A region of central Italy in the Apennines. Occupied by the Umbrians in ancient times, it later fell to the Etruscans and then the Romans (c. 300 B.C.). After passing to various powers, Umbria came under the control of the papacy in the 16th century and joined the kingdom of Sardinia in 1860.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
