Perugia - Another visit

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http://www.heygo.com 11th February - Perugia



The other day the skies were grey when I visited Perugia but today The sun was shining & the sky was blue!

We were in the main square.



The Cathedral of San Lorenzo was initiated in 1345 and finished in 1490 and it looks rather worn with age. The front façade is a quite plain but the left side is much more interesting.



The strange pulpit protruding from the wall was where St. Bernardino da Siena preached, when he visited Perugia in 1425 and 1427.

Bernadino was a traveling preacher with a weak voice and a powerful and captivating imagery. Whenever he visited an Italian town, he drew large crowds even though his sermons started at dawn and lasted 3-4 hours. He talked about moral corruption,

After his death, he was rapidly canonized, and San Bernadino is now the patron saint of advertising & communications.



The carved wooden door displays two griffins with the body, tail and head of a lion and the wings of an eagle, a majestic power symbol that can be found on plaques and statues throughout Perugia.



Fontana Maggiore

The fountain at the centre of the square is considered one of the finest still in existance.

It was completed between 1275 and 1278, at the arrival point of the aqueduct that we saw last week. The fountain is made up of 3 part, in white and pink stone, placed one above the other & on the top there is a bronze basin with a group of three bronze nymphs holding an urn, from where the water gushes but today as it is turned off during the winter months.



Patrizia was able to get up close with the camera and explained in great detail the different parts of the fountain.

The panels on the lower basin represent episodes from the Old Testament (the seduction of Adam by Eve, and of Samson by Delilah). An agricultural calendar with the related astrological signs. These are followed by the seven “liberal arts”.



The upper basin stands on 24 columns with statues.

The statues represent characters from the mythological tale concerning the founding of Perugia, as well as references to its political and territorial role.



Along with the Merchants Guild, the Bankers Guild was also one of the most powerful in the city (Cambio = exchange).



The Collegio del Cambio (seat of the guild) was built between 1452 and 1457. The entrance doorway is beautifully crafted in wood that dates back to 1505.



We strolled along the Main Street which we could only imagine it will look once the pandemic is over with restaurants and shops open again.

This street is on the top of the hill and there were many narrow alleys leading downwards.



We came to Piazza Italia, with a Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, the last king of Sardinia and the first king of Italy & Palazzo della Provincia, a government building erected in 1870.



Our tour was coming to an end but not before magnificent views from The Balcony of Piazza Italia overlooking the five districts that make up this historic city of Perugia.



I have other yours booked here in Perugia so watch this space.

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