L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 www.italoamericano.org 15 L'Italo-Americano ELIZABETH SALTHOUSE ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES Discover the real Perugia : so much more than just chocolate and jazz P erugia is famous for two things: jazz and chocolate. In July its music festival turns the city into an enormous jazz club, drawing musicians and aficionados from around the globe. In October a sweet veil of chocolate covers the city during the delicious Eurochocolate car- nival. But the real Perugia, the one the locals cherish, is packed w i t h m u c h m o r e . F r o m t h e ancient Etruscan gate, through its subterranean streets to the grand piazzas and national art gallery there is plenty to charm and fascinate. This chic, historic city is definitely one to add to the vacation list. The ancient Etruscans found- ed Perugia, at least 300 years b e f o r e t h e R o m a n s c a m e t o prominence. And for centuries it was a highly strategic, economic center between the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian coasts, later becom- ing the capital of Umbria. Old sources even place it on a par with Siena and Florence, both f a m o u s f o r t h e i r p o w e r a n d wealth. T o d a y , t h e c i t y s i t s 4 9 3 meters above sea level; the old town perched behind towering f o r t i f i c a t i o n s , t h e n e w t o w n s p r a w l i n g a c r o s s t h e l o w e r slopes. And just as Perugia's old walls repelled her enemies, now they reject cars making the his- toric centre traffic free. So leave your car at the bottom of the hill, avoid the parking scrum and take the monorail, bus or escala- tors up to explore on foot. Perugia's piazzas The mini-metro terminates just inside the city walls and from there it's a short walk up to the centre. But rather than one central square, Perugia has two. Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza IV Novembre are linked by Corso Vannucci; a long, wide boulevard bi-secting the city. All together they form a wonderful- ly dynamic public space with medieval palazzi, cafes, restau- rants, shops and hotels crowding around the perimeter. It's the perfect spot to mingle in the Umbrian sunshine, chat over an a p e r i t i v o o r t a k e a n e a r l y evening passeggiata walk. There's even a local saying that taking a stroll through the centre of Perugia along Corso Vannucci is like taking a bath. Whether it's refreshing, cleans- ing, invigorating or comfortable and comforting is up to you to decide. All I know is that this is the ideal place to start exploring with art culture, churches and designer window-shopping all on the doorstep. P r o m e n a d i n g t h r o u g h Perugia At the northern end of Corso Vannucci lies the 13 th century C a t h e d r a l o f S t L o r e n z o i t s f a c a d e p a r t i a l l y c o v e r e d b y beautiful, but unfinished, pink a n d w h i t e m a r b l e d i a m o n d s . Inside, the duomo hosts the Holy Ring relic of the Holy Virgin, the remains of Popes Martin IV, Innocent III and Urban IV and p a i n t i n g s b y l o c a l a r t i s t s P i n t u r i c c h i o , P e r u g i n o a n d Pisano. And from its steps you can also admire the wonderfully 3-tier Fontana Maggiore looking d o w n t h r o u g h t h e c e n t r e o f town. At the other side of the petite p i a z z a s i t s t h e c r e n e l l a t e d Palazzo dei Priori, the 13 th cen- tury seat of Perugia's priori or first citizens. And bronze statues of a griffin and lion, both sym- bols of the city, frame the gothic entrance leading to Perugia's treasures. The piano nobile houses the spectacularly vaulted 13 th centu- ry Sala dei Notari town council hall, covered in Umbria's coats of arms and vibrant scenes from the Bible and Aesop's Fables. I t ' s a s t u n n i n g c i v i c g e m . Meanwhile upper floors accom- modate the Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria, one of the richest collections of paintings in the c o u n t r y . A r t i s t s i n c l u d e Renaissance painter Piero della Francesca, legendary sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini and local Perugino, aka Pietro Vannucci, famous for teaching the maestro Raphael. It's a wonderful assem- blage of Umbria's best. Practically opposite the palaz- zo is another of Perugia's his- toric nuggets. The Caffé Sandri has been serving tea and pastries for over one hundred years and is easily the most popular pastic- ceria in the city. Stop off for a quick petit four or linger over a c o f f e e a n d c r e a m c a k e , t h e choice is yours! The Corso Vannucci carries o n d o w n t o P e r u g i a ' s o l d f o r t r e s s , t h e R o c c a P a o l i n a . Built on medieval foundations the castle incorporates the enor- mous Etruscan Porta Marzia gateway and was renowned as the largest and strongest of its time. Today few parts of the fortress are still visible external- ly. But you can drop down into its atmospheric depths via the escalators between the centro storico and Piazza Partigiani, stopping off at different levels to explore the vaulted rooms, corri- dors and even an entire neigh- bourhood of medieval streets subsumed into the castle's base. But even after all that, we've hardly scratched the surface of the real Perugia's magnificence. Its university, founded in 1308, is one of the oldest in Europe. The views from its walls out o v e r t h e p i c t u r e p o s t c a r d Umbrian plains towards Assisi are simply breathtaking. Its steep stepped cobbled streets wind l a n g u i d l y a r o u n d t h e w a l l e d slopes, down to tiny chapels and back up to the central piazzas. And it's home to the Perugina chocolate factory, creator of the famous Baci sweets and the clos- e s t t h i n g o n e a r t h t o W i l l y Wonka's factory! So maybe American author Henry James was right when he advised visitors "not be in a hurry, to walk everywhere very s l o w l y a n d a i m l e s s l y a n d observe everything that his eyes m e e t . " H i s t o r y p e r c o l a t e s t h r o u g h t h e v e r y f a b r i c o f View of Piazza IV Novembre, Perugia, Umbria, Italy— Photo by Lenorlux Perugia, but it's still a thriving, lively, warm city with a heart beating to a jazz rhythm. Are you ready to start packing?

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