Perugia










Perugia is REGISTERED IN:

DISCOVERING THE CITY
The beauty of Perugia does not derive only from its majestic monuments, but from the intimate experience you get walking through the alleys of the historic center. Immersing yourself in the streets of the city it is possible to find yourself in magnificent corners with sensational views that are promptly immortalized by visitors. Like an unrepeatable treasure hunt of extraordinary and unique views, the city has also been an inspiration for artists of all centuries.
In the Chapel of the Priors, inside the National Gallery of Umbria, the pictorial cycle of the life of San Ludovico da Tolosa and Sant’Ercolano is depicted, the work of the Perugian artist Benedetto Bonfigli. The episodes from the life of Sant’Ercolano, one of the three patron saints of Perugia, give us a representation of fifteenth-century Perugia, with the countless towers not yet destroyed. Perugia was in fact called the turreted one, but of these innumerable buildings that dotted the city only the Torre degli Sciri remains, making the city of today very different from the one represented by Bonfigli. However, it is possible to recognise, in the episode The capture of Perugia by Totila and the martyrdom of Sant’Ercolano, the façade of the church of the same name in which the funeral of Sant’Ercolano was celebrated. The octagonal structure, built in the 13th century and dedicated to the saint in 1317, was once made up of two superimposed chapels which made it even more imposing; the upper chapel, which was accessed from above the walls, was demolished in the 16th century because it obstructed the view of the Rocca Paolina. The episode of the first translation of the body of Sant’Ercolano from the first burial to St. Peter’s Basilica depicts the subsequent movement of the saint’s remains from the church of Sant’Ercolano to St. Peter’s Basilica, complete with a city procession. In this fresco it is clearly visible, in the foreground on the right, the Church of San Pietro, with the white and red façade and the imposing bell tower, but also, in the center in the background, the back of the Church of San Domenico, with the its famous stained glass window and the bell tower, the upper part of which was demolished following the construction of the Rocca Paolina.
Built at the behest of Pope Paul III Farnese, from whom it takes its name, the latter was built between 1540 and 1543 and represented, until 1860, the symbol of papal power over the city. It was built by demolishing the entire neighborhood of Santa Giuliana and, while most of the materials were reused in the new structure, the houses, streets, towers and courtyards falling within the perimeter of the new building were incorporated and covered by heavy vaults, constitute a sort of dark but fascinating underground city. The Rocca Paolina was destroyed and rebuilt several times from 1848 onwards, ending up offering space for the construction of many nineteenth-century buildings and arrangements such as the Carducci gardens, Piazza Italia and Viale Indipendenza. The Papal Palace was replaced by the current Provincial Palace, which faces the neoclassical style building of Palazzo Cesaroni. Two small paintings by the Perugian painter Giuseppe Rossi, preserved in the National Gallery of Umbria, show us all the majesty and grandeur of the Rocca.
Another example of a Renaissance representation of Perugia is offered to us by Perugino in the panel Gonfalone della Giustizia. In this painting, preserved in the National Gallery of Umbria, in the background there is a view of the Porta Eburnea district, one of the five Perugian districts, which looks like a sixteenth-century postcard of the city. Speaking of city gates, not to be missed is Porta Sant’Angelo, with the picturesque crenellated keep built in 1325 by the architect Lorenzo Maitani (famous for being the author of the façade of the Cathedral of Orvieto). A little further on you can see the Temple dedicated to San Michele Arcangelo, with its characteristic circular shape: to defend the north-west part of the city there could only be a structure dedicated to Michael, the warrior angel. The temple probably dates back to the 5th century and stands on the remains of a Roman place of worship, the mithraeum, which in turn was built on a sacred site identified by the Etruscans.
Not far away, it is worth visiting the Giuditta Brozzetti Hand Weaving Museum-Laboratory which, housed in the Church of San Francesco alle Donne, preserves the memory of ancient artisan weaving techniques. You can admire looms from the 1700s and 1800s in operation and learn about their history.
