Perugia - Walk VII

Detour I

This detour is in two parts, taking you:

• through the excavations under Palazzo della Provincia (described in the main walk) to explore what survives of Colle Landone from before the construction of Rocca Paolina in ca. 1540; and

• around the scant remains of the fortress itself.

It begins in Piazza d' Italia, opposite Palazzo della Provincia , at the junction of Via della Forte.  The road, which was originally the Via Regale di San Pietro or dei Sellari (of the sadlers), was renamed in 1542, when it became the main link between the city centre and the main entrance to Rocca Paolina.    Before this, it continued beyond this point to the so-called Trivio (see below), a T-junction with Via Bagliona.   (A left turn here led to Porta Marzia).

Palazzo della Provincia stands on the site of Rocca Paolina.  The central arch of the loggia on its facade roughly coincides with the main entrance to the fortress, which was reached by a drawbridge over a moat. 

Walk ahead along what was the continuation of Via dei Sellari to the statue of King Vittorio Emanuele II (also described in the main walk).  The ancient church of San Silvestro stood to the right here, on a site believed to have been that of the house of St Herculanus.   Like the Albergo di San Marco on the opposite side of the street, it was demolished to make way for the Rocca.

Cross diagonally to the right and continue along the right side of Palazzo della Provincia.  Piazza Santa Maria dei Servi was on your right.  This was sites of three important buildings that were demolished in ca. 1540:

• Santa Maria dei Servi (which stood on the site of Hotel Brufani to the right, with its apse overhanging the Etruscan city wall).

• the Sapienza Nuova (which stood on the spot that is now the front right corner of the Palazzo della Provincia); and

• the palace of Malatesta Baglioni.
  

Take the steps down to the area under Palazzo della Provincia that was excavated in  the period 1930-65. 

• The un-excavated street to the right led past the ancient parish church of San Paolo to Piazza Santa Maria dei Servi.
  

• Via Bagliona to the left, which has been excavated, led to Porta Marzia (see below).

Turn left and walk along Via Bagliona (which was originally open to the sky), passed the monument (1984) by Romeo Mancinito the victims of the Fascist executions of 1921-2.  A bronze plaque nearby contains the names of the victims.

An opening in the wall on the left gives a view of  the remains of the house of Malatesta Baglioni, which now contains the remains of a terracotta sink (15th century).

Two roads beyond to the right led  to Porto Socorso (see below). The statue (1980) of "Il Grande Nero" in the next opening to the right of is by Alberto Burri.  He gave to the city in 1984.  The escalator beyond it, which was opened in 1983, leads along the line of the old fortified corridor to Piazza dei Partigiani (see Walk VII).  

Continue along Via Bagliona continues to the Trivio (junction) with Via dei Sellari that was mentioned above.  Take a short detour by turning left along it, past the remains of the houses of Braccio and Ridolfo Baglioni on the left (illustrated) and of Gentile Baglioni on the right. 

The road comes to an abrupt halt at the point at which the excavations ended.  The road to the right just before this point led to the upper church of Sant' Ercolano.  

Return to the Trivio and continue along Via Bagliona.  The next opening on the left leads to the museum, which contains a number of interesting exhibits that relate to the history of Colle Landone and of Rocca Paolina.  The room to the left of the museum entrance contains the remains of a Roman cistern that seems to have been re-used in the Middle Ages.

Continue along Via Baglioni past one of the towers of the house of Gentile Baglioni on the left.  There was a gate here that could be closed when necessary since Porta Marzia  beyond it could not be.  The Etruscan travertine abutments that stood to each side of Porta Marzia can be seen ahead, about 4 meters inside the exit.  Porta Marzia itself was demolished in 1542, at which point the remains of its upper part were incorporated into the fortress walls.

Original travertine abutment to the right of Porta Marzia (as seen from outside)

Remnants of Porta Marzia incorporated into the fortress wall

Turn right along Via Marzia: the wall on your right formed the lower part of the original curtain wall of Rocca Paolina.  The spur at the junction with Viale Indipendenza marks the point at which the fortified corridor linking the main part of the fortress to the southern stronghold began.  (Part of Walk VII follows the line of this corridor).

From 1540 until 1831, this corridor constituted a barrier between the Rione di Porta San Pietro on your left and Porta Eburnea on your right.  In 1831, after the moat here had been filled in, an arch was opened here and a new road, Via del Foro was built along the south side of the fortress.  This road, which connected Via Papale (now Corso Cavour) to Piazza Rivarola (now Piazza d' Italia), now forms part of Viale Indipendenza. 

Turn right along Viale Indipendenza: the only other surviving stretch of the curtain wall of the fortress extends from this point to Porta del Soccorso (previously Porta San Vito). 

Continue along Viale Indipendeza past Torre dei Donati on the left  (see Walk II), after which the road swings upwards and to the right.  You can see Hotel Brufani (mentioned above as the site of Santa Maria dei Servi) on the terrace above on the left.  Until 1870, this terrace did not exist: instead Via del Foro (mentioned above) continued sharply upwards as a wide leafy road (later called Via dell’ Alberata) along the west side of the Rocca and into what was then Piazza Rivarola (see Walk VII).  The building of the terrace in 1870 facilitated the extension of Viale Indipendenza in order provide a more gentle ascent to the piazza. 

Continue along this road to the viewing point on the right, which is directly above the point that the corridor joined the main part of the fortress.   Walk VII follows the line of this corridor and then continues to Santa Giuliana, which can be seen in the distance, on the right.

This view inspired the poet and Nobel laureate Giosue Carducci to write his “Canto dell’ Amore” in 1877.  When he died in 1907, the gardens (1873) behind you (i.e. on the other side of Viale Indipendenza, with the back of Palazzo della Provincia beyond) were named in his honour. 

Take the steps up through the  balustrade of Giardino Carducci to see the statue of the poet just below a monument to Perugino (1923). 

Approach to Giardino Carducci from Viale Indipendenza

Bust of Giardino Carducci and (behind it) statue of Perugino

Walk through the gardens and around to the front of the palace to return to Walk VII.