PERUGIA AND THE EUROCHOCOLATE

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OUR TRAVEL THROUGH ITALY CONTINUES! TODAY WE ARE GOING TO DISCOVER PERUGIA, THE CAPITAL OF UMBRIA, PLACED IN THE GREEN HEART OF ITALY, IN A STUNNING PANORAMIC POINT OF VIEW ON THE SURROUNDING HILLS!

A TOUR OF PERUGIA MUST BEGIN IN 4TH OF NOVEMBER SQUARE, THE HEART OF THE OLD TOWN. HERE YOU FIND THE MAIN ATTRACTIONS OF THE CITY, JUST LIKE THE CATHEDRAL, DEDICATED TO SAINT LORENZ, ONE OF THE SAINT PATRON OF PERUGIA, THE MAJESTIC PALAZZO DEI PRIORI, VANNUCCI STREET, NAMED AFTER ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ARTISTS WHO WORKED HERE: PIETRO VANNUCCI, BETTER KNOWN AS PERUGINO, AND THE FONTANA MAGGIORE, A MEDIEVAL FOUNTAIN, SYMBOL OF THE CITY OF PERUGIA.

THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING AT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CATHEDRAL FOR MORE THAN 150 YEARS, AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED IN WHITE AND PINK MARBOL BUT IT WAS PLACED ONLY ON THE LOWER PART OF THE SIDE FAÇADE, THAT’S WHY THE CATHEDRAL IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE “NAKED CHURCH”, AND - SOMETHING CURIOUS - IT’S THE SIDE FAÇADE AND NOT THE FRONT ONE TO OVERLOOK THE SQUARE.

ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF 4TH OF NOVEMBER SQUARE WE FIND THE PALAZZO DEI PRIORI, ONE OF THE BEST MEDIEVAL BUILDINGS IN ITALY. ON THE FAÇADE THERE ARE THE COPIES OF THE BRONZE SCULPTURES OF THE LION AND THE GRIFFIN, THE SYMBOLS OF PERUGIA, THE AUTHENTIC ONES ARE INSIDE THE PALACE BECAUSE THEY ARE THE OLDEST AND BIGGEST MEDIEVAL BRONZE SCULPTURES EVER MADE IN ITALY.
IN THE OLDEST PART OF THE BUILDING THE “SALA DEI NOTARI” IS COVERED IN PRECIOUS FRESCOS, INCLUDING A FRESCO MADE BY PINTURICCHIO.
BUT THE MASTERPIECE YOU CANNOT MISS IS IN THE OLD ROOMS OF THE COLLEGIO DEL CAMBIO: THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK OF PERUGINO IS ONE OF THE MAIN PAINTINGS OF THE 15TH CENTURY. PART OF THE PAINTINGS WERE COMPLETED BY ONE OF HIS PUPILS, RAFFAELLO! THESE FRESCOES WERE DESCRIBED AS ONE OF THE THREE BEST CEILINGS IN THE WORLD!

PERUGIA IS ALSO THE CITY OF CHOCOLATE! THE EUROCHOCOLATE IS THE BIGGEST FESTIVAL IN EUROPE DEDICATED TO CHOCOLATE! 500 YARDS OF STREETS AND SQUARES IN THE HEARTS OF PERUGIA COVERED IN STANDS FULL OF CHOCOLATE!

