Geography of Perugia
, Italy, the capital of Umbria. It is an old walled city built on a hilly site overlooking the Tiber valley, 85 miles (137 km) north of Rome. Perugia is a regional trade and industrial center, producing mainly processed foods. Medieval and Renaissance structures abound. Among them are the Priors' Palace, home of the National Gallery of Umbria; the Great Fountain; the Cathedral; and the Church of St. Peter. Perugia's university was founded in 1200 A.D.
Perugia began as an Umbrian settlement and became one of the 12 major cities of the Etruscans. It fell to the Romans in 310 B.C., was made a Lombardy duchy in 592 A.D., and became a free city in the 12th century. The Umbrian school of painting reached its zenith here about 1500. Perugia was incorporated into the Papal States in 1540. It became a part of Napoleon's empire in 1809 but returned to papal control in 1815. In 1861 it became a part of the Kingdom of Italy.
Population: 153,326.