Entering the city of Perugia is not easy, as access is usually limited to residents. Moreover, the tangle of streets and the large difference in level require some driving skills. Public transport, in
this case the Minimetro is the perfect solution. This construction is a 2,5-mile monorail connecting the center of Perugia (stop Pincetto) with the periphery (stop Pian di Massiano) in twenty minutes. Since 2008 this has been a great alternative for those who want to avoid the busy traffic.
Coming from the countryside, the metro station Pian di Massiano is the departure point of the Minimetro, where we can put our car on a very spacious and free car park. By the way, every Saturday the weekly market takes place there. Although the Minimetro with its cost of 98 million euros was seen as a financial hangover for the city, it contributed to unlocking the historical center and keeping it in large part traffic-free. Especially the tourists take full advantage of it. A ticket for one ride of maximum 70 minutes costs only 1,50 euros. But now it’s time to join us for a walk! We get off at the penultimate stop called Cupa.
A whole series of escalators take us to Via dei Priori, the western part of the city. This characteristic medieval street is less known but in recent years there has been a serious reappraisal of the neighbourhood. Gradually bars, small eateries and shops with local products or art have been establishing themselves on the ground floor of the impressive palazzi. For the real couleur locale you have to come here. The district also hides a few artisan workshops such as the ceramics shop “Materia Ceramica” where Maria Antonietta Taticchi creates hand painted ceramics. Her tiles and objects with images of famous monuments or places in Perugia are very special.
A first remarkable building that we see in Via dei Priori is the 42 meters tall Torre degli Sciri. This medieval residential tower dating back to the 13th century has been completely restored from 2011 to 2015 with the support of Europe and the Umbria region and is now open to visitors.
It is the only tower that remained of the 46 that once dominated the skyline of Perugia. In addition to the military defensive function, such towers were mainly a symbol of the prestige and the power of the noble family to which they belonged, such as the family Sciri who has held sway over the city
in the 16th and 17th centuries and gave their name to the tower.
At the end of the street we come to an impressive square with the Accademia di Belle Arti, the church of San Francesco al Prato, which has been completely renovated and is actually used as an auditorium, and the Oratorio di San Bernardino with its beautifully elaborated façade in
polychrome sculpture which is an important example of Renaissance architecture.
From the square we step back into Via dei Priori, now towards the center. In the meantime, we can enjoy the beautiful baroque Church of San Filippo Neri. The long street ends under the arch of the Palazzo dei Priori (the town hall) in the Corso Vannucci, the main street that runs through old
Perugia with lots of shops, restaurants, bars and historic buildings.
© Filip Van Branteghem
© Photo Jan Vandorpe