Perugia
Deep in the Umbrian Hills
Perched high in the Umbrian hills in Central Italy sits the ancient citadel of Perugia.
The city is built on a hill, which offers beautiful panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. Its elevated position has contributed to the city's historical significance and strategic importance in the region.
Perugia began as an Etruscan citadel around 800 BCE. Much of the layout was determined by then. The Romans came 600 years later around 200 BCE and that's when all the trouble started.
From the vantage point of Perugia with the naked eye you can make out Lake Trasimene to the northwest. It was on the banks of that lake In the year 217 BCE that Hannibal with his war elephants encamped and defeated the Roman legion in the Second Punic War.
To the east of Perugia you can see the glimmering Tiber River snaking its way through Umbria on its journey to Rome and eventually out to the Tyrrhenian Sea.
My Favorite Places
in Perugia
An Island Witout A Sea
Perugia, the capital city of the Umbria region in central Italy, is situated at an elevation of an earpopping 493 meters (1,617 feet) above sea level. Along one side of the mountain is a funicular that takes you to the center of the city. There are few cars allowed atop Perugia primarily delivery trucks and mini postal carts, though every now and then a car shows up out of nowhere. Before the funicular Perugia had teams of oxen waiting at the bottom to drag cargo and carriages of people to the top.
