Villa Umbra was built in Pila on the remains of a XIV Century Castle, born as watch point of the territory west of Perugia. In the XVI Century the Castle was transformed into a Villa, Tuscan style, by Cardinal Francesco Armellini dei Medici; relics of the old edifice are still visible in the west side. The Loggia, in the west side of the Villa, the little loggia of the courtyard and the sandstone well, they all date back to the XVI Century.
After having changed several different owners, the Villa is now property, since the ‘80s, of the Provincia of Perugia, that have organized it, after restoration works, as Study Center. Since 1997 Villa Umbra is the seat the “Scuola Umbra di Amministrazione Pubblica”.
Pila
Pila, as witnessed by several findings, among which the famous Etruscan bronze statuette known as a “L'Arringatore” (Auli Metellis), today visible in the Archeologic Museum of Florence, was already inhabited in Etruscan and Roman times.
Another outstanding feature in Pila is the parish church (1898), in neo-gothic style, built on a anteceding church of the XVI Century. Inside a wooden cross of the XVI Century and polychrome Glass Windows by Giuseppe Pennacchi. Going along the street of the Tower a medieval well; this was damaged during WWII and was rebuilt in 2000, covered by large block of travertine stone of recent make, retrieving the original step base.