Stone upon stone: an Italian sojourn: Walking with the Etruscans

We approached Perugia for the first time as the Etruscans did: through the gate they built over 2500 years ago as part of their city wall fortifications. It is such a beautiful gate: abutted by twin towers; adorned with a frieze of shields then finished with a decorative arch.

Uphill roads that they, too, would have trekked led to the main town square, built many times since those Etruscan days, with a gorgeous array of pink and white buildings in a vast space encircling a stone fountain, beautifully decorated, tho' not working today.

The cathedral, which has entrances on two adjoining squares, is quite an ugly somewhat squat building: not beautiful at all. It was never quite finished. Had the pink lozenge shapes that they began to use to colour the exterior been completed it might have appeared more interesting.

Opposite it, are the winged griffin, the symbol of Perugia, and the bronze lion, dripping with chains that long ago had locked the neighbouring city of Sienna; but when Perugia won a victory over Sienna in the thirteen hundreds they hung the keys of Sienna in triumph, here, so that the home crowds in the square could view them as they wished, and cheer.

The main thoroughfare, Corso Vannucci, is one of the widest and loveliest we have yet seen in all these hill towns. It is made for the passeggiata, and folk wander up and down it at all times of the day. It has the usual lovely lanes and alleys leading off it, some with Etruscan remnants such as a well they built to contain the water they needed for the city. Amazing that something so old still survives. Others are lined with soft peach and lemon coloured buildings that glow in the sun.

Old elaborate light fittings adorn many of the buildings. Interesting shop notices are hung stylishly. Whole pigs, hot, rolled and crispy edged from a street food van, are sliced to fill sandwiches for the passersby. We spent a long time chatting with folk around this street stall which was a big draw card for all. Appetising and decorative shop windows and gorgeous sculptures enticed us to the belvederes where there were stunning views over the Umbrian countryside.

The villages, homes, convents and monasteries that dot all these hills light up after dark and later from the patio of our Umbrian farmhouse look like something out of a fairytale, dressed in twinkling lights.

No wonder the Etruscans chose this as one of their twelve major locales in this area. They must have felt as if they had the whole world at their feet. A charming hill top town, where we had another lovely day under the sun, that, amazingly, lasted all day for once, and brought out the crowds. Though, Perugia is pretty enough to be crowded every day.