Etruscan Treasures in Perugia

Perugia is the largest city in the Province of Umbria, lovingly and aptly nicknamed ‘the green heart of Italy’. In winter, the thick mists cover the city paved with medieval stones, and taking in the panorama of the Umbrian countryside from atop a hill at Piazza Italia, one cannot help but feel a sense of celestial romance. In summer, whether under the scorching sun or in the cool shade of a café along Corso Vannucci, Perugia is alive with festivals, the most well-known being the Umbrian Jazz Festival in July and the Euro Chocolate Festival usually held in late October.

Quick Tips:

The beauties of Perugia are apparent at first glace – the Etruscan Arch, Teatro Morlacchi, Palazzo Gallenga – but be more patient and meticulous and one will be able to discover the city’s subtler charms.

Best Way To Get Around:

Get the Tourist bus pass that afford unlimited travel for 1, 3 and 7 days. These are available once you exit the Perugia Train Station, Ferrovia FS (NOT Perugia Santa Giovanni station). Here you can also get a hold of the bus schedule that lists the times of departures of buses from major city points.

There are no metros/underground train systems.

A small town, Perugia is walkable by foot although the less able may find the constant upclimbing a little cumbersome and forbidding.

If you plan to leave the city by train on one of the early trains (eg. 0644hrs Eurostar express to Rome), make sure you get your ticket at least one day before because the ticket office do not open early enough. Note also that all Eurostar departures require prior reservation, so if you turn up late, there is a slight, though obscure, chance that you might not get tickets.

The hotel with the best view, and also with the highest prices. The only five star lodging option in Perugia, the Brufani is run like some chic Milanese hotel, complete with uniformed doormen and check in counters. At the lobby is also a very well done up cafe, albeit with sky high prices.

If you are only staying for a day or two, and don't plan on coming back again, it's worth charring the pocket a bit for the Brufani experience. You will live to never forget the charming sunsets over the Umbrian plains. Then, maybe, you might want to come back again!

Getting here cannot be any easier. Any bus that runs from the Stazione FS to Piazza Italia stops right next door to the hotel. Just ask for "Piazza Italia" when you hop aboard.

Two sundays every month, there is a major open air brick-a-brack market that sells strange stuff ranging from pendants carved with your name, to old books and antique clocks. On other sundays there are a few tables where artisans display their wares. Great location.

A quiet and family run quality lodging choice which is situated right in the heart of the old centre. The hotel is on a quiet and typically Umbrian alley, less than 3 minutes away from the Three Arches monument, and a flight of steps leads you directly to Piazza Italia and Via del Corso.

Most rooms, mostly doubles (Euro40), come with en-suite facilities, telephone and TV. Breakfast and bar facilities are readily available. There is even a special double room with access to an open air patio where you can enjoy cappucino in a romantic unrushed atmosphere.

The owner is a very friendly Italian family man who tries his best to accommodate all guests' requests. Nearby are numerous restaurants and shops catering to all your needs. My personal best choice when it comes to living in Perugia.

www.hotelercolano.it

The Etruscan is the best pizza choice in town if you are into great cheese and thicker than normal pizza crust. Bear in mind that most Italian crusts are paper thin (I hate those!), so the pizza crusts at Etruscan are normal, not superthick! Well, at least closer to my North American taste!

The best pizza that I have tasted is the one topped with eggplant (Pizza Melanzane) that costs just below four Euros. I cannot write much about the meat toppings because I am vegetarian, but there are more than forty choices available, including sides like salads and french fries. Also, a drink shelf to suit every thirsty customer! Eat in incurs a further dine-in charge of about one Euro, but you can also do it the Italian way... grab one takeaway slice and stand around the counter! While you are at it, be sure to try the little fried rice balls, they are delicious with cheese and a little ham inside.

For those who like spicy food, ask for the bottle of oil with peperoncini, it glides comfortably over the well done pizza for a delectable and wholesome dining experience that's truly Italian!

The pizzeria is open all day, every day.

The owners of this gelateria and cioccolateria once worked for many years at the nearby Perugina chocolate factory that until now produces the world famous Baci range of chocolates. Rumours have it that after they had learnt enough tricks of the trade, they broke away from the factory and set up this wonderful gelateria smacked right next to the University for Foreigners. The gelato here, obviously, have a bent towards chocolate and all things sweet, creamy and sinful. The prices are right and the Italian lady cannot be any sweeter. Best flavour: macademia with coconut shavings. You cannot miss this!

