Before continuing our journey in Perugia, we can impossibly resist a short break: time for un bel caffè!
Therefore we take the shopping street and go towards bar Sandri. One look at the particularly tasty looking pastries, chocolate creations sweets in the window is sufficient to enter this temple of the pasticceria. Enjoy a masterfully prepared cappuccino at the imposing counter under the richly decorated vaults in Liberty style…is this not la dolce vita? This historic shop has been founded in 1860 and became the most famous coffee house in the city.
Chocolate has been the trademark of Perugia over the years. No wonder the immensely popular festival of chocolate, Eurochocolate, annually takes place in the historic center during the second half of October with tastings and numerous events. There is even an Etruscan Chocohotel.
The most popular chocolates without any doubt are the baci manufactured by the Perugina factory. It's a magical formula invented by the businesswoman Luisa Spagnoli in 1922: a chocolate filled with gianduia and hazelnut pieces topped with the finest chocolate (nowadays, besides fondant, also fondentissimo 70%, white, milk and ruby chocolate) wrapped in a love message.
The name of the praline (bacio) refers to a painting by Francesco Hayez - “The kiss” – which is a perfect example of Italian Romanticism. Associating this delicious sweets with an atmosphere of love and romance turned out to be a perfect marketing strategy, because it increased immediately the sales. It’s possible to visit the Perugina shop (Corso Vannucci 110 ) or the factory in San Sisto, annex chocolate museum (Casa del Cioccolato), a few kilometer drive away from Perugia. Reservation is necessary ( https://www.perugina.com ). The tour can optionally be in English.
But enough sweets for this morning. Now it’s time to explore the historic center.
From Corso Vannucci we reach Piazza IV Novembre. The Fontana Maggiore is located in the center of this suggestive square. This fountain dates from the end of the 13th century and is designed by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano. Thanks to a thorough restoration several years ago, today we can admire the images on the basins in all their beauty such as the important saints of the city and biblical scenes. Also interesting are the arts and the calendar of seasonal activities presented on it. In the Middle Ages they had a didactic importance: most of the residents were illiterate and could only have visual education.
And last but not least the symbol of the city must have its place: the griffin (Il Grifo), which is a lion's body with the head and wings of an eagle.
The fountain had an important function: it had to provide the city with drinking water during the Middle Ages. The problem then consisted in bringing the water, which was in the hills, to the city center at high altitude. Therefore, between 1254 and 1277, a 5 kilometer long aqueduct was built linking the Monte Pacciano with the fountain, exactly in the place where it used to be a Roman aqueduct. Today the remains are visible, although they have been given a completely different function. The last part of the aqueduct was transformed into a pedestrian bridge between the university district and the historic center. It closes on the Via Appia with its characteristic stairs. In that way the city became more attractive to the students.
So it was once again proven how old and new can go perfectly together.
© Filip Van Branteghem
© Photo Jan Vandorpe