The first stop is the Historic Museum. Here, you will have access to a wide Gallery, rich with materials straight from the historical archive Buitoni Perugina: you will see images, cartoons, packages, films and advertising known and fondly remembered by all Italians. After that, you will watch an interesting video explaining how the processing techniques of cocoa has changed through time. 

In particular, you will hear the story of the Bacio Perugina , the famous chocolate containing love messages and aphorisms by popular writers and poets. But it does not end here: you can taste a fresh made one!

At the end of the itinerary, there is also the opportunity to visit the actual factory to see with your own eyes how these delicious products are made.  Moreover, if you are impressed by chocolate making and wish to learn more, you may request a customizable lesson at the Perugina School of Chocolate, according to your preferences. The School offers a vast choice from amateur courses to playful-didactic workshops for schools up to real Master in Chocolate carefully studied by their expert Master Chocolatiers, delivered both in Italian and English.

Ready to impress your future guests with handmade chocolates or with a perfect shiny chocolate icing?

A stroll in the historic centre

Between medieval streets, breathtaking views and many delicacies to taste, Perugia can offer so much to tourists, who can visit the city by foot, even in a single day. Aside from its medieval history, Perugia has always been innovative as well: it was the first Italian city to build escalators to reach the historic downtown core by foot.

The Palazzo dei Priori

Palazzo dei Priori is one of the symbolic buildings of Perugia. Built between 1200 and 1400, today the building hosts the municipal offices and the National Gallery of Umbria, where you can find the masterpieces of Perugino. The palace is built in Gothic style and it is located in Piazza IV Novembre, where you can also admire another symbol of the city: Fontana Maggiore.

The Church of San Michele Arcangelo

The Church of San Michele Arcangelo, built between the 5th and 6th centuries AD, is one of the oldest churches in Italy. Also known as il tempietto (“the little temple”), the church was erected on the ruins of a Roman temple and it has a characteristic circular shape. That the church bears the name of Saint Michael, the warrior archangel, is not by chance: churches built near the city walls are usually dedicated to this Saint, who would protect the city.

The Rubesco wine of Lungarotti

The Umbrian capital doesn’t lack in culinary attractions. We forbid you from leaving without having tried at least 3 Perugia specialties: strangozzi or strozzapreti, a type of homemade fettuccine pasta typical of Umbria, paired with truffle or alla norcina; Perugia artisan chocolate; and Rubesco wine.

Only 8kms from Perugia, in the town of Torgiano, you’ll find Tenuta Lungarotti, founded by Giorgio Lungarotti at the beginning of the ‘60s, in the heart of one of the smallest wine-making areas of Italy.

It all started with “Rubesco”, the most representative wine of this winery whose name comes from Latin rubescere, “to blush.”

Today, the sons and grandsons of the first workers who started the company with the founder still work here, a fact that expresses the familiar bond that gets passed from one generation to the next.

Assisi, the city of St-Francis

Assisi is located on a hilltop in the Umbrian Valley. In this small city, everything goes back to St. Francis: the remains of the Saint have been preserved here since 1230 AD. The medieval urban setting is rich in breathtaking alleys and sights that assimilate perfectly with works of religious art of inestimable value.

The Basilica of St-Francis

The Basilica of St. Francis is the main attraction of Assisi. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000, the basilica was built to host the thousands of pilgrims who travel to Assisi every year, led by a profound devotion to the Saint.

The Basilica is one of the oldest pieces of Gothic architecture in Italy, and it is famous all over the world for the majesty of the masterpieces it hosts: the frescos of Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini, and Pietro Lorenzetti.

Interesting facts about the Basilica

The Basilica of St. Francis is located on a hill, on a square of irregular shape covered by green grass. Before the construction of the church, the hill was called Colle dell’Inferno, “Hill of Hell,” because it was where death sentences were carried out. