Palazzo dei Priori

Fontana Maggiore

Collegio della Mercanzia

The monumental centre of Perugia is represented by the Piazza IV Novembre together with the steep alleys which lead as far as the oldest walls of the original Etruscan nucleus reachable through the ancient gates Porta Marzia, Porta Sole, Porta Cornea, Porta Trasimena, Porta della Mandorla and the Arco Etrusco.
The piazza is justly considered one of the most beautiful squares in Italy; it is surrounded by splendid buildings, and in the centre stands the FONTANA MAGGIORE: this beautiful medieval fountain was erected in the second half of the 12th century, ending an important public work, the aqueduct which carried water to the town from Mount Pacciano. Architect and supervisor was Fra Bevignate da Perugia, while the sculptural decorations were made by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano.
The structure is composed of two superimposed polygonal basins, covered by splendid slabs of marbles representing biblical and mythological personages, saints, animals, and personifications of months, sciences, virtues, and places.
The monument, one of the best examples of Gothic in Italy, is very important also from the symbolic-politic point of view: it represented the city at the top of its power, combining civil and religious aspects, and sacred and profane themes.
Another side of the square is occupied by the PALAZZO DEI PRIORI, which was in the Middle Ages the residence of the principal political authorities of the city; in 1298 was built the first nucleus of the structure and in 1353 the work was completed. The palace, built of travertin and red and white stone from Bettona, has on the side facing the fountain a large stairway and a portal which gives access to the beautiful SALA DEI NOTARI, rectangular, with a vault sustained by great Romanesque arches and walls covered with frescoes. The façade has two lines of mullioned windows with three lights and a portico.
The side of the palace facing onto Corso Vannucci has an undulating development and is characterised by mullioned windows with three and four lights, and a magnificent round portal. The interior of the Palazzo dei Priori comprises the NATIONAL GALLERY OF UMBRIA – the most important collection of art in Umbria for the Medieval and the Modern periods – and, at ground floor level, the SALA DEL COLLEGIO DEL CAMBIO and the SALA DEL COLLEGIO DELLA MERCANZIA. The Guild of Merchants placed its seat in this palace in 1390 and the members ordered to cover the room for meetings with wooden panels: it is a very particular decoration, rather rare in Italy. The Guild of Money-changers occupied this wing of the palace at the half of the 15th century; in this room can be admired the most important work by Perugino in Perugia, one of the most significant examples of Renaissance painting in Italy: a series of frescoes representing the heroes and deities of antiquity and some personified virtues.
The other side of the square is occupied by the CATHEDRAL OF SAN LORENZO: the work of building the structure took more than a century, and it finished at the end of 1400s. The left side, facing the square, has a bronze statue of Julius III, the portal by Ippolito Scalza, and large Gothic windows; moreover, one can admire the elegant arches of the Loggia di Braccio, erected in 1423: under the portico there are a section of the Roman walls, the base of the old bell-tower and a copy of the Pietra della Giustizia (Stone of Justice), a document of the Commune dating back to 1200. The façade of the church, facing onto Piazza Danti, was remodelled in Baroque style. The interior, divided into three naves, contains distinguished works of art, among which can be pointed out the Cappella del Santo Anello, where is preserved, according to an old tradition, the ring of the Virgin; the Cappella di San Bernardino; the very fine choir stalls by Giuliano da Maiano and Domenico del Tasso.