The Greek-gothic war, the Longobards
With the fall of the Roman Empire, the region was overrun and devastated by barbaric boards that moved their way down through the Italian peninsula. Subsequently in the 6th century AD Umbria provided ther scene for bloody battles between the Byzantine army which aimed to reconquer the whole peninsula, and the Goths who had occupied Umbria (Greek- gothic war 535-553 AD). Precisely in Umbria the Byzantine army rnanaged to inflict a tremendous defeat on the Goths at the battle of Gualdo Tadino (552 AD), a defeat which marked the beginning of the end for this population. Stable political formations were only seen again in Umbria with the conquest by the Longobards, in 650 AD. Among these the duchy of Spoleto which soon spread its dominion throughout Umbria. The vicissitudes of the region were in fact those of the duchy in whose territory in the meantime important bishop's seats had been instated in Todi, Narni, Foligno, Spello, Assisi, Gubbio etc. 

The Middle Ages
In the 10th century certain.Umbrian areas were organised by the German Emperor 0ttone 1st in an autonomous entity, the so called terre Arnolfe, while from the following century, many Umbrian towns declared themselves autonomous administrations and were soon tormented by reciprocal battles and rivalry (that between Perugia and Assisi being particularly famous). 

The flourishing of art
In spite of this tensioni in the 12th century Umbria was the scene of an extraordinary period of flourishing of art and architecture, which gave those characteristic features to Todi, Assisi, Gubbio and Perugia which stili make them fascinating today. Evidence of this is found in the Cathedrai of Assisi, San Pietro Cathedral and San Gregorio Maggiore in Spoleto and in the vast pictorial production, usually of Byzantine style. With the construction of the Saint Francis Basilica in Assisi in 1228 the gothic era  began. Under the influence of this style, Umbrian architecture developed an original character, the apex of which is represented by the façade of the cathedral of Orvieto, a masterpiece of Italian gothie architecture.

Annexation to the Church State
In the 15th century the Church State started a decisive policy of expansion into Umbria: a policy which culminated in the military and political activities of pope th Alexander VI and his son Caesar Borgia, until the 16th century when pope Paul III definitively acquired the region among his possessions. Thus, Umbria remained under the direct jurisdiction of the Church State until 1798, the year in which the region, occupied by the French, adhered to the Roman Republic, and became part of the Clitunno and Trasimeno department. With the restoration of 1831 Umbria was again owned by the Church State, but the support given by many Umbrians to the cause of the Roman Republic, and the consequent insurrections against papal power, provoked the Austrian occupation in 1849. Umbria became Italian definitively in 1860 with the military occupation followin the plebiscite in the month of November.

Umbria Vacation