Perugia, the principal city of Umbria, in central Italy, is an ancient hill town with roots in the Estrucan age. The old center, one of the best preserved in all Italy, is alive year round with the young students and professionals who dominate life in the city. The intellectual and artistic life of the city is centered around the fine National Gallery of Umbria, with its stunning collection of paintings by Pietro Vannucci (Perugino), the teacher of Raphael, the Friends of Music, which produces classical concerts year round, Umbria Jazz and Sagra Musicale, two of the great music festivals of Europe, and the two universities - Università Per Stranieri and Università degli Studi di Perugia.
Perugia itself is a joy to explore, with history and charm in every stone wall and winding street.
Once a medieval power, then dominated for centuries by Papal armies, Perugia won independence again in the Risorgimento, the movement to unify Italy led by Garibaldi. Around the city you will see many historical references to this vivid past. As the capital city of Perugia province, Perugia is a wonderful base from which to explore the region of Umbria, with Assisi, Gubbio, Orvieto, Todi, Foligno, Lake Trasimeno, Montefalco, and many other fabulous locales short journeys away by car, train, or bus.
For more on the Seattle-Perugia relationship, see The Story of the Two Cities.
For a short film about the two cities, click here.
Seattle's love affair with Perugia is now televised. See the broadcast video of Perugia available via The Seattle Channel. Don't miss the segments on Seattle's other sister cities, Nantes, Christchurch and Reykjavik. The sister city videos are also available as podcasts via iTunes or RSS.
