Umbria History

Corresponding to the territory inhabited by the Umbrians, the ancient Umbria had a different and greater than the present one. It became Augustus with the VI region of Italy, also including the Ager Gallicus, and the reform dioclezianea, part of its territory was linked to Tuscia and part to Piceno.

After the fall of the Roman Empire of the West region was devastated and travelled by barbarian hordes and then by the Byzantine armies. With employment Lombard (second half of the sixth century.), Began to arise political formations characterized by a certain stability, as the Duchy of Spoleto (571), which very soon included in its jurisdiction throughout Umbria and the Marches, Abruzzo and Lazio.

The events of the Duchy of Spoleto, that under the Franks (789) became a practice of the feud (although claimed by the Church), were essentially the story of the entire region, which had prospered meanwhile Episcopal headquarters of Todi , Narni, Terni, Foligno, Spello and Assisi, Gubbio, Citta di Castello, etc.. In X cent. some territories of the Duchy of Spoleto were organized by the Otto I in a feudal state and autonomous attributed to Arnolfo German Count (hence the name of Terre Arnolfe).

In the next century many towns of Umbria is ressero with its statutes, municipal, but very soon were torn by wars (especially Perugia and Assisi) and the struggles of faction, which culminarono in Guelf coalitions against the emperors Frederick I and Federico II (secc. XII - XIII).

Under the pressure of guelfismo victorious and the action to recapture the cardinal Albornoz, conducted in the fourteenth century. Against some lordships affermatesi in the region (s Gabrielli to Gubbio, the Trinci in Foligno, Baglioni and Oddi in Perugia, to Calves Citta di Castello, etc..), Umbria began to enter concretely between the domains of the Holy See. After the leaders personal lordships Umbrian Braccio da Montone, Nicholas and Jacopo Piccinino (XV.), The supremacy of the Church was further strengthened by Alexander VI and Cesare Borgia (end of the fifteenth century.) And later definitively established by Pope Paul III (XVI)..

Since then the region remained under the direct jurisdiction of the Apostolic See until 1798 when, occupied by the French, joined the Roman Republic as part of the department of Clitunno and Trasimeno, which was restored under the United Italico with a capital Spoleto (1809-1815 ).

Back to the Church with the Restoration, in 1831 some of its cities took an active part in the uprisings of Romagna, while in 1848 the Umbrian patriots fought accanitamente for the Roman Republic.

Conquered by the Austrians intervened in support of the Papal States in 1849, became the Italian military occupation followed by the November 1860 plebiscite.