Todi, an elegant medieval city, one of the most fascinating destinations inUmbria, rises austere and melancholy on the top of a hill overlooking the beautiful Tiber valley. "Hello, green Umbria, and you of the pure source / god Clitumno!", wrote the poet Giosuè Carducci.
Todi fantasy city
Land of saints and poets, with its horizons and the profiles of the pacifying hills. Todi is a composed city, surrounded by walls, typical of medieval buildings, enriched by cathedrals and palaces, which looks like one of those evocative paintings of a landscape painter, literally overlooking a splendid panorama. A magical city, which inspires literature, where fantasy actions are imagined. Not surprisingly, the analogies that lovers of the fantasy genre will be able to discover between their texts and the places of Umbria are endless.
An example? From Narni, who inspired the festival of Chronicles of Narnia, of CS Lewis, to Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings, who corrected the drafts of the third volume of the series in Umbria.
Todi is the perfect city for trekking
Todi interpenetrated in the green, merged between the slopes of the hills, offers nature trails and trekking. Here you will find, in addition to walks in the surroundings, itineraries for secret, romantic, cultural gardens. You can start with an urban trekking, that is, one that starts from the heart and alleys of the city, and presents the view ofl Belvedere of the Promenade, which you can find inside the Rocca city park. Not to be missed, for good walkers, are the 17 kilometers that connect Todi to Monte Castello di Vibio. An opportunity to explore the unspoiled nature of the Sentiero del Furioso, or even a ride through the hills with the Transameria, which you can also tackle on horseback. From the Tempio della Consolazione, in the direction of Porta Orvietana, an itinerary winds its way that accompanies a part of the Wine and Oil Road.
The Todi festival
In fact, Todi is a cradle of art and events. City that gave birth to Jacopone da Todi. During the Todi festival conceived by Silvano Spada, citizens open the gates of private courtyards and gardens to host exhibitions, readings, stand up comedies. A real path between secret gardens, which we mentioned earlier. The festival has launched the secret concert formula, these are small concerts for intimate friends, announced at the last minute.
A suggestion to visitors to Todi comes directly from the pen of the writer Henry James: “His first cure will be not to be in a hurry, to walk everywhere very slowly and aimlessly and to observe everything that his eyes will encounter”.
Todi city of hot air balloons
Every year Todi hosts the Sagrantino cup. An emotional event, to be experienced with eyes that scan the blue sky, crossed by hundreds of aerostatic balloons. Yes, because Todi is the city of hot air balloons. A place capable of giving life and wings to the evanescent dreams of our imagination. Spectacular hot air balloons, like children's drawings, meet here from all over the world and compete on the occasion of the Italian International Ballon Grand Prix event held in the Sagrantino Airfield, in the Acquarossa Park.
Things to see in Todi
Todi medieval city, can be discovered in a few moves, even if its charm lends itself to long stays, it is a city that can be traveled in a few hours, Piazza del Popolo, for example, is capable of bringing together many architectural beauties. From here you can go on a tour and find some of the most famous historical palaces: Palazzo del Popolo, Palazzo dei Priori and Palazzo del Capitano.
Don't miss the view from the bell tower of the Church of San Fortunato, or one a visit to the Beverly Pepper theme park, a real path that constitutes the summa of several souls of Todi. Finally, do not miss to make a stop at the Rocca park.
