Week-end a Perugia

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. MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS • Undergound Perugia. The escalators from the lower town lead up through the remains of Rocca Paolina which was a 16th-century fortress. • Porta Marzia (Marzia Gate). This is an Etruscan city gate built in the Third Century BC and much later incorporated into the city walls. It is close to the remains of the Paolina Fortress. • Fontana Maggiore. This large medieval fountain is found between the cathedral and the Palazzo dei Priori. It was made between 1277 and 1278 by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano as part of Perugia's celebrations of its independence. • Cathedral of San Lorenzo. This has an unusual layout for Italian churches in that the side rather than the front entrance faces the main square. • Palazzo dei Priori. This is a large building in Italian Gothic style built in the early 1300s. On the side facing the piazza are a griffin, the emblem of Perugia, a 14th century bronze lion, and some chains, from where the keys of Siena were displayed after victory over the Sienese in 1358.