Perugia was first mentioned around the year 300 BC, as an Etruscan city, and later, around 250 AD, as a Roman colonia. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the city was seized by the Byzantines, then by the Goths, and again by the Byzantines, followed by the Lombards.
In the 11th century, Perugia gained its autonomy, but in the 14th and 15th centuries it was a pawn in the fight between the papacy and various Italian dukes and kings. Later, after the Napoleonic period, the city entered the Kingdom of Italy.
Today, Perugia is the capital of the Italian region Umbria, crossed by the river Tiber, and also the capital of the province of Perugia. At 150 kilometers from Florence and 164 kilometers from Rome, Perugia is located on a high hilltop, stretched on the valleys around.
You can get to Perugia by plane, reaching the airport of Saint Francis of Assisi, situated at about 12 kilometers from the city. You can travel to Perugia by train, coming from Rome or Florence, or by car, on the A1 highway, which links Rome to Milan.
The city is known as an important university center, due to the University of Perugia, founded in 1308. Also, Perugia is a well-known artistic and cultural center, which hosts every year all kind of festivals and events. The top attractions in Perugia are concentrated in Piazza IV Novembre (IV November Square). There, you can find Palazzo dei Priori, built in the early 1300s, the medieval fountain Fontana Maggiore and the Cathedral of San Lorenzo.