Perugia

Perugia, Italy

Perugia is the provincial capital of Umbria, one of Italy’s most beautiful regions. The ancient heart of the city, packed full of Etruscan and Roman monuments, perches on a hilltop with the modern city spread below. With a prestigious university, the city has a lively student population, good shopping, fun bars and great restaurants. If that weren't enough, Perugia is the setting for one of Europe’s best jazz festivals: Umbria Jazz.

Population:

167,000

Currency:

1 Euro (€) = 100 cents

Emergency Numbers:

112 Emergency
118 Ambulance
113 Police
115 Fire

Opening Hours:

Shops open 9am-1pm and 3:30pm - 7:30pm. Bigger stores tend not to close for lunch. Many banks open Mon-Fri 8:30am - 4:30pm.

Newspapers:

Il Giornale dell’Umbria
Corriere dell’Umbria

The City

Perugia was an Etruscan settlement between 6th-1st century BC, falling to the Romans in 40 BC. The quantity and quality of remains from these periods is impressive, particularly the ancient walls and gates to the city, many of which remain intact.

Another of its charms is its size: the historic centre is small enough to walk around in half a day – though, add in all the galleries and museums of note, and you have enough to keep you busy for a long weekend. Ask at the tourist office for a leaflet detailing walking itineraries around the city.

Do & See

One of Perugia’s charms is the merging of ancient and modern, for example, here you can walk under giant stone arches constructed 2,000 years ago or shop in a modern department store. The city offer a wide array of museums, so take some time to discover a few of them.

Dining

Hearty recipes involving pork (try porchetta alla perugina/roast sucking pig), olive oil, truffles and great pasta dishes are the hallmarks of Umbrian cuisine. Perugia is full of restaurants, many of them so small that reservations are essential. The snack of choice in Perugia is pizza – all over town there are tiny takeaway pizzerias serving pizza by the slice.

Cafes

There are many cafés in Perugia, especially in the Historic Centre. The prices are not too expensive because it's a university town. Cafés are often open all day selling pizza and sandwiches.