Note: just across the road, also along via Pinturicchio, one finds the Chinese restaurant, La Grande Muraglia, and the takeaway pizzeria, Sunflower. Both excellent dining options.

Closed all day Sunday.

Touted the best pizzeria in not only Perugia but the whole region of Umbria. Here the pizzas are cooked to order in two huge wood burning furnaces. Your pizzas arrive at your table with the smell of charred wood and smoking mozarella cheese!

The menu is incredible with a multitude of choices available. There is the famous 'Pizza Vulcano" which is shaped like a volcano, and stuffed with almost everything thinkable. It's huge and defintely enough for two people to share, the price is less than double that of two single pizzas. Lots of cheese inside that slowly flows out as "lava".

I personally do not enjoy eating here because the pizza crust is too Italian for my taste, which means it's superthink, and a little too charred. But those of you who yearn for the ultimate Italian pizza experience, consider no where else but the Mediterranea. Note that it opens at 19:30hrs nightly, but queues form an hour earlier. If you arrive late, get a queue number and return later. Why not grab a panino nearby the Fontana? The queues are expected... why not?... since people come here all the way even from Assisi and Gubbio?

Recently I went back to visit and popped by at Gianni's pizzeria along the Pinturichio, just outside the University for Foreigners. He has improved the menu, offering more calzones with new fresh ingredients. There are also some additions to the bar. Prices haven't changed, although now he offers a discount card for frequent customers and/or students. His calzones are still the best stuff available, with prosciutto, mozzarella, fresh oregano and ripe red tomatoes. Pizza slices are for takeaway, or he's always available for a nice chat. Just grab one of the 2 bar stools and make yourself comfortable! Gianni speaks passable English. Slices begin at 90 Euro cents, calzones about 20 cents more.

I recently revisited Perugia and popped by for some nice pizza at the Etrusca. The owners remembered me from a year ago and graciously posed for this fantastic photograph. Nothing has changed, and the pizzas are still as delicious as they were, especially the pizza with grilled eggplant and Italian sausage (3.70 euro). Don't forget that apart from the main menu which offers more than 30 kinds of pizza, you can also have yours made to order with any ingredient you desire. Also, ask for "una pizza piu alta, per favore!" if you like a warm thick pizza base!

So for all you nice folks out there looking for some alternative fun, there's this pub at via Fratti, a tiny lane near the Fontana Maggiore in the centre. It's open nightly after 21:30hrs and one can relax and cruise in an extremely non-threatening environment. Drinks are cheap, starting from 1.50 Euro for a mug of icy coke. This being conservative Italy, the pub may seem closed from the exterior, but push open the old wooden door that's always left a centimetre ajar. Then walk up the stairs and along two corridors, one covered and one open-air, and you will be there. Don't worry, you won't get lost. Just enjoy! There are also frequent discussion groups, occasional video screenings and a whole shelf of magazines worth a second look. A place to go with a group of friends, or alone if you are cruising.

If there's paradise lost, then this must be paradise found! I was walking up along Corso Garibaldi, which itself was obscure and lonely enough, when I caught sight of the sign which pointed to this park. So I heeded it, and after two tiny lanes and through an iron gate, I ended up in paradise!

The Parco di Ponte San Angelo is a very well-hidden gem in Perugia. Unlike the noisy and tourist filled park at Piazza Italia, here you can have the whole place to yourself. And the view is a fierce competitor to that at Piazza Italia. Here, instead of seeing Assisi, you get a great view of the Perugian plains, including a lovely faraway hill, one of the "legs" of the star shaped Perugia, with countless charming houses on it.

There are adequate benches and even a nearby WC. To get to the park, from Piazza Fortebraccio, head uphill along Corso Garibaldi (there's a TIM telephone and internet center), about 300meters uphill you will see the sign (see picture included) that directs you to the park. Then you're just one minute away!

