Perusing Perugia

Being at ends on Friday afternoon, Helen and I decided that it was high time that we explored the cultural sites Perugia has to offer. After all, we sort of live here. Now, Perugia isn't the number one tourist destination in Umbria, despite being the regional capitol and (I think) the biggest city. That title goes to Assisi, but that doesn't mean that Perugia entirely lacks culture (even if some of the students here do...)

Our first stop was Perugia's very own Duomo. It isn't the nicest cathedral; parts of the walls seemed to have been finished only because a church ought to have some structural integrity, but it's there and it's free. And right outside the Duomo is the heart of Perugia: the Fontana Maggiore, and the steps of the Palazzo dei Priori. There are always people here: tourists taking pictures, students eating gelato, locals drinking beer, children chasing pigeons, etc. etc. Nowadays, the steps serve more as seats than as a means of ascension into the Palazzo. As a matter of fact, I sat on them my first day in Perugia, gaping at my incomprehensible map while pigeons explored the edibility of my suitcase.

We bought a card that allows us into five of the various cultural sites in the city, complete with the fastest-moving audio guide I have heretofore experienced. While the Duomo isn't much to look at, Perugia does have other places to inspect, like the offices of the old guildhalls. Forget cubicles and fake plants: the guilds hired famous artists (like Perugino, Raphael's teacher) and talented artisans to turn their conference rooms into displays of opulence and wealth that would put Hollywood celebrities to shame.

Along with the old guild offices, the Palazzo dei Priori also houses the art museum. The collection mostly consists of variations on "Madonna and Child," but I can't complain about that without bordering on heresy... Actually, it was interesting to see how different artists chose to paint the Holy Family, and there were some truly beautiful pieces that merited a second look. (And considering how hungry I was at the time, they had to be truly compelling to get me to stop.)

This is where I live, at least for another week. Time flies when you're having fun and getting lost, and I've been doing a lot of both for the past month.