Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the river Tiber. The city is also the capital of the province of Perugia. Perugia is located about 164 kilometres (102 miles) north of Rome, and 148 km (92 miles) south-east of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area. The region of Umbria is bordered by Tuscany, Lazio and Marche.
The history of Perugia goes back to the Etruscan period. Perugia was one of the main Etruscan cities. The city is also known as the universities town, with the University of Perugia founded in 1308 (about 34,000 students), the University for Foreigners (5,000 students), and some smaller colleges such the Academy of Fine Arts “Pietro Vannucci” (Italian: Accademia di Belle Arti “Pietro Vannucci”) public athenaeum founded on 1573, the Perugia University Institute of Linguistic Mediation for translators and interpreters, the Music Conservatory of Perugia, founded on 1788, and others Institutes.
Perugia is a bit of a party town with an ongoing roster of festivals all year round. We were there at the same time as Euro Chocolate which (surprise!!) is the largest chocolate festival in Europe. Perugia provided a good base from which to visit the other hill towns, but was not as accessible as most owing to its size. There was a lot of walking required and it was hilly… not an issue for me, but not awesome for Joan. And like the other hill towns, there is an exclusion zone for non most vehicles in the town centre so walking/cabbing is the way to go. Food here was some of the best anywhere and the accommodation and hospitality at the Villa Nuba absolutely the best we experienced in Italy by miles. If you plan to visit Perugia or the region around Perugia, Villa Nuba is strongly recommended. Tell Giuseppe I sent you.