We begin in Piazza Matteotti, also known as Piazza del Sopramuro (Above the Wall). The beauty of this square is enriched by the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, home of the High Court during the era of the Comunes and later of the old University. We then head down Via Oberdan to the stairs of Sant’Ercolano and the Sant’Ercolano Arch, a 14th century adaptation of the ancient Etruscan Arch at Piazza Fortebraccio. Further down we come to the remarkable octagonal tower-shaped Church of Sant’Ercolano. From here we head along Corso Cavour to the church of San Domenico. The imposing façade of this church dominates piazza Giordano Bruno. The cloister of the former Convent, now housing the National Archaeological Museum of Umbria, opens into the square. Further down the street and beyond the city gates we come to Borgo XX Giugno and continue to San Pietro. This is one of the most beautiful and historically significant churches in the city. Its elegant bell tower along with that of San Domenico are two of the most characteristic landmarks of the Perugian skyline. The University’s Agricultural School is also located in this complex of buildings. Across the street from San Pietro we have the Frontone gardens which serve as an open air cinema during summer evenings. Further down the hill, we find the San Costanzo church. We then return to Sant’Ercolano along the scenic route of Viale Roma and climb Via Marzia to the Rocca Paolina, crossing Via Bagliona we begin our visit of the medieval fortress. We then climb to Piazza Italia and return to Corso Vannucci. After a well-deserved rest with an espresso or cappuccino, w e can end our tour in front of the former churches of San Isidoro and of Santa Maria del Popolo.

(Extracted from a brochure of the Azienda di Promozione Turistica dell’Umbria)

Piazza Giordano Bruno is dominated by the imposing structure of the Chiesa di San Domenico. During the early Middle Ages, this area was the site of the local horse market and fair. Tradition has it that the church was designed by Giovanni Pisano. In any case, its construction was completed in 1458, the year in which is was consecrated to St. Stephen by Pope Pius II. Before the 17th-century renovation of the interior, the building presented an enormous ‘hallenkirche’ plan with octagonal pilasters in laterite stone, pointed arches and large stained-glass windows. The bell-tower was once surmounted by a high steeple dating from the late 1400s and was the work of Gasperino di Antonio of Lombardy. It was shortened during the 15th century, probably for reasons of instability, although tradition identifies in this act the same motivations which prompted Pope Paul III to demolish the upper level of the church of San Ercolano. The front staircase was designed by Girolamo Ciofi of Cortona (1640). The doorway is dated 1596. Above its remain traces of a rose-window by Benedetto di Valdorcia of Siena (1415).

Next to the church, walk along the narrow Via del Castellano for a terrific view of the south aisle chapel walls of the church. The rhythm of the red and white stone work is interrupted by a large gothic mullioned-window; the upper region bears a dentil shaped ornamentation also in red and white stone. Nearby, the house next to the Auditorium Marianum contains an early 14th-century painting of the Madonna and Child.

The Museum has its origins in a donation made by Francesco Filippo Friggeri who gave his valuable collection of Etruscan and Roman works to the city of Perugia in 1790. This collection was subsequently added to by donations from the families of Oddi, Graziani, Ansidei, Guardabassi, Bellucci (amulets) and Antinori (African objects). After a brief spell in the Priors’ Palace, the Museum was transferred to the Monastery of Monte Morcino Nuovo in 1812; in 1936 it was moved again to Palazzo Donini-Ferretti where it remained until 1948 when it was finally settled in its current location. Here it took on the status of Comunal Civic Museum in 1962.

Entrance is a mere 2 Euro (US$1.80), discounts available for European students only

There is a tremendously huge collection of funereal urns from the Etruscan times and sarchophagi from the Sperandio area. Of special interest is the famous Perugian Memorial Stone in travertine rock with one of the longest Etruscan inscriptions yet to be discovered mentioning the Velthina and Afuna families, properties and tombs. This is outside Room VII, but the Stone, at writing time, remains under restoration.

I spoke to one of the guards on duty hoping to find out when it would once again be on public display. After a minute discussing with his fellow office mates, he ushered me along a corridor, pushed open a makeshift cardboard ‘Non Entrance’ ("Ingresso Vietato") sign, and led me into a musty corner of the museum. There he lifted a heavy sheet of clear plastic and showed me the famous Stone. I was moved beyond tears, not so much by the sight of it but by the kindness and generosity of this Italian man. As I was trying to take a picture of it, he wagged his finger and asked that I not do it. I smiled and thanked him profusely, then we walked back out.

Room IV has on display a war chariot that’s definitely worth a visit. In all, the Archaeological museum is a must-visit as it houses the most splendid collection artefacts, second only to the musem at the Palazzo dei Priori. If you are travelling alone, be sure to be there in the early morning, or when there is still plenty of sunshine. The Museum is very deserted and quiet, and since it is full of funeral objects, does invoke a sense of errie fear in the air.

