately woven into the fabric of many modern day towns.
But perhaps the most stunning and unique manifestations of history in Umbria today are the medieval hill towns. Built between roughly the 8th and 15th century these walled castles, fortresses, abbeys, and villages top hillsides
throughout the region. Reminiscent of alliances and rivalries that shook the world a thousand years ago, many are still inhabited, the walls of their churches hung with almost unimaginable religious and cultural treasures…the peel of
their ancient bells resounding through the verdant hills.
La Romita students and workshop participants regularly visit dozens of these towns: some more famous; Assisi, Perugia, Spoleto, Orvieto…some virtually unknown to outsiders; Valle San Martino, Labro, Stroncone, Narni.