A MEDIEVAL PAGEANT

Best-known as Italy’s vibrant university hub, lively stage for jazz concerts and the homeland of the world-famous Perugina chocolate factory, Perugia was once far from being the peaceful idyll we can admire today. Echoes of clinging swords, blasts of trumpets, clattering hooves and the raging voices of merciless popes still resonate across the town’s surprisingly well preserved historic centre, awakening memories of a turbulent past. Despite a seemingly endless succession of battles, sieges, rebellions and strife, Perugia resisted hardship and managed to flourish, becoming a prosperous centre for manufacturing and trade as well as a thriving artistic and cultural magnet.

Traces of the city’s 2,500-year-old history have miraculously survived to this day. Etruscan walls, Roman ruins, medieval churches, Renaissance palazzi… every corner of Perugia harbours a compelling story waiting to be unravelled. Your guide will meet you at your hotel and lead you on a leisurely stroll along stone alleys, up and down stairways, across bustling piazzas and also below the ground, allowing you to gain a complete introduction to Perugia’s development throughout the ages, from its 6th century BC origins, right up to the city’s contemporary triumphs.

You begin your day with a visit to the remains of the Rocca Paolina where a momentous event in the history of Perugia once unfolded. Listen as your guide explains how a tax increase imposed five centuries ago on the indignant Perugians triggered a popular uprising, brutally repressed by the troops of Pope Paul III. In 1540, as a stark reminder of his supremacy and power, the pope ordered the construction of a colossal fortress in the pre-existing neighbourhood of Santa Giuliana. Medieval houses and churches were either demolished to make way for the stronghold or incorporated within its foundations. The mighty Rocca Paolina stood guard over Perugia for three centuries until Italy’s unification in 1861, when it was eventually torn down by the citizens who had always regarded it as a symbol of oppression. However, as your guide will reveal on a subterranean journey back in time, a maze of passageways and rooms belonging to an age-old district of the city still survives beneath the surface allowing visitors a fascinating glimpse into the once busy streets of medieval Perugia.

From here, amble along Corso Vannucci, the city’s main thoroughfare and reach Piazza IV Novembre, the pulsing heart of Perugia since Etruscan times. Your guide will point out three striking monuments: the imposing Gothic-style Palazzo dei Priori, complete with crenellated walls and trefoiled windows; the 13th century Fontana Maggiore, a masterpiece of medieval sculpture, featuring symbolic representations of the twelve months and zodiac signs; the beautiful, unfinished Cathedral of San Lorenzo, housing the stirring Deposition from the Cross by Baroque painter Federico Barocci.

But there are more than just medieval sights to delight you on your tour of Perugia. Dip into the city’s soft centres and unwrap its sweet secrets. Along with the lip-smacking Baci, Perugia is home to a number of artisanal confectioners and chocolate shops and proudly hosts the Eurochocolate festival every year in October. Your guide will show you where to find the best pralines, brittles and truffles in town and treat you to a tasting of mouth-watering specialities.