Perugia, In Umbria - Italy's Green Heart: Your Must-Know Guide To By Rex Bush At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Perugia was first settled by the Umbri around 550 B.C. This pre-Etruscan people spoke Umbrian, a relative of Latin. It was later conquered by the Etruscans and became Perusia one of the 12 city states of Etruria, land of the Etruscans. Relics from this cultural period remain in the Etruscan Well and the Estruscan wall. It was conquered by Rome in 310 BC.

In the middle ages Perugians refused to pay Pope Paul III a tax on salt and to this day Perugians bake crisp saltless butterless bread.

The University of Perugia dates its history to 1276 (the date on the University banner) when the town council voted to establish a "Studium" and it was formally recognized as a University by the Pope in 1308. Boasting 31,000 students the University offers courses in Perugia and throughout the Region in Assisi, Città di Castello, Foligno, Orvieto, Spoleto, and Terni.

Perugia is proud to claim a second university: The University of Foreigners where students come from all over the world to study Italian and other subjects. For a very reasonable fee you can study there for a month or longer. The University has programs for even rank beginners with no knowledge of the language.

Perugia hosts the Umbrian Wine Festival each year in mid-march.

There are many beautiful and interesting places to see and things to do in the region that surrounds Perugia.

Assisi is, of course, close by, and it would be a shame to come this far without visiting the home of St. Francis. In addition to the Basilica of St. Francis you’ll want to see the castle on the hill, the Church of San Rufino and the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Angels.

In the latter you will find a “church within a church”, the Porziuncola, the tiny edifice where Christ appeared to St. Francis and promised that all sinners who crossed its threshold would be forgiven their transgressions.

For lovers of fine ceramics, Deruta, just 12 miles (20 kilometers) south, is a center for Majolica pottery and thus, a destination for pottery pilgrims from around the globe.

In Orvieto you can: visit the world-famous Gothic cathedral; pay your respects to the Etruscan dead at an ancient necropolis (graveyard)-Orvieto boasts two; and discover what ancient Etruscans looked like (thanks to a well preserved fresco). Take time to visit the Fortress of Albornoz and to see the underground city.

In Terni you can sit in a well-preserved Roman amphitheater and nearby you can gaze in awe on the majesty of Marmore Falls--Italy's answer to Niagara. Lake Trasimeno is beautiful--at least from a distance.

On its northern shores Hannibal defeated Roman legions through a clever stratagem.

Some Italians consider Umbrian cuisine to be the best Italy has to offer.

Truffles are mushrooms with a mild garlic like flavor that grow in the ground near tree roots. Umbrian truffles are famous throughout Europe.

Black and white Umbrian truffles are used to flavor local specialty cheeses made from goat's milk. Walnuts, black pepper, red pepper, and local Umbrian wine are also used to flavor the "Formaggio pecorino" (sheep's milk cheese).

The local cuisine also benefits from fresh fish from nearby Lake Trasimeno where fishermen daily land eel, perch, trout and carp.

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