Things to do in Perugia: The City Walk
Perugia has a twisting medieval street plan that makes it easy to become disorientated. This excellent walk has been carefully designed to quickly acquaint you with the best restaurants, shops, amenities and sights. It takes about two and a half hours with stops for drinks and a quick look at the monuments.
The walk starts in Piazza IV Novembre, the social and historical heart of Perugia. Bar Centrale is a good place to sit with a latte machiatto and look at the square. In the centre of the sloping piazza is Fontana Maggiore, one of Italy 's most important thirteenth century sculptures and fountains. The inner basin rests on 36 carved columns, which can be seen from the top of the cathedral steps. To the left is the gently curved facade of Palazzo dei Priori, which holds the National Gallery of Umbria. Halfway up the wall above the Palazzo's door are two thirteenth century bronze statues. One statue is of a lion and the other of a griffin, which is also the symbol of Perugia. The tourist information office is under the balcony of the Palazzo. The wide pedestrianised Corso Vannucci runs south to Piazza Italia like a giant out-door corridor.
Turn right out of Bar Centrale, walk into Piazza Danti and then up Via del Sole on the right-hand side of the cinema. You pass the Bottega del Vino wine bar on your right (number 1), which has a window seat on the first floor overlooking the Piazza. The street soon divides. The road uphill to the right leads up to Piazza Michelotti, the highest part of Perugia. The area around this Piazza is worth exploring for its tiny medieval streets and piazzas. For now, however, bear left and continue to the end of Via del Sole where there is an excellent viewing point. The public library Biblioteca Augusta is on the right just before the end of the road. The terrace looks north along the Trevi valley towards Citta di Castello, Gubbio and the Apennine mountains. Below to your left you can see the large University building Palazzo Gallenga with its central white columns. The street below running from left to right is Via Pinturicchio.
Turn left down the wide, bowed steps that zigzag down to Piazza Fortebraccio and the Universiti per Stranieri. On the way down there are views of Assisi and Monte Subasio to the east. The steps lead out onto Piazza Fortebraccio. On the left is the massive Arco Etrusco (Etruscan Arch), built in the third Century BC as the main city gate. Straight ahead is the Universita per Stranieri in the eighteenth Century baroque Palazzo Gallenga, which has a good view from the top floor terrace. The first road on your right from the bottom of the steps is Via Pinturricchio, which has Internet cafes, international phone centres and book shops. At number 1 there is a fabulous chocolate and ice cream shop Augustina. There is a fenced basketball pitch next to the shop where informal games are played. The MC Emporio shop just through the Etruscan Arch takes passport photos and sells the cheapest hairdryers in Perugia.
Turn left out of Palazzo Gallenga and walk up Corso Garibaldi. This narrow street leads to the northern-most reaches of medieval Perugia. You pass a small Conad supermarket at number 8, a laundrette at number 43 and several bars and Internet cafks. The classical stringed instrument maker at number 232, Liuteria Classics, also repairs and restores instruments. You pass several convents, including on your left the convent of Sant Agnese, which has a fresco by Perugino of the Madonna and Saints. Near the end of the road turn right into Via del Tempio to visit the secluded Tempio di Sant'Angelo. This beautiful fifth Century church has a circular interior with a ring of Roman columns and faded frescoes. As you come out of the church cut down the small street on your right which leads back onto Corso Garibaldi. At the end of the road is the Porta San Angelo city gate through which you can see the Monte Ripido convent at the end of the road. Retrace your steps for a few minutes down Corso Garibaldi. Turn right into Via Benedetta and at the San Benedetto Monastery walk down the stone steps on your right (Via del Fagiano). Follow this small road until the crossroads with Via Ariodante.
To visit the main University buildings (not the University for Foreigners) turn right and follow the road to Piazza di Universita (a two minute walk). Otherwise, cross over the road and bear right down Via dell' Acquedotto. This aqueduct used to carry water from Monte Pacciano to the fountain at Piazza IV Novembre. There are pretty gardens down on your right and Palazzo Gallenga soon comes into view on your left. Continue up the stone steps at the end of the aqueduct. There is a cobbler on the left immediately under the bridge (La Bottega del Cuoio, Via Appia 5). At the T-junction turn right and walk into Piazza Cavallotti. Piazza Morlacchi is the adjacent piazza on the right with a superb theatre (Teatro Morlacchi), a book and stationery shop (Libreria Morlacchi) and Caffe Morlacchi which has live music (08.0041.00). From Piazza Cavallotti bear left up Via Maesth delle Volte to Piazza IV Novembre.
