Perugia

Culture & history

Learn the history of Perugia Old Town on a walking tour for small groups. A local guide will show you through the events that took place in Perugia and that have shaped the city, from the Etruscans to the Romans, until the Papal dominations and the Middle Ages.  Dive into the historic square, Piazza IV Novembre, and admire the masterpiece of engineering and Gothic sculpture that is the Fontana Maggiore. Lose yourself in the splendid landscapes that the city offers and capture photos of the rolling hills and snowy peaks from Mount Subasio to Assisi.  Cross the main street while your guide unveils curiosities and anecdotes about the city, its characters, and some architectural elements that may go unnoticed. See the Etruscan Arch, built in the 3rd Century BC. Then go underground in the Rocca Paolina, a symbol of the power of the Pope in Perugia. Walk around the old fortress and see the exhibitions on display there.

Explore the splendid monumental complex of Saint Lawrence Island in the heart of Perugia is the archaeological area of the Perugia Underground. Travel the path, which can be visited exclusively with guides, and discover the roots of the city by admiring Etruscan, Roman, and medieval remains. Start from the cloisters of the cathedral, and plunge into the heart of the hill, reaching 15 meters below the current level of the Cathedral of Saint Lawrence. Venture into the history of Perugia from more than 2,500 years ago to the present day.

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Indulge in a unique exploration of Perugia with our exclusive self-guided audio tour, narrating the extraordinary heritage of the Etruscan civilisation. Using your smartphone and personal headphones, seamlessly blend art and history as you wander through the town's enchanting streets. As you walk, unlock the city's origins, during the zenith of the Etruscan dominion in central Italy between the 9th and 1st century BCE. In a pictoresque city-centre, pass by iconic locales including📍The Etruscan Well,📍Sorbello Palace,📍San Lorenzo Cathedral Archaeological Area, and📍National Archaeological Museum of Umbria. (Note: entrance is optional, choose to enter at your expense) The distance between stops is a delightful 5 to 10 minutes stroll, creating an ideal full-day exploration for enthusiasts keen on visiting every location, with each site requiring 5 to 40 minutes.

Welcome to the beautiful city of Perugia, known for its charming medieval architecture and most importantly for its delicious local Umbrian cuisine. Join us on our Walking Food Tour and we will take you on a journey through the city's best food stops. We will try the locally-known Umbrian bread, "torta al testo" which has been a staple in the region for centuries. This sandwich if we can call it that way, will be filled with local delicacies. You'll get to taste Umbrian prosciuttos beautifully paired with local red wine. Pecorino, is also included considering that it its a staple ingredient in many traditional Umbrian dishes. Our third stop is at a traditional trattoria, where you'll get to taste some of the most famous Umbrian dishes. From fresh pasta with local ingredients, this restaurant is sure to delight your taste buds with its authentic Umbrian flavors. Finally, we'll end our tour on a sweet note at a gelateria or a patisserie, where you'll get to taste some of the best gelato in the city. From classic flavors to a pick-me-up coffee! As we walk through the charming streets of Perugia, you'll get to learn about the history and culture of this beautiful city, as well as the traditional foods that have been a part of Umbrian cuisine for centuries. Join us on this tour and discover the true flavors of Perugia.

Walk along the city walls dating from the Etruscan Age, get lost in the symbols carved by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano's into the Fontana Maggiore and find yourself fascinated by the many layers of the Rocca Paolina - Perugia's undergrounds. Perugia is a city full of charm and history. Every ancient gate, alley, piazza, palazzo and church will capture your imagination, and every museum and gallery will impress you with a sense of history, culture and art. Perugia is not just a stuffy old showcase of the ancient, it also has a young, vibrant and energetic feel. As the site of many festivals and concerts, the most important of which are the annual fall Chocolate festival and the summer Umbria Jazz festival, the city has a chic and urban atmosphere unmatched by other Italian cities.

Lunch and guided 5 wines in a family farm and wine producer, located just 875 yards (800 meters) from the Basilica of Saint Francis, one of the most important UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Italy. The Mencarelli family has been producing fine wines and extra virgin olive oil for decades, and on this 2.5 hour lunch tour you will walk through their deep green vineyards, and learn about the wonderful world of Umbrian wines. A guided wine tasting of 5 wines makes you know the production during your lunch. The lunch and wine offering includes: Bruschetta with SAIO extra virgin olive oil, Handmade Pecorino cheese and SAIO Grape Jam, Caciotta cheese with black truffle, Chickpeas salad with dry tomatoes or Lentils soup, Cured meats from free range area, Handmade Roasted pork (Porchetta), Handmade torta al Testo (lightly salted Umbrian flatbread), Traditional Umbrian dessert.

