The Heart of Italy: The Art and Architecture of Umbria and the Marches

Wednesday, May 5–Thursday, May 13, 2026

In-person members’ program

Umbria and the Marches are full of treasures from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and many of them can still be found in the church, convent, or palazzo they were designed for. Also known as the ‘green heart of Italy’, Umbria contains a vast and varied array of what visitors most love about central Italy: ancient streetscapes crammed onto hilltops, exquisitely undulating countryside of olive, cypress and vine, and an abundance of wonderful art. Rarely can the spirit of the Middle Ages be so potently felt as in the hill towns of central Italy. That such small communities could have built dwelling so massively, raised churches and public buildings of such magnificence and created works of art of such monumentality, inspires awe bordering on disbelief among today’s visitors. Many of the most important and beautiful of Italy’s incomparable patrimony of paintings and frescoes are included on this program.