PERUGIA, pii-rjit. The capital of the Prot ince of Perugia, Italy, situated on pictur , isq t it. hills between the Tiber and La go Trasi 11/1.110, at :In altitude of 1700 feet above the 103 miles by rail southeast of Florence. and the same ilistame north of Rome (Map: Italy, G 4). Its situation is beautiful, offering delightful views of the Umbrian and Foligno valleys. and of the Tiber and the Apennines. Its mediawal ap pearance also is attractive and interesting. It has many striking edifices dating from its glo rious days at the beginning of the Renaissance period, and numerous art treasures, but is not nearly so much frequented as Orvieto and Siena, with their famous cathedrals.
Perugia is ira goIar y laid out. Many of its sub structures belong to the ancient Etruscan town. It possesses ample squares and pleasant grounds. The unfinished Gothic. Cathedral of San Lorenzo is not very striking, although of the Tenaissance period. The most valuable of its varied contents is Signorelli's "Madonna with John the Baptist." Its library possesses ancient and costly manu scripts. The Oratorio di San Bernadino has a multi-colored early Rena]ssanc0 facade. The San Domenico is a tine Gothic church which has been attributed to Giovanni 19sano. It was rebuilt in 1614. and contains the elaborate and celebrated monument to Benedict _XI. The Basilica San Pietro de' Cassinensi in the vicinity is also nota ble. It was constructed about 1000. It contains noteworthy pictures by Perugino, Caravaggio„ and others, and has rich choir stalls in walnut. The notable old secular edifices of Perugia include the fine Colhigio del Cambio, with its celebrated mural paintings of the Chief Virtues by Perugino —his finest fresco—and other artistic features, all in the best. Renaissance. The immense Pa lazzo del Municipio, dating from 1281, is in Ital ian Gothic with two facades. It has been latterly restored, and is elaborately embellished with an cient sculptures, etc. Under its roof are the Vannueri picture gallery (municipal), a valuable collection of ancient Umbrian works taken from suppressed religious institutions, and the public library. with over 30,000 volumes and some rare inediaival manuscripts.
The finest section of the picture gallery is the Sala del Pinturiechio, with examples by Perugino and Pinturicel]o. The College of San Severn is a notable ancient building, formerly a cloister.
Here laphael, who had been a pupil of Perugino, painted his first fresco in 1505. It is now in a spoiled condition. Among the attractive modern buildings are the areaded 1'refettura. In the centre of the modern city is a fine bronze eques trian statue of Victor Emmanuel T1. Perugia has also a bronze statue of Julius III., a monu ment to Garibaldi, and a monument to the sol diers who fell for freedom in 1859. There are, besides. the beautiful Maggiore fountain, dating the close of the thirteenth century and bear ing reliefs by Nieola and Giovanni Pisano; the striking Roman Arch of Augustus, constructed in the third century of our era, and still one of the gateways of the city; and the house where Peru gino dwelt.
The 'free' University of Perugia, found ed in 1320, is now in a state of decline. It had, in 1901, two faculties, 26 teachers, and 320 stu dents. Its library possesses 20,000 volumes. In addition there may be mentioned an Art History collection and a Botanic (harden, and the valua ble university collection of Etruscan, Roman, and niediawal antiquities. There are in the city a lyceum, a gymnasium, a technical school, a seminary, an academy of tine arts, and on eci aomic-agrarian institution. A large orphan asylum is the chief of its benevolent institutions. There are factories of silk goods, velvet, and spir its. In the commerce figure chiefly grain, wine, and oil. Three miles southeast of the city lies the Etruscan necropolis of Perugia, discovered in 1840, with remarkable tombs including the sepulchre of the Volumnii. PoiMdation in 1901, 61,385.
Perugia (anciently called Perusia) was one of the twelve important Etruscan League cities. It became Roman in B.C. 309. In B.C. 41-40 it was unsuccessfully held by the partisans of Antonius against Octavius (Perusian War). It was de stroyed by Octavius and then rebuilt by him. It was again destroyed by Totila after a siege of seven years. Early in the Middle Ages it fell under the dominion of the popes, but it after wards enjoyed a long period of independence, and at the close of the Middle Ages ruled Umbria. About the middle of the sixteenth century it was incorporated in the Papal States. It passed to the Sardinians in 1860 and became a part of the new Kingdom of Italy. Consult: Symonds and Gordon. The Story of Perugia (London. 1898) ; Cruickshank, The Umbrian Towns (ib., 1901).