From Piazza IX Novembre walk down Corso Vannucci and turn right though the large arch into Via dei Priori. On your right is a photo developing shop and on your left at number 6 is the Osram electrical appliance shop which also sells batteries, screwdrivers and so on. You pass the tiny church of Sant Agata (1290-1314) on your left which has pretty frescoes. Turn left into Via della Cupa, opposite the Baroque church of San Filippo Neri. This road overlooks the Campaccio Gardens and there are views west towards the Lago di Trasimeno (particularly nice at sunset). Continue alongside the gardens until Piazza Mariotti, home of the Music Conservatory and then through Porta Eburnea, also called Porta della Mandorla. Follow Via S. Giacomo into Via del Parione. This passes the church of S. Spirito and eventually leads out onto the busy Via Luigi Masi. There are views to the right of the athletic track near the main bus station.
Turn left and enter the tunnel leading to the escalators (scale mobili) that lead into Piazza Italia. The escalators pass through a maze of ancient streets and passages that were covered over in the sixteenth Century as part of the foundations of the papal fortress, Rocca Paolina. There is a bookshop among the passageways which has English guidebooks. The escalators emerge in Piazza Italia. Turn left at the top of the escalators and walk to the balustrade of the Carducci Gardens near the Hotel Brufani. From here there are views south along the Tiber valley, east towards the Vale of Umbria and Assisi and west towards Tuscany and Largo Trasirneno. There is an outdoor bar on the old city wall on your left. It is expensive but has fabulous views of Assisi. Walk back past the escalator and after the Banca d Italia turn left down a flight of stone steps to Via Bonazzi. Turning left and then immediately right takes you to a tiny unmarked fresh pasta (pastafuesca) shop at number 3 Via Caporali. Otherwise turn right into Via Bonazzi from the bottom of the steps, passing an excellent ice cream shop just before reaching Piazza della Repubblica. On the left is the Teatro del Pavone cinema, which is a converted theatre and shows original language films on Monday nights.
Cross over Corso Vannucci and turn right into the narrow Via Danzetta, passing an optician at number 13. The street comes out into Piazza G. Matteotti and Via Baglioni. There is a stationers Magazzini di Egidio Rastelli at Via Baglioni 17 just beyond the Banco di Napoli. In the far-right hand corner of Piazza Matteotti there is a small road Via G. Oberdan. This leads towards the excellent archaeological museum Museo Archeologico Nazionale dell'Urnbria, the Basilica di S. Domenico, and the medieval gardens of S. Pietro (see below). It also leads to Perugia 's best bookshop (La Libreria, number 52) and deli (Casa del Parmigiano).
In the Piazza itself the Antica Spezieria Bavicchi at number 32 sells every type of rare ingredient and spice for keen cooks. Should you be getting withdrawal symptoms it also stocks Marmite, Lyons golden syrup, and Fortnum and Mason's marmalade. The pharmacy at number 26 is open from 8am until midnight. Next to it is Cafe Oscar where your cappuccino will have a heart-shaped swirl of coffee on it. Conti at number 19 sells household and kitchen items on the second floor, the baker at number 16 is good for lunchtime sandwiches and the butcher next door sells exceptionally good Umbrian sausages and hand-sliced prosciutto. There is also the ever-popular COOP supermarket. Opposite these shops is the main post office, which also sells boxes to send larger items.
Turn right through the large archway next to the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo signed to the Terrazza del Mercato from Piazza G. Matteotti. The terrace has magnificent views over Umbria, including the distant Monte Vettore, the Sibillini's highest peak (2478m). To the right is the large floodlit bell tower (il campanile) of San Domenico and the Archaeological Museum. Palazzina Prosciutti (part of the Univeristy for Foreigners) is straight ahead on the other side of the main road, hidden behind a clump of trees. The busy road ahead is Via XIV Settembre, which sweeps up to the left to join Via Pinturicchio leading to Palazzo Gallenga.
There is a superb daily food market on two floors below the terrace. The upper level has butchers, a baker, a cheese seller from Campagna and a fishmonger. The lower level has fruit and vegetable sellers. Signora Antonietta Penchini runs a small stall at the southern end selling delicious home grown vegetables and salads (produzione propria), including fresh garlic (aglio fvesco), spinach (spinaci), artichokes (carciofi), wild asparagus (asparagi di bosco), mushrooms finghi porcini), and huge bunches of herbs (erbe aromatiche). She also gives cooking advice in Italian.
After visiting the market retrace your steps to Piazza Matteotti. Before going back to Piazza IV Novembre you could walk up the narrow Via delle Volte which leads uphill to the right and which has interesting medieval vaulting.
