Province Of Perugia
History and topology
The Etruscans likely founded Perugia in the 6th century BC. The Umbra and Tiber valleys are located in the province. The eastern part of the province is a hilly region while the rest was covered by forests. The province lies in the basin of the river Tiber and its tributaries Chiaseio, Nestore, Naja, and Chiana. The southern regions are less hilly. Silk, corn and grass are some of the most important agricultural products of the province.
The 1840 version of the Penny Cyclopaedia records that Perugia supplied almost half of the butcher's meat required in the city of Rome. The large number of cattle was fed on grass growing on the plain areas irrigated by the water of Tiber and its tributaries. After the province of Rome, Viterbo and Spoleto e Rieti the Perugian province was the fourth most important of the Papal States.
The largest lake in central Italy, Lake Trasimeno is located in the Province of Perugia. The lake has three islands – Polvese, Maggiore and Minore. The lake has a circumference of about 30 miles but is relatively shallow. It is fed by springs in the nearby hills.
Perugia was incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy in 1860, as the Province of Umbria. The province at the time was somewhat larger than the current region of Umbria, comprising Rieti to the south (now part of Lazio). It was subdivided into the districts (circondari) of Perugia, Foligno, Orvieto, Terni, Rieti and Spoleto. In 1921, the municipal council of Terni proposed the separation of the province into the new provinces of Perugia and Terni.
In 1923, Rieti together with Cittaducale were added to the province of Rome (Lazio). The remaining Province of Umbria was divided into the provinces of Perugia and Terni in 1927.
Administration
The 59 comuni (sg.: comune) in the province of Perugia are administered by an elected local authority which is responsible for regional planning, managing and addressing municipalities activities, environment, energy, road maintenance etc. In 2007, 25 people died of consequences of drug overdose in the province of Perugia. This was the highest number of deaths recorded due to drug overdose in any Italian province.
Tourist attractions
The province is well known for its medieval palaces, castles and fortresses. A few important tourist destinations of the province are the Roman amphitheatre near Porta Marzia, Cassero di Porta Sant'Angelo, Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, Cathedral of San Lorenzo, San Bernardino's Pulpit, Piazza IV Novembre, Maggiore Fountain, National Gallery of Umbria, National Museum of Umbrian Archaeology and St Peter's bell tower in the city of Perugia; Basilica of Saint Clare, Upper Basilica of St Francis, Temple of Minerva (dates back to 1st century B.C.) and the Basilica of Santa Maria Degli Angeli in Assisi. The first Christian monk Saint Benedict was born in Norcia.
The town of Gubbio has a Roman theater which dates back to 1st century A.D.. Franciscan Path of Peace which was the path traversed by Saint Francis who left all the property he inherited from his father, connects Assisi with Gubbio. Assisi is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The cultural festival named "Festival dei due Mondi" held in Spoleto; Festival of the Ceri involving a candle procession to the nearby Basilica of San Ubaldo and a crossbow contest "Cross-Bow Palio" in Gubbio also attract large number of tourists. The province is also known for its cuisine which includes black truffles, Easter Pizza, lentils from Castelluccio, and salami and cured meats from Norcia.
Comuni
The principal comuni (municipalities) in the province, with a population over 20,000, are:
Coat of Arms | City | Population (ab) |
Area (km) |
---|---|---|---|
Perugia | 167,579 | 449 km | |
Foligno | 57.917 | 263.7 km | |
Città di Castello | 40,479 | 387 km | |
Spoleto | 39,418 | 349 km | |
Gubbio | 33,018 | 525 km | |
Assisi | 27,942 | 186 km | |
Bastia Umbra | 21,800 | 27.6 km |
Gallery
References
- ^ Regions and Cities > Regional Statistics > Regional Economy > Regional Gross Domestic Product (Small regions TL3), OECD.Stats. Accessed on 16 November 2018.
- ^ Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (1840). The Penny Cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge: Peru – Primates. Knight. p. 11.
- ^ "Perugia, Umbria". ITALIA. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- ^ "Provincia di Perugia". CertEnt. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- ^ John Follain (2011). Death in Perugia: The Definitive Account of the Meredith Kercher case from her murder to the acquittal of Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda Knox. Hodder & Stoughton. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-84894-207-3.