Archeological data suggest that man has inhabited the region of Umbria since the Palaeolithic period, but it wasn’t until the 6th century BC that the beginnings of Umbria as we know it now were formed. During this time the region was inhabited by a tribe known as the Umbri who spoke a language called Umbrian which was similar to Latin.

Little is known about the Umbri till this day, but they had a definite presence in the region. The Umbri eventually shared the region with the early Etruscans. Relations between the Umbri and the Etruscans were strained and often resulted in battle over control of the region. It was the inevitable introduction of the Romans which prompted the two peoples to join forces against their new invaders.