Continuing along via Pinturicchio you arrive at the Cassero di Porta Sant’Antonio, opened in 1374 at the end of the papal fortress of Porta Sole, of which the arches, some towers, the stairs and the wall connected to the gate remain. Near the keep there is the Church of Sant’Antonio Abate, with the characteristic sculpture of the little pig dating back to the 15th century which, every year, the villagers rub as a sign of good luck.
However, the pictorial representation of the beauties of Perugia is not an exclusive prerogative of Perugian artists, but is also found in foreign artists or from other Italian areas who, after a prolonged stay, have fallen in love with the city and have portrayed it in evocative paintings. The painter Luigi Marzo, born in Salento but a Perugian by adoption, fascinated by the city that welcomed him during his university studies, decides to become inextricably linked to Perugia, the city in which he still lives today. In the small painting entitled Etruscan Arch, with an expressionist flavour, the painter represents one of the symbolic places of the city, the northern gate of the Etruscan city walls. Marzo’s choice is to portray the Arch by focusing not on a faithful and objective representation, but by communicating his sensations and emotions regarding the depicted place through painting. The result is an intimate and personal work. One of the seven Etruscan gates leading to the city, the Etruscan Arch was built in the second half of the 3rd century BC. and renovated by Augustus in 40 BC, after his victory in the war of Perugia. Opposite this monumental access road to the city’s cardo maximus stands the elegant Palazzo Gallenga-Stuart, home of the University for Foreigners of Perugia, where in 1720 a very young Carlo Goldoni, present in the city following his doctor father, performed his first performance.
The small painting by the German artist Christian Seebauer shows a view of the city from the Pincetto area. Comparing the painting to a photograph, the comparison is striking. The punctuality and care with which the painter portrayed the details is truly remarkable and testifies to Seebauer’s love for Perugia, cultivated during his studies at the University for Foreigners.
Not far away, it is worth visiting the Giuditta Brozzetti Hand Weaving Museum-Laboratory which, housed in the Church of San Francesco alle Donne, preserves the memory of ancient artisan weaving techniques. You can admire looms from the 1700s and 1800s in operation and learn about their history.
Continuing along via Pinturicchio you arrive at the Cassero di Porta Sant’Antonio, opened in 1374 at the end of the papal fortress of Porta Sole, of which the arches, some towers, the stairs and the wall connected to the gate remain. Near the keep there is the Church of Sant’Antonio Abate, with the characteristic sculpture of the little pig dating back to the 15th century which, every year, the villagers rub as a sign of good luck.
However, the pictorial representation of the beauties of Perugia is not an exclusive prerogative of Perugian artists, but is also found in foreign artists or from other Italian areas who, after a prolonged stay, have fallen in love with the city and have portrayed it in evocative paintings. The painter Luigi Marzo, born in Salento but a Perugian by adoption, fascinated by the city that welcomed him during his university studies, decides to become inextricably linked to Perugia, the city in which he still lives today. In the small painting entitled Etruscan Arch, with an expressionist flavour, the painter represents one of the symbolic places of the city, the northern gate of the Etruscan city walls. Marzo’s choice is to portray the Arch by focusing not on a faithful and objective representation, but by communicating his sensations and emotions regarding the depicted place through painting. The result is an intimate and personal work. One of the seven Etruscan gates leading to the city, the Etruscan Arch was built in the second half of the 3rd century BC. and renovated by Augustus in 40 BC, after his victory in the war of Perugia. Opposite this monumental access road to the city’s cardo maximus stands the elegant Palazzo Gallenga-Stuart, home of the University for Foreigners of Perugia, where in 1720 a very young Carlo Goldoni, present in the city following his doctor father, performed his first performance.
The small painting by the German artist Christian Seebauer shows a view of the city from the Pincetto area. Comparing the painting to a photograph, the comparison is striking. The punctuality and care with which the painter portrayed the details is truly remarkable and testifies to Seebauer’s love for Perugia, cultivated during his studies at the University for Foreigners.
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Churches
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Monuments and historical buildings
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Villages and castles
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Museums and art galleries
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Villas, parks and gardens