Giano dell'Umbria is a charming medieval village in the "green heart" of Italy. It overlooks a beautiful silver landscape of olive trees. It’s a place with a perfect ecological balance where people have always lived in harmony with nature. The extraction of olive oil is an ancient rite full of symbolism, which repeats every year in a magic of history, culture, tradition and folklore. The Del Sero family lives in Moriano, a couple of km from Giano, and it has been growing olive trees and producing extra virgin olive oil for generations. The Del Sero olive oil is extracted with the traditional method of first cold pressing, with granite millstones and hydraulic presses, in a recently-built plant which blends well with the surrounding landscape. The Oil mill has production and bottling units as well as spacious rooms for guests. A protected pathway allows to oversee all stages of the production process, and a large hall can easily accommodate large groups of pople in a warm atmosphere. Guests can also enjoy more than 2,000 square meters of green areas dotted with ancient olive trees, the “millstone square” and a spacious parking lot. The Frantoio is easily accessible and well connected to the main national highways. You get here quickly from the center of major towns (Rome 1,5 hours - Florence 2 hr - Ancona 1,5 hr -Perugia 40). And it is within easy reach of the main regional tourist destinations (Spoleto, Assisi, Todi, Montefalco, Bevagna, Spello...). Guests will enjoy an emotional experience, discovering the World of Olive Oil, learning about its history and culture and appreciating its beneficial effects on health and taste. DISCOVER THE WORLD OF OLIVE OIL Our proposal includes a guided tour of the Oil Mill with speaker (English/French): - How olive oil is born: detailed description of all stages of the production process, from the fruit to the oil, using the traditional method of first cold pressing (granite millstones and hydraulic presses). Comparison with other extraction methods; How a very high quality olive oil is born: description of methods adopted in the various stages of the production and storage process, which directly affect the quality of olive oil; Q&A. We have two options for tasting: 1) Option 1 Bruschettas prepared on the spot with wood-fired bread: - Classical (olive oil and salt); - Garlic (olive oil, salt, garlic). Beverages: - Red wine (1 glass); - Water. 2) Option 2 Tasting: Mix of bruschettas prepared on the spot with wood-fired bread: - Classical (olive oil and salt); - Garlic (olive oil, salt, garlic); - Arugula and shaved Parmesan cheese; - Truffle sauce. Charcuterie and cheese board (I.e. salami, capocollo, prosciutto, local pecorino cheese). Beverages: - Red wine (1 glass); - Water. Both proposals can be adjusted to specific needs upon request. We are happy to accompany our guests to beautiful nearby sites that are worth a visit (ie: Morcicchia Castle, San Felice Abbey, centuries-old Macciano olive tree).

Tour the holy shrines of Assisi on this full-day tour of Umbria, with pick-ups from Foligno, Spoleto, Todi, Perugia, and Gubbio. Explore the birthplace of St. Francis and learn more about Italy’s famous patron saint. Admire Roman ruins integrated into medieval houses, they're still lived in by locals! Among the historic monuments of St. Francis you will visit is the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, where he first renounced the world to live in poverty. Go to the Convent of San Damiano to learn about Saint Claire, founder of the Order of the "Clarisse", and visit the Eremo delle Carceri (Carceri Hermitage) in the forest above Assisi, where St. Francis came to pray. After lunch, drive to the town of Spello on the hills of Mount Subasio, with stunning views of the Umbrian plains, groves of olives, and vineyards. There will be the chance to taste wines and olive oils during your tour, and if it’s a market day you can see the thriving trade of these ancient products still carried on to this day. You will also stop at the tiny village of Collepino, perched in the forests between Assisi and Spello, it's a former settlement of shepherds and woodcutters.

Perugia is a city full of charms and history. Every ancient gate, alley, piazza, palazzo and church will capture your imagination; and every museum and gallery will impress you with a sense of history, culture and art. Perugia is not just a stuffy old showcase of the ancient, it also has a young, vibrant and energetic feel. Perugia is the site of many festivals and concerts, the most important of which are the annual fall Chocolate festival and the summer Umbria Jazz festival, lending the city to a chic and urbane atmosphere unmatched by other Italian cities. Meeting point will be at Piazza Italia, from there you will go first exploring the different strata of Rocca Paolina – the so called 'Perugia underground.' Once back to the city center, there will be a stop at a famous old-fashioned but traditional coffee shop for an espresso or a cappuccino topped with hand-whipped cream. The tour will focus on the main fountain – Fontana Maggiore – together with the other buildings standing in the square.