September in UMBRIA, ITALY, Part 1: Perugia and Deruta

Piazza in front of the Duomo in Perugia; the fountain, Fontana Maggiore, is decorated with dozens of carved stone figures

We love traveling to Italy for its beautiful scenery, delicious food, wealth of art and culture both ancient and modern, and the opportunity to spend time in the out of doors. Two weeks ago we spent six days in Umbria, a region of rolling hills, ancient hill towns, and national parks about two hours north of Rome. We made Perugia, the regional capital, our base.

View of Perugia from our room at the Castello di Monterone

We stayed about three kilometers outside of Perugia at the Castello di Monterone, a medieval castle that has been converted to a comfortable hotel. From our windows we looked out over golden fields and olive groves and on the other side of the valley we could see the steeples and towers of Perugia perched on top of the hill. Like many medieval Umbrian towns, Perugia is a walled city, with buildings clustered together along steep and narrow streets. The old town is the historical center and has most of the tourist attractions, while the new, modern Perugia spreads along the slopes below.

Perugia Duomo, Dedicated to San Lorenzo, was built in the 15th Century

On our first day, we drove into Perugia, leaving our car at the Piazzale Partigiani, a parking garage at the bottom of the hill and took a series of escalators from there up to the main square. It was Sunday, so we decided to go first to the Cathedral (Duomo) and listen to the service (in Italian) and the organ music while taking in the magnificence of the surrounding space.

Adoration of the Magi by Perugino (1450-1523)

Afterward, when we went outside, it had begun to rain so it seemed like a good idea to head for the art museum across the square to view the works of Umbria’s most famous painter, Pietro di Cristoforo Vanucci, known as Il Perugino. His figures convey a naturalism not seen in earlier works of the period and the paintings are filled with light, making them feel quite modern. The museum has hundreds of works from the early Renaissance onward, revealing the richness of Umbria’s art heritage. Other Renaissance artists whose works can be seen in the museum include Piero della Francesca and Fra Angelico.

Etruscan boundary stone, Cippus Perusinus

Our ticket to the art museum also got us into several other museums in Perugia, so after a cup of strong Italian coffee (sipped under an umbrella since it was still raining) we made our way down the hill to the archeology museum which is filled with ancient Roman ruins, prehistoric tools and artifacts, and a tablet with the oldest known example of Etruscan writing.

Chocolate samples at Perugina factory

Perugia is known as the chocolate capital of Italy and we passed numerous chocolate shops as we walked along the streets. Later, at the end of the week, we went to the Perugina chocolate factory (owned now by Nestle), located in the industrial part of Perugia and home of the famous Baci candies. We went for a tour, chocolate tasting and visit to the Museum of Chocolate. Thousands of chocolate candies are produced every day in the plant. We toured from a catwalk above the factory floor and watched them move along conveyor belts in various stages of completion. I only realized after the tour that the name Baci means “kisses” in Italian. Inside the wrapper of each Baci is a love note! Not surprisingly, the busiest time of year at the factory is Valentine’s Day.

Entrance to the hill town of Deruta

Umbria is also famous for its majolica pottery and the center for that is the hill town of Deruta, about a half hour's drive from Perugia. That was our destination the next day, and again, we parked our car at the bottom of the hill. But this time there were no escalators, so we walked the steep paths to the top where a broad piazza surrounds a modest church and a museum of ceramics. However, it was Monday, when most museums are closed, so we didn’t have a chance to visit. Instead we explored the many shops and bought a small bowl as a souvenir.

We then returned to the hotel to relax and for dinner in the excellent hotel restaurant, Gradale. Our plan for the following day was an excursion to Lake Trasimeno. (To be continued next week.)

Sunset over Perugia