Perugia is a lively medieval walled city with historic buildings, crowded squares and trendy shops. It is home to a university and a large Italian language school for foreigners. Etruscan remains are still visible in various places. The city has a lot to offer the traveler and is a good base for visiting other hill towns in Umbria, such as Assisi, Spello and Gubbio. It is one of the best places to go in Umbria.
Perugia Location
Perugia is very close to the exact center of Italy. It is the largest city in the Umbria region, known as the “Green Heart of Italy”.
Where to stay in Perugia
Chocolate lovers may want to try Perugia’s Etruscan Chocohotel, where there is a restaurant with a chocolate menu.
Things to do in Perugia
As is the case in most Umbrian and Tuscan walled hill towns, one of the best things to do is stroll through the narrow streets and along the walls at the edge of the town to view the valley below. These are some of the main attractions.
- Piazza IV Novembre is the heart of Perugia. It is a large open plaza where locals and visitors congregate. In the center is a beautiful fountain, the Fontana Maggiore , surrounded by the Duomo (said to contain the Virgin’s wedding ring), the Palazzo dei Priori, and medieval buildings with shops and bars.
- The Fontana Maggiore , made of pink and white stone, is decorated with intricately carved panels displaying the months of the year, astrological signs, Aesop’s fables, mythical monsters, and more.
- The Palazzo dei Priori , where councilors used to meet, has some beautiful 13th-century frescoes and wooden furniture. It houses the National Gallery of Art of Umbria and three other museums.
- Corso Vannucci is the main pedestrian street and is lined with elegant shops, bars and places to eat.
- La Rocca Paolina is a fortress built by Pope Paul III on the houses and buildings he destroyed. You can walk through the underground remains of the streets and houses. There are also art exhibits in the building.
- The Etruscan remains include the Etruscan well from the 3rd century BC. C., the Etruscan Arch (one of the city gates) and remains of the huge Etruscan wall that surrounds the city. There are also remains of the Roman wall and gates of the Roman city and the Tempio di Sant’Angelo , a Roman temple from the 5th century.
- Perugia has several handicraft shops, fashion stores and good places to buy gifts.
Transporte in Perugia
Perugia is reached by train from a branch in Terontola from the main Florence-Rome line or in Foligno from the Rome-Ancona line. From the train station, take almost any bus that goes up the hill into town (or you can walk, but it is a steep hill). There is also a small private Umbrian train line from Stazione Sant Anna , halfway up the hill near Piazza Partigiani , the bus terminal for regional and national buses, and ample parking. The closest airports are Rome, Pisa and Florence. Perugia now has an airport with flights from other parts of Italy and Europe.
Transport in Perugia
Perugia has a good bus system. It also has an unusual series of escalators through Rocca Paolina that takes you up the hill from the Piazza Partigiani area to Piazza Italia , the main square in the center of the city. There is also a new subway line above ground, called the minimetro , which runs from the outskirts to the top of the city.
Perugia festivals
Perugia is famous for chocolate and celebrates its chocolate festival, Eurochocolate, in mid-October. The city hosts a large International Jazz Festival, the Umbrian Jazz Festival, which lasts two weeks in July, and MusicFestPerugia, two weeks of classical music performances at historic monuments and churches in August.
Perugia Tourist Office
The main tourist office is located in Piazza IV Novembre under the arches near the flight of stairs and behind the fountain. They are very helpful and can help you with reservations and concert tickets.
Studying Italian
The excellent Universita per Stranieri is a wonderful place to learn Italian. You will study with students from all over the world. The sessions last one or two months and have classes at 5 different levels. They also help you get a home. I studied there for a month and they found me a wonderful and inexpensive apartment in the city center.
