Page 391 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

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VISITORS’ CHECKLIST Vannucci (Perugino). It is
dominated by Umbria’s finest
Practical Information building, the monumental
Piazza San Francesco, Assisi. Palazzo dei Priori. Among its
Tel 075-819 001. richly decorated rooms is the
∑ sanfrancescoassisi.org Sala dei Notari or Lawyers’ Hall
Open daily. 8 7 (c.1295), vividly frescoed with
Transport scenes from the Old Testament.
£ @ Superlative frescoes (1498–1500)
by Perugino cover the walls of
the Collegio del Cambio,
Perugia’s medieval money
exchange. The Galleria
Nazionale dell’Umbria on
Entrance to the third floor displays a fine
Upper Church The ancient Tempio di Minerva in the Piazza collection of paintings.
del Comune, Assisi The Cappella del Santo Anello
in Perugia’s 15th- century
2 Assisi Duomo houses the Virgin’s
agate “wedding ring,” said to
* 25,000. £ @ n Piazza del
Comune 22 (075-813 86 80). ( Sat. change color according to the
∑ visit-assisi.it character of its wearer. The
Renaissance Madonna delle
This beautiful medieval town, Grazie by Gian Nicola di Paolo
with its geranium-hung streets, hangs in the nave.
lovely views, and fountain- On Piazza San Francesco, the
splashed piazzas, is heir to the Oratorio di San Bernardino
legacy of St. Francis (c.1181– (1457–61), has a colorful façade
1226), who is buried in the by Agostino di Duccio. Beyond
Basilica di San Francesco. the old city walls, the 10th-
Piazza del Comune, Assisi’s century San Pietro is Perugia’s
main square, is dominated by most extravagantly decorated
the columns of the Tempio di church. San Domenico (1305–
Minerva, a Roman temple-front 1632), on Piazza Giordano
from the Augustan age. The Bruno, is Umbria’s largest
Palazzo Comunale, opposite, church. It houses the tomb
houses an art gallery, the of Pope Benedict XI (c.1304)
Pinacoteca Comunale. and the Museo Archeologico
The town has many other Nazionale dell’Umbria, a
interesting churches. On Corso collection of prehistoric,
Mazzini is the Basilica di Santa Etruscan, and Roman artifacts.
Chiara. Here, St. Clare – Francis’s
companion and the founder of E Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria
the Poor Clares (an order of Corso Vannucci 19. Tel 075-572 10 09.
nuns) – is buried. The Duomo Open Tue–Sun. Closed Jan 1, May 1,
has a superb Romanesque Dec 25. & 7
facade. San Pietro is a simple,
well-restored Romanesque
church, while the nearby
Oratorio dei Pellegrini, a
15th-century pilgrims’ hospice,
contains well-preserved
frescoes by Matteo da Gualdo.

3 Perugia
* 160,000. £ @ n Piazza
Matteotti 19, Loggia dei Lanari
(075-572 64 58). ( Tue, Thu, Sat.
∑ turismo.comune.perugia.it
The rose window is framed Perugia’s old center hinges
by the carved symbols of the around Corso Vannucci, named Palazzo dei Priori, Perugia’s imposing
four Evangelists. after the local painter Pietro medieval town hall

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