My introduction to Umbria in Perugia
It’s an adventure to arrive in Perugia. Three hours north of Rome, Perugia is the capital of Umbria. I arrive by train, and though the train station is only 1.6 km from the historic centre, it’s not a distance to attempt by foot. The hostess at the hotel tells me when guests arrive by foot they are not happy.
It’s a steep, steep, climb.
Thankfully I had read about Perugia’s impressive hilltop location. I did not attempt the walk. I took the MiniMetró. This public transport system is as cute as it sounds. My best description is a gondola car on a rollercoaster track. The car does not zip along like a rollercoaster, thankfully. It’s a gentle ride despite the steep incline and long tunnel slicing through the hill.
The MiniMetró finally ends its climb at Pincetto, the station closest to the historic centre. My climb however is not over. I go up an escalator. Followed by another, and another. I exit the station through a cavernous stone opening (have you even seen a more stunning entrance to a metro below?) and still, I must go uphill. Luckily there is a ramp on one side of the stone staircase to roll my luggage. I proceed through a narrow tunnel-like alleyway. Where are all these tracks and tunnels leading me? Instead of tumbling down a rabbit hole I am propelled up to wonderland.
I emerge, finally, on a cobbled street in Perugia.
It’s raining. The wheels of my suitcase are sloshing through puddles. I don’t know what direction to walk. Yet, I am immediately enchanted. I have stepped into a place seemingly unchanged since medieval times. Haphazard cobbled streets, imposing stone archways, medieval gates and Romanesque facades.
In my two days in Perugia, I am awed. I walk under arches, grand and small, wander the alleyways and saunter the elegant Corso Vannucci running through the centre of town. I am intrigued by the main Piazza IV Noviembre with its grand marble fountain, beautiful travertine buildings and a bronze griffin taking flight. The 13th century stage is timeless, yet it hums with new activity. I hear the clang of metal as construction workers build a stage in preparation for the 2023 New Year celebration.
I learn about Umbria’s foremost Renaissance painter, Pietro Perugino, and see his stunning frescoes in the Moneychangers Guild (Collegio del Cambio). A Guild! Perugia has two of the most important medieval guilds. While the Moneychanger Guild is extravagantly decorated with bright frescoes, the Mercanzia (the Guild of Merchants) is dark. The walls looked like they are covered in a leather-like wallpaper but it’s exquisite wood panelling. Tattered books are kept in storage documenting guild members all the way back to the year 1390. I am alone in these esteemed places of business. Unhurried, I contemplate the artwork as the rain gushes down outside and church bells clang.
Medieval times are almost youthful compared to the Etruscan Well I visit. The 37-feet deep water well is a marvel of ancient engineering. Built in 3rd century BC, operational up until 16th century. Underground I look up at the five perfectly cut pieces of hefty stone wedged in place to secure the well’s structure, unmoved for some 2500 years.
The rain clears enough one afternoon to walk along Corso Cavour to the southern edge of the city. I walk under double archways and learn that frescos appear anywhere if I look up and all around. The street ends at the weathered Basilica San Pietro.
I enter one peaceful cloister after another, and finally emerge in a delightful botanical garden from the middle-ages. Etchings barely visible on the stone wall indicate the villages I can see in the distance under the cloudy sky.
Perugia is also my introduction to Umbrian cuisine. Fantastic. Umbria is known as the green heartland of Italy and I joyfully sample the abundance of local products. I try stewed sweet onions from Cannara, a small bean (fagiole) from Lake Trasimeno, a tagliatelle with the local bread of white cow (Chianina), a decadent lasagna with squash and zucchini and a wood fired pizza with tomatoes bursting with freshness and shavings of sharp pecorino. I sip my first Montefalco Rosso, the full body earthy red wine that is the pride of the region.
As if the city were not charming enough, the Christmas lights twinkle and add an alluring glow to the medieval streets at night. Intricate nativity scenes adorn shop windows.
My senses are most delighted the entire time in Perugia.
Before I step back into the cave to the MiniMetró for my descent, I look at the undulating hills from atop this Umbrian wonderland. I would have often missed my train if the view outside a TTC station were this good. This brief encounter has me eager to continue exploring the medieval towns and verdant countryside of Umbria.
