🇮🇹Italy · Places to discover
What to see in Perugia?
22 places selected by the community - landmarks, nature, hidden restaurants and activities.
Perugia perches on an Umbrian ridge like a city that never sought to appeal to mass tourism. Its medieval centre, organised around Piazza IV Novembre and the 13th-century Fontana Maggiore, functions first for its residents and students - the university has drawn people for centuries, and you feel it in the rhythm of the cafés and bookshops along Corso Vannucci.
Spring and autumn offer light and temperature that make walking pleasant, since Perugia is visited on foot or barely at all. The Minimetrò connects the lower car park to the centre in minutes, avoiding the hassle of parking in the heights. Two full days are enough not to skim over things. Avoid July if possible: the Umbria Jazz festival doubles prices and clogs the alleys without really improving the city.
Landmarks & heritage
6 places
1Wikimedia CommonsLandmark
Oratorio di San Bernardino
A 15th-century polychrome marble façade by Agostino di Duccio, considered one of the Renaissance sculpture masterpieces of Umbria. Often overlooked in favour of the major museums—a real mistake.
2Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Landmark
Arco Etrusco di Augusto
A monumental Etruscan gate from the 3rd century BC still standing at the northern edge of the historic centre, topped by a Renaissance loggia. A striking testament to Perugia's remarkable urban longevity.
3Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0Landmark
Fontana Maggiore
A masterpiece of 13th-century medieval sculpture at the heart of Piazza IV Novembre. The reliefs by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano depict biblical and mythological scenes with breathtaking precision.
4Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Landmark
Ipogeo dei Volumni
An Etruscan hypogeum from the 2nd century BC on Perugia's outskirts, a perfectly preserved family tomb with sculpted cinerary urns. One of central Italy's finest surviving Etruscan burial sites.
5Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Landmark
Pozzo Etrusco
An Etruscan well from the 3rd century BC plunging 36 metres deep, hidden beneath Piazza Danti. Etruscan hydraulic engineering revealed in a fascinating and rarely visited underground chamber.
6Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Landmark
Rocca Paolina e Porta Marzia
A 16th-century papal fortress built atop the ruins of an entire medieval quarter, now traversed by escalators. The Etruscan Porta Marzia embedded in the walls is a timeless spectacle.
Museums
2 places
7Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0Museum
Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria
Umbria's finest collection of medieval and Renaissance art, with masterworks by Perugino, Piero della Francesca and Fra Angelico. Housed in the Palazzo dei Priori, it easily warrants a thorough two-hour visit.
8Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Museum
Museo Archeologico Nazionale dell'Umbria
Archaeological museum installed within a Dominican convent, boasting one of central Italy's richest collections of Etruscan and Roman artefacts. The funerary urns and Etruscan jewellery display remarkable craftsmanship.
Religious sites
3 places
9Wikimedia CommonsReligious site
Cattedrale di San Lorenzo
An unfinished Gothic cathedral dominating Piazza IV Novembre, housing the Ring of the Virgin, a precious relic jealously guarded. The austere interior contrasts strikingly with the richness of Luca Signorelli's works.
10Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Religious site
Church of Sant'Angelo
A circular Early Christian church from the fifth century, among Italy's oldest, built atop a Roman temple and incorporating recycled antique columns. A place of silence and history, removed from the bustle of the centro.
11Wikimedia CommonsReligious site
Basilica di San Pietro
A 10th-century Benedictine church at the gates of the lower town, with an elegant bell tower visible across the entire valley. The Baroque interior is rich with paintings by Vasari, Guido Reni and Perugino, infused with genuine contemplative atmosphere.
Castles & fortresses
1 place
12Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.5Castle
Palazzo dei Priori
A 13th-century civic palace housing the Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria, one of central Italy's finest collections of medieval and Renaissance art. The crenellated façade stands as a powerful symbol of medieval civic power.
Nature
1 place
- 13
Nature
Nature
Percorso Verde delle Mura Etrusche
A trail tracing the city's Etruscan walls for several kilometres, weaving through vegetation and archaeological fragments. A daily walk for locals, it reveals unexpected vistas across the countryside.
Parks & gardens
1 place
14Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.5Park
Parco di Monte Tezio
Regional nature reserve 15 km from Perugia, peaking at 960 m, with sweeping grassland vistas and panoramic views across all of Umbria. Local hikers come here weekends to escape the city.
Viewpoints
2 places
- 15
Viewpoint
Viewpoint
Colle della Trinità - Panorama Valle Umbra
A hill northwest of Perugia with 360° views across Umbrian countryside and the Apennines. Little known to tourists, it's where Perugians come to run and find renewal at sunrise.
- 16
Viewpoint
Viewpoint
Terrazza del Belvedere - Giardini Carducci
A suspended panoramic terrace overlooking the Umbrian valley, offering one of central Italy's finest sunsets. Locals stroll here in the evening, far from the tourist throng.
Activities
3 places
17Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Activity
Mercato Coperto di Perugia
A grand Art Deco covered market from the 1930s beneath Piazza Matteotti, lined with stalls of cured meats, cheeses, vegetables and Umbrian specialities. This is where Perugians have shopped for generations.
18Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0Activity
Università per Stranieri di Perugia
Italy's oldest university for foreign students, founded in 1921, whose Italian language and culture courses attract learners from across the globe. The cosmopolitan campus atmosphere brings a unique energy to the city.
- 19
Activity
Activity
Umbria Jazz Festival - Arena Santa Giuliana
One of Europe's largest jazz festivals takes place each July in Perugia, with free concerts throughout the city and paid stages in the arena. The nocturnal atmosphere in the medieval alleyways is incomparable.
More to discover
3 places
- 20
Place
Place
Cioccolateria Augusta Perusia
A craft chocolatier in the wake of Perugia's famed Perugina tradition, offering pralines, Baci and original creations using single-origin cacao. Where discerning locals come to find quality gifts.
- 21
Place
Place
Porta Sant'Angelo Quarter
Perugia's most authentic medieval neighbourhood, with steep alleyways, old washing houses, hanging gardens and the fifth-century Sant'Angelo tower. Few tourists venture here—that is precisely its charm.
- 22
Place
Place
Corso Vannucci at Sunset
Perugia's main pedestrian thoroughfare takes on special character at aperitivo hour, when locals of all ages flood the arcades for the passeggiata. A social ritual to be lived, not merely observed.
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