About the city and the twinning
About Umbria
Umbria is a landlocked region in central Italy, made up of the provinces of Perugia and Terni. Its capital, Perugia, stands on a hill overlooking the Tiber Valley and retains much of its historic character, including its city walls. The region’s landscape ranges from wooded hills and river valleys to Lake Trasimeno and the Marmore Falls near Terni.
Umbria’s cultural heritage is closely associated with its historic hill towns. Assisi is known for its Franciscan heritage, and the Basilica of San Francesco and other Franciscan sites were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. Other historic centres include Gubbio, Orvieto and Spoleto, where longstanding craft and food traditions remain part of local life.
Relations with Bethlehem
Bethlehem has longstanding municipal ties in Umbria through its twinning agreements with Assisi and Orvieto. Bethlehem Municipality records the signing of the agreement with Assisi on 14 January 1989 and the agreement with Orvieto in February 1996. In April 2002, Assisi hosted a meeting of mayors from cities linked with Bethlehem, bringing together representatives from several of its Italian partner municipalities.