Guide Perugia
Perugia – in the Green Heart of Italy!
Thanks to The World of Travel for this wonderful video.
Perugia is a lovely medieval hill town located in the Umbria region. Umbria is in the center of Italy and is often referred to as the “Green Heart of Italy’. Perugia is famous for its chocolate festival “Eurochocolate” that occurs every year in October. The chocolate firm, Perugina, is popular for its brand, Baci (kisses) chocolate.
The Umbria Jazz Festival, that is held every July in Perugia, is one of the most popular and important events for Jazz in Europe. And around September there is Classic Perugia where there are exhibitions and concerts. Perugia’s University per Stranieri is a popular place for students who come from all over the world to study Italian language.
photo: courtesy of Flickr, Agnese Solinas
Famous Artist and Artworks
This beautiful town has a rich tradition in art and culture. The famous Renaissance painter, Perugino, was from Citta della Pieve which is near Perugia. He was the teacher of another Renaissance master painter, Raphael. Perugino and Raphael created many masterpieces in the Perugia area. Pinturicchio, another well-known painter, and Galeazzo Alessi, a famous architect, are both from here as well.
Perugino’s magnificent frescoes at the Sala del Cambio and his paintings at the National Gallery of Umbria are important artworks to see. This gallery also hosts many other masterpieces by Duccio, Piero della Francesca, and Beato Angelico. Chapel of San Severo has a beautiful fresco painted by both Perugino and Raphael.
photo: courtesy of Flickr, Agnese Solinas
What to see
The important places to see in Perugia include the Cathedral of S. Lorenzo, the Church and abbey of San Pietro (from the 16th century), Basilica of San Domenico, the Templar church of San Bevignate. Palazzo dei Priori, Fontana Maggiore (a medieval fountain), the Rocca Paolina (a Renaissance fortress), and the Orto Botanico dell’Universita di Perugia and the university’s botanical garden are wonderful places to visit. Other hill towns near Perugia that are great to visit are Assisi, Gubbio and Spello.
