Perugia is the capital of the central region of Italy, known as Umbria; it is near to the River Tiber and is also the capital of the province of Perugia. The city itself is situated on part of a hilltop as well as some of the surrounding valleys. The climate here is humid subtropical, which means the summer are hot and humid and the winters tend to be mild to cool, the average summer temperature is around 28 degrees, however, with the humidity this can feel much hotter.
Like any Italian town or city, Perugia has many churches to explore and all of them have their very own interesting facts and design qualities. The Cathedral of San Lorenzo is by no means an exception to this rule; it is unlike most other cathedrals in its general appearance. Building started on it in 1345 and was completed in 1490 and its flank is on the city’s main square.
The Basilica of San Domenico was completed in 1458 and the design of the church has been attributed to Giovanni Pisano. The church is home to a number of examples of Umbrian art and also includes the tomb of Pope Benedict XI, as well as a Renaissance wooden choir.
There is the Fontana Maggiore, which is a medieval style fountain that can be seen in the main square. The Rocca Paolina is a fortress, which dates back to the 1543; however only a bastion remains to this day. Orto Botanico dell'Università di Perugia is the university, which has a lovely botanical garden to explore. There is also the impressive Etruscan Arch, which has some roman elements to it.
The Umbria Jazz Festival takes place during December and January in the city of Orvieto, which is 77 km south of Perugia; however, it is well worth visiting as it is one of the most important jazz festivals in the world and has been running since 1973.
For all you chocolate lovers out there: visit Perguia in October, as this is when the annual Eurochocolate festival takes place. The event draws nearly 1 million tourists to the capital of Umbria every year, it last for nine days and is spread out over various sections of the city and its squares. It is not all about eating either; there is chocolate art displays, street performances and chocolate sculpting. One year an igloo was built that was made out of 3,600 kilograms of chocolate bricks and the world’s largest chocolate bar was made here, it measured 7 meters in length and 2 meters in height.
Looking for self catering holiday accommodation in Perugia? Then below is a selection of Apartments in Perugia and villas in Perugia that can be rented direct from their owners. You can either click on each listing for further details or you can use our search engine on the left if you are looking for something in particular.