PERUGINA:
THE HOUSE OF CHOCOLATE EXISTS! AND IT IS FEW MILES FROM THE CITY CENTER OF PERUGIA. IN THIS UNIQUE PLACE YOU CAN DISCOVER HOW THE “FOOD OF THE GODS” IS MADE! IN THE MUSEUM OF THE FACTORY YOU WILL KNOW THE STORY OF CHOCOLATE AND THE STORY OF THE FIRM, OLD MACHINERY, VISITORS ARE BROUGHT IN THE HEART OF THE FACTORY WHERE THEY CAN SEE HOW CHOCOLATE IS WORKED. THEN YOU CAN WALK ON A MULTITUDE OF BARS OF CHOCOLATE OR, TAKE CLASS WITH THE MOST CAPABLE CHOCOLATE HEADMASTERS, AND IF YOU FEEL TIRED YOU CAN SIT AND RELAX ON A FLOOR MADE OF CHOCOLATE PRALINES! STRONG POINT OF THE EXHIBIT IS THE LEGENDARY BACIO PERUGINA: FROM THE BRILLIANT IDEA OF LUISA SPAGNOLI TO THE GUINNES WORLD RECORD BACIO, THE BIGGEST CHOCOLATE PRALINE IN THE WORLD! 7 FEET TALL AND 7,6 FEET WIDE - 13.000 POUNDS OF CHOCOLATE!

ROCCA PAOLINA:
IT IS A FORTRESS BUILT BY AND NAMED AFTER THE POPE PAOLO FARNESE THE 3RD, WHO WANTED TO FORTIFY THE CITY. IN ORDER TO BUILD THE FORTRESS THE POPE WANTED AN ENTIRE DISTRICT OF PERUGIA TO BE DESTROYED, THAT’S WHY THIS FORTRESS BECAME THE ICON OF THE AUTHORITY OF THE POPE, SO IN 1860 IT WAS LARGELY DESTROYED.
NOWADAYS WE CAN SEE A HUGE GATE CALLED PORTA MARZIA AND THE UNDERGROUND FORTRESS, WITH SHOPS, WORKSHOPS, OLD ALLEYS AND HOUSES OF THE MEDIEVAL PERUGIA. THE FORTRESS IS ALSO AN EXHIBITION CENTRE AND IT HOSTS MANY EVENTS.

THE MEDIEVAL ACQUEDUCT OF PERUGIA:
IT IS MORE THAN 2,5 MILES LONG, BUILT IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 13TH CENTURY TO BRING WATER TO THE OLD TOWN. WITHOUT PUMPS BUT JUST WITH A PRESSURIZE DUCT THE WATER COULD REACH THE HIGHEST POINT OF THE HILL, THAT IS THE FONTANA MAGGIORE. THE ACQUEDUCT WAS CAST OFF IN 1835 AND IT WAS CONVERTED INTO A STREET WITH MANY HOUSES, NOWADAYS MAYBE THE MOST SUGGESTIVE STREET IN PERUGIA.

THE WORKSHOP OF GLASSPAINTERS MORETTI CASELLI:
IT WAS FOUNDED BY FRANCESCO MORETTI IN 1895.
YEARS LATER HIS GREAT NEPHEWS ROSA AND CECILIA CARRIED ON THE ACTIVITY. THEY REALIZED MANY STAINED-GLASS WINDOWS, AMONG THOSE THE VERY FAMOUS ONE THAT REPRODUCE LEONARDO DA VINCI’S LAST SUPPER, NOWADAYS EXPOSED IN THE CEMETERY OF GLENDALE, IN LOS ANGELES.
ONE OF ROSA AND CECILIA’S GREAT NEPHEW ORGANIZES INTERESTING GUIDED TOURS IN THIS UNIQUE WORKSHOP WERE PEOPLE CAN PLUNGE INTO HISTORY AND ENJOY AN OLD CRAFT CARRIED ON FOR CENTURIES.
IN THE WORKSHOP THERE ARE STILL OLD TOOLS, COLOURS, PAINTINGS, PLASTERS, FURNACES THAT TESTIFY THE LIFE OF THESE GREAT ARTISTS AND THE REBIRTH OF THIS ANCIENT ART FORM.
ACROSS THE YEARS THESE ARTISTS CREATED MANY PIECES FOR THE CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA DEGLI ANGELI IN ASSISI, MANY STAINED-GLASS WINDOWS FOR THE CATHEDRAL OF PERUGIA AND TODI, WORKS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION OF 1867 IN PARIS, AND THE PORTRAIT OF THE QUEEN MARGHERITA.
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