assisi is where saint francis lived in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. his remains lie in the basilica in the old city, and a cathedral outside town hovers over the tiny chapel where he died. francis was a young nobleman who denounced his riches for a pair of sandals, preaching simplicity and communing with animals. despite the mystic's candor, the two churches are astoundingly ornate; in contrast to his kind and gentle nature, the franciscan friars police the basilica, snatching caps from the heads of schoolboys and hushing those who dare to speak out loud.

orvieto's world-famous cathedral has a gold facade and dizzying frescoes, and there are angels and demons that look over panels depicting the lives of christ and saint francis. just as dizzying is the view into a sixteenth-century well that you can visit on a tour of the orvieto underground. in the evening, you can stroll along the city streets with handsome young italian couples and pop into a trattoria for a fine meal or a glass of wine.

perugia is the largest city in umbria. its oldest, uppermost part is home to a fortress called la rocca paolina, which was built right into the original etruscan gates of the city and named for the catholic pope who commissioned it. its vaulted-ceiling underground passageways have been turned into an entertainment center with various clubs, bars, and performance spaces - though in the corners remain the claustrophobically deep, narrow holes that are said to be where, way back when, the authorities threw people they didn't like very much.

montefalco is a walled village renowned for its red wines, which are made from grapes that grow on trellises over tiny courtyards of medieval houses where people still live. the city walls, the townsfolk say, keep dangerous blights away from the vines. it's a marvelous town to walk through - and, better yet, for attending a wine tasting.