There is no McDonald's on the ageless stone plaza at the heart of this hilltop town. No Internet cafe, no 24-hour supermarket. And you'll look in vain for somewhere to enjoy a Starbucks latte. Life's pace is pretty much as it has been for centuries - and this city of 19,500 wants to keep it that way.
Shopkeepers greet the morning, standing in their doorways.
Men loiter at cafe tables, sipping coffee and gossiping. Perched 1,300 feet above central Italy's Umbrian plain, Todi's charms have outlasted the Caesars and Mussolini. We're defending them against the threats which are posed by globalization. We're defending the value of time. After the delicate black truffles, fresh tagliatelle and tangy salami have been cleared from the plates, and the glasses drained of a crisp local white vino, Liliana Milordini, owner of Trattoria Jacopone, joins the table.