In this region the first buildings of Christian worship arose. Christianity in fact found fertile ground in Umbria and over the centuries remained a point of reference for local people.
The preaching of Saint Benedict of Norcia (480 AD-547 AD) gave rise to Benedictine monastic settlements throughout the region.
In the 13th century Assisi became the center of the preaching of Saint Francis (1181-1226). Religious vitality found expression in the Basilica of Saint Francis, a true anthology collection of Umbrian-Sienese painting of the 1200s and 1300s. Franciscanism thus spread and other convents and monasteries arose.
Pilgrimage sites of notable importance developed in every part of the region: in Cascia, with the Basilica and the Monastery of Saint Rita, in Terni with the Basilica and Shrine of Saint Valentine and in other places, where even today as in the past one can enter for a visit or for a stay devoted to worship and spirituality. Here is a non-exhaustive list:


