Perugia, located on an irregular hill, dominates the Tiber Valley and stands out for its rich artistic and cultural heritage.
Inhabited since the Villanovan era, it was first an Umbrian settlement, then came under Etruscan control, becoming the main center of the Upper Tiber Valley. Conquered by the Romans, it was involved in the civil war between Mark Antony and Octavian, who seized it in 40 BC, rebuilding it under the name “Augusta.”
After the fall of the Roman Empire, it was destroyed by Totila’s Goths in 547, then was under the Byzantine rule. By the 11th century, it had become a free commune allied with the Papal States. In the 14th century, Perugia was the scene of conflicts between the nobles (Beccherini) and the commoners (Raspanti) and resisted Papal rule, but in 1370 it was forced to recognize Papal authority. In the following centuries, power struggles among noble families and ruling lords led to political decline. In 1540, Perugia was annexed to the Papal States, and Pope Paul III commissioned the construction of the Rocca Paolina, a fortress symbolizing Papal power. Papal rule lasted until it was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy (1860).
Nowdays, Perugia is a modern and cosmopolitan city, renowned for its cultural events and its University for Foreigners, where history and present blend into a unique atmosphere.