Perugino and Renaissance Art Walk (Self Guided), Perugia

Perugia today is a well-known cultural and artistic center in Italy that regularly plays host to a multitude of annual festivals and events. The most glorious period in the history of the city, from an artistic standpoint, lasted from the 13th to the 16th centuries.

Perugia’s most celebrated artist, Pietro Vannucci (1450–1523), better known as “il Perugino”, nicknamed so after his hometown, is one of the foremost masters and key protagonists of the renewal of Italian art during the early Renaissance. He is also famous as Raphael's teacher.

The Basilica di San Pietro in Perugia, part of the eponymous Catholic abbey, is a treasure trove of frescoes and paintings by Perugino and his grand student. From here, make way to Corso Vannucci, the main artery of the historic center and one of Italy’s top destinations for people-watching – packed all day long with tourists and locals alike.

The outset of Corso Vannucci is marked by the Perugino Monument. Further down the street you will find the Baldeschi al Corso Palace, the medieval residence now turned into a museum. Practically a stone's throw away from it is the Nobile Collegio Del Cambio (the Noble College of the Money Changers' Guild) whose hall is adorned with frescoes by Perugino, depicting a mix of Roman deities and Christian imagery, reflecting the humanist learning of that period.

The nearby Palazzo dei Priori, presently home to the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria (the National Gallery of Umbria), holds an important collection of Renaissance art, one of the finest in Italy. Also, most visitors to the city can't help noticing the preponderance of a spectacular Renaissance building in the heart of the city - the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo (Cathedral of San Lorenzo).

To acquaint yourself more closely with these and other monuments of the Renaissance era in Perugia, take this our self-guided walking tour and discover a wealth of art in one of Italy's most beautiful places!