Originally Posted by
MarcusT
I would skip Perugia, it is very congested with narrow streets. Gubbio and Assisi are beautiful cities. Skip Norcia, they are still rebuilding from the earthquake. Siena is also quite nice, I would avoid festival time (horse races) it can be more crowded than a NYC subway.
Tuscany and Umbria are both beautiful regions it's hard to go wrong
Yes, they are all beautiful cities. I guess it depends on what the OP is looking for. I thought Assisi to be more touristy than Perugia. Perugia has tourists but it's less well known and also has a university there so there is still some local flavor. Speaking of flavor, the bread is bland because they don't add salt - a centuries-old grudge with the papacy. They also have a fascinating underground tour.
That said, the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi is fantastic.
I have not been to San Gimignano in 30 years but back then it was still untouched by tourism.