Perugia: Chocolate and all that Jazz

Perugia, Umbria’s illustrious capital city, is a tightly-knit network of streets and alleyways. The centre of this hilltop town has been the site of murders, plots and foul deeds down the centuries. One of the 12 original Etruscan towns, its documented history only goes back to 300 BC where it is mentioned in Roman writings.
After its incorporation into the Roman Empire in 40 BC, Perugia gained a reputation for being a dangerous and violent place. 2000 years ago when Caesar walked through the Etruscan gate at the bottom of Via del Priori it was already considered old but today you can still enter Perugia the same way.

10 Things to See and Do
Umbria Jazz
Eurochoc Festival
The Fontana Maggiore
Galleria Nazionale dell’ Umbria
Via Baglioni Sotteranea
Arco Etrusco
Pozzo Etrusco
Palazzo del Priori, the gallery art centre of Perugia
Museo Archeological
Open air cinema in the Giardini del Frontone during the Summer months

Events in Perugia
Throughout the year Perugia plays host to many festivals and cultural events.
October
The main event in the Perugia calendar is the Eurochoc Festival. Chocolatiers from around the world descend on Perugia for a series of forums, lectures and demonstrations of their artform, allowing the chocoholic ample opportunity to sample their delights. During Eurochoc week you can play chocolate football or chocolate chess, drink it, paint with it and even buy pet-friendly chocolates for your dog.
July sees a fortnight of smooth music at Umbria Jazz

Spotlight on Pietro Vannucci
For lovers of Renaissance painting, Perugia boasts its own great master. Pietro Vannucci who created many of his famous works here. Better known as Perugino, he taught the young Raphael and the less well known Pinturicchio to paint. Art from down the ages can be seen here with excellent examples in the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria, Collegio del Cambio and the Collegio dei Mercanzia.

Perugia History
In 547 when Totila the Hun attacked the city, Bishop Herculanus met and attempted to mediate with him only to find himself flayed alive and then beheaded. After one particularly horrendous blood-letting the Cathedral had to be washed down with wine and reconsecrated. In 1538 Pope Paul III took charge of the city, demolishing its previous palaces and building the massive Rocco Paulino which stood for 300 years until Austrians liberated it and its people demolished the hated building.
The self-beating Flagellants made their appearance in 1265 and from their beginnings in Perugia made their way across Europe, whipping themselves into a frenzy and rattling human bones. Today any such high jinx can be laid squarely on the shoulders of the town’s student population. There are two universities here, the Universita degli Studi and Mussolini’s Universita per Stanieri, established in the 1930s to encourage foreigners to study in Italy.
You have to wonder whether today’s students would have joined in the favourite medieval sport. Participants wearing beaked helmets and stuffed jackets pelted each other with stones until only one remained alive or standing.
Entertainment now is more sophisticated with Corsa Vannucci offering a wide range of bars, café and restaurants and Perugia is a place to stroll. Its narrow winding alleyways, spacious piazzas and wide streets provide endless discoveries and excitement. You can’t turn a corner without finding something new whether it's an ancient viaduct, a Etruscan well or churches, shops and monuments galore. Choose to eat pannini in the Botanical gardens or shop at Gucci, Prada or D&G. Perugia has plenty to keep you entertained.

How to arrive
The Umbrian capital is situated in the north west of the province and is about an hour and a half south of Florence and two and a half hours north of Rome. It is easy to reach by rail or road and there are a number of airports nearby.
By plane: Ryanair runs regular flights to Perugia’s Sant Egido Airport from Stanstead and from here you can take a taxi or hire a car but there is also a regular local bus service. The airports of Rome, Ancona, Pisa, Florence and Bologna are all within a 3 hour drive of Perugia.
By car: Travelling South from Florence and Pisa take the A1 superstrade. From Bologna and Ancora you should drive over the Apennines on the E45 or if you are coming from Rome, use the A1 north.
By rail: The Eurostar line runs between Rome and Florence but make sure you change at Florence as it doesn’t stop in Perugia. You can take either the Rome or Foligno trains from Florence or if you are journeying north, Perugia is on the Florence run. The best station to get off at is Ponte San Giovanni, then use the local branch line to Sant Anna if you are staying in the city centre.