Perugia

Perugia ( pə-ROO-jə, US also -⁠jee-ə, pay-; Italian: [peˈruːdʒa] ; Latin: Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber. The city is located about 164 km (102 mi) north of Rome and 148 km (92 mi) southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area. It has 162,467 inhabitants as of 2025.

The history of Perugia dates back to the Etruscan period, with Perugia serving as one of the main Etruscan cities.

The city is also known as a university town, with the University of Perugia founded in 1308, the University for Foreigners, and some smaller colleges such as the Academy of Fine Arts "Pietro Vannucci" (Italian: Accademia di Belle Arti "Pietro Vannucci") public athenaeum founded in 1573, the Perugia University Institute of Linguistic Mediation for translators and interpreters, and the Music Conservatory of Perugia founded in 1788.

Perugia is also a well-known cultural and artistic centre of Italy. The city hosts multiple annual festivals and events, such as the Umbria Jazz Festival in July, and the International Journalism Festival in April, and is associated with multiple notable people in the arts.

Painter Pietro Vannucci, nicknamed Perugino, was a native of Città della Pieve, near Perugia. He decorated the local Sala del Cambio with a series of frescoes, and eight of his pictures can be seen in the National Gallery of Umbria.

Perugino may have been the teacher of Raphael, the great Renaissance artist who produced five paintings in Perugia (today no longer in the city) and one fresco. Another painter, Pinturicchio, lived in Perugia. Galeazzo Alessi is the most famous architect from Perugia.