Perched on a hill, Perugia has a frozen-in-time quality, as the historic center has essentially remained the same since the Middle Ages. The capital of Umbria, Perugia is a spectacular hilltop town with a compact historic centre and rambling maze of charming medieval streets, exceptional museums and unique archeological treasures. Overlooking the verdant Tiber Valley, the city was originally founded by the Etruscans, but walking through the city one also feels the strong imprint of Roman, Medieval and Renaissance influences, testimony to the historical, artistic and cultural wealth of Perugia's unique rich and colourful past. At the centre of Perugia is Piazza IV Novembre, considered one of the most beautiful squares in Italy. Surrounded by the Palazzo dei Priori and the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, the heart of Piazza IV Novembre is actually Fontana Maggiore, a beautiful medieval fountain that was built in the 12th century, which brought water to the town from Mount Pacciano through an extensive aqueduct, an astounding feat of its time. The fountain is composed of two marble polygonal basins, representing biblical, secular and mythological motifs, and one of the best examples of Gothic art found anywhere in Italy.
On the other side of the square is the Palazzo dei Priori, which houses the National Gallery of Umbria, the most richest and most important art collections in Umbria, including masterpieces from the Middle Ages and Renaissance with works by Arnolfo di Cambio, Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, Duccio di Boninsegna, Gentile da Fabriano, Beato Angelico, and Piero della Francesca, with considerable amount of space dedicated to Umbrian artists Benedetto Bonfigli, Bartolomeo Caporali, Fiorenzo di Lorenzo and especially renowned paintings by local favourite Perugino, who famously taught Raphael.
Emerging from a a full morning feasting on the artistic and cultural treasures of the Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria, we felt it was time to nurture our other senses and made our way to Ristorante Il Giurista, a charming old-world restaurant located just a short walk from Perugia's Palazzo deli Priori. Nestled below street level on Via Bartolo, a road named for the 14th-century jurist Bartolo da Sassoferrato, Il Giurista serves traditional Umbrian cuisine beneath brick-vaulted ceilings in one of Perugia's more atmospheric dining rooms. Beginning with a an amuse bouche of Asparagus Soup followed with a glass or two of Prosecco before enjoying a lovely lunch, we continued wandering through Perugia ending up in the Carducci Gardens at the end of Corso Vannucci, that function as a natural viewing balcony suspended high above the Umbrian landscape, offering unparalleled, panoramic vistas across the sweeping Tiber Valley, the rooftops of the lower city, and distant hill town of Assisi.
Statue Of Pope Julius III by Vincenzo Danti dating from 1555 outside Perugia's Duomo,
the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo
including masterpieces from the Middle Ages and Renaissance
Painted wood Medieval processional cross from 1272 by Maestro di San Francesco
Scomparti di Trittico by Maestro di Paciano from 1330
Polyptych of Sant'Antonio Altarpiece from 1467 by Piero della Francesca
is one of the most iconic works in the National Gallery of Umbria
(a detached fresco from Palazzo Pontani)
The Summer Hall of the Government Congregation after the Salt Wars of 1540
View of Perugia neighbourhood from window at the National Gallery
who dominated the artistic scene of the Renaissance in Umbria, together with Perugino,
came the benchmark for many artists in Central Italy
Altarpiece detail of Madonna and Child with the young St John the Baptist
The exterior of Ristorante Il Gurista in Perugia
An amuse bouche of Crema di Asparagi
by the Astoria winery in the Treviso region of Veneto
A glass of bubbley before lunch is a delicious tradition
Lungarotti Il Pometo Pinot Grigio
who famously introduced Pinot Grigio to the Umbria
Sautéed Spinach
to the Carducci Gardens, that we thought we might try next time we're in Perugia
Fontana Bimba al Sole, known as the Fountain of the Girl in the Sun, in Piazza Italia
15th-century Umbrian Renaissance painter, is located in the Carducci Gardens
stands in the centre of the Carducci Gardens
At the base of the marble pedestal, a naturalistic winged genius/angel
holds up a palette and a paintbrush toward the master
of homemade gelato which is hard to resist
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