There’s a ‘secret’ renovated wing as you pass between the urns and the ceramics. Along this corridor are jewellery artefacts and amulets. Walk further down and you will come to a left turn, follow it even though nobody ever comes this far. There you will find, at a huge restored hall at the end of the corridor, the gorgeous bluish bronze dagger from Fontivegge. The architecture of the hall alone is worth a visit, and if history is not your cup of tea, you will nonetheless be rewarded with an unparalleled panorama of the Umbrian countryside through any one of the countless French windows. On a foggy winter afternoon I got to see Assisi far a way atop a hill, who knows what you might get to see on a clear summer day?

Porta San Pietro is in fact composed of two separate gateways. The internal one presents clear traces of successive renovations; the main part is built in ashlar-work travertine and red stone, typical of Umbrian and Perugian medieval constructions, and laterite. Above the arch there is a niche containing figure of Our Lady of the Rosary between SS. Domenic and Francis; the image was painted in 1765 and repainted in 1817. The external gateway has all the elegance of the Humanist/Renaissance period and is reminiscent of the Malatestian Temple by Alberti in Rimini. It is the work of Agostino di Antonio di Duccio and Polidoro di Stefano of Perugia and was built during the period of 1475-1480. The central arch is decorated by a festoon and the piers show evidence of the fluting of the slide gate. On either side, there are two towers with elegant parastas, surmounted by Corinthian capitals.

Proceeding along Via Borgo XX Giugno, you arrive at the Chiesa di San Pietro. The entrance at writing time was under restoration and you will have to walk through some construction before gaining entry into the chapel. This church is stunning, and most easily my favourite. It houses numerous paintings depicting biblical stories including the Birth of Jesus, Issac blessing Jacob, the Queen of Sheba admiring the wisdom of Solomon, Jesus dining with the Pharisee, the Crucifixion, amongst countless others. Of particular interest, at the left front of the chapel on a dim wall, is the painting of Judith with the head of Holophernes (17th Century).

No flash photography is allowed, though this is not always strictly imposed. I was fortunate enough to have taken numerous flash photos before a priest came out and rudely asked me not to. The previous caretaker of the church had allowed me to do so. I can only assume that it is another one of those Italian peculiarities, that he who is in authority must act in a way which demonstrates this authority. Later on, I continued snapping numerous pictures without the flash, only to note that the priest was fixating my every movement, making sure that I was not using flash. I had this hunch that he would throw me out of the premises without hesitation if I had used another flash. The wonders of digital photography, however, allowed me to program the shutter speed so as to take wonderful pictures in the dark. DO NOT FORGET to stare up at the ceiling for even more marvellous works of art! To shoot a picture of the ceiling in the dark, place your digital camera facing up either on the ground or on one of the benches.

It houses numerous paintings depicting biblical stories including the Birth of Jesus, Issac blessing Jacob, the Queen of Sheba admiring the wisdom of Solomon, Jesus dining with the Pharisee, the Crucifixion, amongst countless others. Of particular interest, at the left front of the chapel on a dim wall, is the painting of Judith with the head of Holophernes (17th Century).

Outside the Chiesa di San Pietro, one finds the lovely Giardino Frontone. It’s a huge manicured park lined with benches and coloured by flowers, the centrepiece is a fountain bordered by magnolias. Braccio Fortebraccio, governor of Perugia from 1416 to 1424, used this as a weapon store; from 1569 onwards it became the location of life stock which took place during the All Saints’ Day Fair. At the beginning of the 1700s the site was donated to the Arcadians, this marked the beginning of its transformation into a pleasant garden; between 1778 and 1780 the amphitheatre was built at the centre of which there is an arch designed by Baldassare Orsini, erected in 1791. Here, there are breathtaking views to be had, including undisturbed views of nearby San Sisto and San Marco, as well as a glimpse of the historic centre at Piazza Italia, at the end of Corso Vannucci. It is a good idea to pack a lunch basket here. Don’t forget your straw hat and novel!

Certainly the place to hang out after the sun goes down. Nightly from 10pm, Velvet swings open its doors to a cosmopolitan crowd hungry for action and a slice of the sweet, sensual life. Leave your tees and baggy North American jeans behind... pick up the sleek leathers and Italian jeans, and be one of the countless well-dressed and well-heeled. Velvet is not super huge, but it is mind blowing, complete with a lower floor, bar and super packed dance floor, and an upper terrace for action, spying and being spied. Come join us for an explosive night out. No cover charge, one compulsory drink from 5 Euros.

