Approaching the history of ancient Umbria

Abstract During the Roman imperial period, Umbria, the sixth of the eleven regions of ancient Italy, was made up of almost forty different communities, most of which can be identified with the hill towns characterizing the area today. In some cases, people had already lived on these sites for a thousand years; almost all had been occupied for at least half a millennium. These towns had their own distinct local identities and, we can suspect, local histories. There were, however, wider ethnic feelings that tied the inhabitants of this region together, and which gave Umbria more than simply an administrative significance.