Umbria’s largest province is Perugia which is the capital city of the region and the province. The province covers two-thirds of region.
Along with my travel professionals we arrived in Perugia one night. We ate at La Rosetta the food was very good. One should be open minded and try something before knowing what it is, otherwise you might not try it. I’m glad I didn’t know everything I was eating beforehand as I might not have eaten certain things. Everything I ate was delicious. See menu below.
- Raw sliced Vin Santo marinated boar with cypress oil
- Paccheri pasta with duck ragu sauce and bittersweet chocolate and pine nuts
- Chateaubriand cooked with Sagrantino wine and spinach flan
- Parfait with Perugina bacio chocolate
After our dinner the owner and Chef came to meet us along with our Umbria representative Cathleen.
The next morning we took a beautiful walk around the city of Perugia with our tour guide Michele. Michele’s knowledge and passion for the Umbria region spoke volumes. The history of Perugia goes back to the Etruscan period.
During the 13th century five popes were elected in Perugia. The history regarding the popes and the effects on the city are numerous. One I found interesting was Perugia rebelling against Pope Paul III’s pontificate due to the salt tax in 1540. Perugia was the last free city in Italy and was finally defeated. Due to the renewed papal dominion, the Pope requested Rocca Paolina fortress to be built and was constructed in the mid 16-th century.
The Rocca Paolina today supports the needs of citizens hosting events, festivals, and its own exhibition center.
Perugia is known as the universities town. The University of Perugia was founded in 1308 and is a vibrant city for college life and night life.
A well-known cultural and artistic center Peruguia hosts the International Journalism Festival in April, the Umbria Jazz Festival in July and the Eurochocolate Festival in October. Hello Italy Tours has been honored with arranging air transportation for all USA musicians to attend the Umbria Jazz Festival for the last 13 years. Since 1973 the Jazz festival has been held annually and is one of the most important jazz festivals in the world.