City (pop., 2001 prelim.: 148,575), capital of Umbria region, central Italy.
Perugia lies north of Rome between the Tiber River and Lake Etruscan s; it later was ruled by Rome (from 310 BC). It became a Lombard duchy in AD 592. It was the centre of the great Umbrian school of painting, which flourished in the 15th century (see Perugino ; Pinturicchio ). Perugia played an active role in the Italian Risorgimento and became part of Italy in 1860. It is an agricultural trade centre noted for its chocolate. There are notable remains of buildings and fortifications from Etruscan and medieval times.