Huge collection of amulets and jewellery, courtesy of ancient reputable Italian families. The collections are housed within air-condition and dark rooms, so be sure to enter them even though the structure of the museum is such that it appears that everything is displayed along the corridor. There are ill-indicated rooms and secret annexes to discover!

With the help of a city map readily available at the main ‘TouristPoint’ offices (at the Stazione Ferrovia FS, another beside the Fontana Maggiore at Corso Vannucci, or also conveniently located is another at Piazza Partigiani). The city has followed a "star-shaped" growth as a result of historical and architectural influences, so it’s comfortable to plan five walking itineraries each covering one ‘leg’ of the star. But everybody will be able to improvise his or her own tour as taste or whim dictates without diminishing in any way the charm and pleasure that the city offers.

The five standard walking tours are: The Porta Sant’Angelo itinerary starting off Palazzo dei Priori and ending off at Piazza Danti, the Porta San Susanna itinerary which kicks off at Palazzo dei Priori and ends at the Oratorio di Santa Cecilia. The Porta Sole itinerary takes one from Palazzetto dei Notari to the Etruscan Well, while the Porta Eburnea itinerary includes visits to the Colleggi del Cambio, Chiesa di San Sospiro and the former San Benedetto Church. Finally, and my favourite too, is the comfortable walk between the Chiesa di San Domenico, Chiesa di San Pietro and the Three Arches, the Porta San Pietro itinerary.

Many students from all over the world congregate in what has been declared the most famous Foreigners' University in all of Italy. Courses run several sessions a year, with five levels of competency. The fifth level takes 6 months while the other levels each take 3 months. Students choose to sit for exams and earn a certificate upon successfully passing it, or one can request for a certificate of attendance.

Courses are varied to suit individual tastes, ranging for History of Music, Art and Italian Theatre, to Translation, Literature, Music, Choral, Finance, Law and Economics courses.

Cost for each 3 month session is currently Lire 450,000 (about 240Euros). Several scholarships are available especially if you are from the European Union. The University also admits numerous students on the ERASMUS exchange program.

The University is housed within the Palazzo Gallenga, itself a major historical building situated right next to the glorious Etruscan Arch.

If you are planning on staying and perhaps studying in Perugia, you will do well getting yourself an apartment. For foreigners this is usually a major problem because Italian bureaucracy hardly allows for such arrangements. The University is affiliated with Atena Service, which locates accommodation according to your needs and wishes.

Atena service is located 300 metres from the University. Upon exiting the University main door, turn left and you will see a lane going downhill, it's between a bookstore (tabaccheria) and a cafe. Follow the road down a hundred metres and you will see Atena Service.

At the start of each trimester the queues are endless, and one usually has to stay in line for hours, at least two. And lodging is NOT guaranteed especially if you are looking for single rooms and bachelor suites. The agents are usually friendly but they can get unpleasant in the thick of matters. Stay calm, go grab a capuccino at the nearby Cafe Roma.

Agent fees are 7% of your monthly rental, for the whole period. If you pay by methods apart from cash, there will be an additional surcharge of about 4.5%. Be sure to ask for your Atena-UQS card which is good for numerous discounts in town and out.

Check out their website at www.atenaservice.com

The Italian train connection between Rome and Perugia can be quite a headache if you arrive at Fiumicino in the evening. The last train for Perugia leaves Roma Termini at 2040hrs, changing at Foligno and arriving in Perugia at midnight. The direct Eurostar leaves every evening at 1944hrs.

Occasionally, SULGA buses ply between Fiumicino and Perugia, and they cost the same but saves the trouble of luggage handling, and long lines at the train station. One way tickets from Fiumicino to Perugia costs 19 Euros.

Here is the departure schedule, with arrival times in brackets.

Rome Tiburtina-Perugia

0715(0930), 0815(1040), 1400(1615), 1600(1815), 1800(2015), 1900(21150)

Rome Fiumicino-Perugia

1430(1815), 1630(2015), 1730(2115)

Sundays and Public holidays

Rome Tiburtina-Perugia

0715(0930), 0815(1040), 1800(2015)

Rome Fiumicino-Perugia

1630(2015)

Departure times from Perugia to Rome Fiumicino on Sulga Bus services. Tickets are 19 Euros one way, and can be purchased on the bus. Board the Sulga at Piazza Partigiani.

0630(1010), 0800(1110), 0900(1210)

Sundays and Public Holidays

0730(1040)