Perugia Introduction:
Perugia is a lively medieval walled hill town with many historic buildings, people-filled squares, and modern shops. It's home to a university and a large Italian language school for foreigners. Perugia, one of my favorite cities, 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.
Perugia Location:
Perugia is very nearly at the exact center of Italy. It is the capital of the Umbria region, known as the "Green Heart of Italy". See Umbria Travel Map.Transportation to Perugia :
Perugia is reached by train from a branch line at Terontola off the main Florence-Rome line or at Foligno off the Rome-Ancona line. From the Perugia station, take almost any bus up the hill into town (or you can walk but it's a steep hill). There's also on a small private Umbria train line out of Stazione Sant Anna, halfway up the hill near Piazza Partigiani, the bus terminal for regional and national buses and a large parking lot. The closest airports are Rome, Pisa, and Florence.Transportation in Perugia :
Perugia has a good bus system. It also has an unusual series of escalators through the Rocca Paolina that takes you up the hill from the Piazza Partigiani area to Piazza Italia, the main square in the town center. There's also a new above ground metro line, called minimetrò, that runs from the outskirts to the top of the city.Perugia's Tourist Office:
The main tourist office is at Piazza IV Novembre under the arches near the flight of steps and behind the fountain. They are very helpful and can help you with reservations and concert tickets.Where to Stay in Perugia:
Venere.com (book direct) has a good selection of 2-5 star hotels in Perugia. Hotels are rated and reviewed by users and have good maps and photos.
Chocolate lovers might want to try Perugia's Etruscan Chocohotel (book direct on Venere) where there's a restaurant with chocolate menu.
Perugia Pictures and Map:
Take a look at Perugia's top sights with our Perugia Picture Gallery, including Piazza IV Novembre, the Etruscan arch, and the Oratorio of San Bernardino in Piazza San Francesco.
Here's a good Perugia map showing the location of monuments, transportation centers, Italian language school, and recommended restaurants.
Perugia Festivals:
Perugia is famous for chocolate and holds its chocolate festival, Eurochocolate, in mid-October. It hosts a huge international Jazz Festival, the Umbria Jazz Festival, that runs for two weeks in July. Classic Perugia, in late September, includes concerts, exhibitions, and classes.Studying Italian in Perugia:
Perugia's excellent Universita per Stranieri is a wonderful place to learn Italian. You will be studying with students from all over the world. Sessions last one or two months, and have classes at 5 different levels. They also help you get housing. I studied there for one month and they found me a wonderful, inexpensive apartment in the center of town. Read more about Studying Italian in Perugia.Perugia Attractions:
As is true of most Umbrian and Tuscan walled hill towns, one of the best things to do is to wander through the narrow streets and along the walls at the edge of town for views of the valley. Here are some of Perugia's top attractions:
- Piazza IV Novembre is the heart of Perugia. It's a large, open square where locals and visitors congregate. In the center is a beautiful fountain, the Fontana Maggiore, surrounded by the Duomo (said to hold the virgen'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 showing the months of the year, astrological signs, Aesop's fables, mythical monsters, and more.
- The Palazzo dei Priori, where the town councilors used to meet, has some beautiful 13th century frescoes and wooden furniture. It houses the National Art Gallery of Umbria and three other museums.
- The Corso Vannucci is the main pedestrian street and is lined with elegant shops, bars, and eating places.
- The Rocca Paolina is a fortress built by Pope Paul III over the houses and buildings he destroyed. You can wander through the underground remains of the streets and houses. There are also art exhibits held in the building.
- Etruscan remains include the 3rd century BC Etruscan well, the Etruscan Arch (one of the city gates), and remains of the massive Etruscan wall around the city. There are also remains of the Roman wall and Roman city gates and the Tempio di Sant'Angelo, a 5h century Roman temple.
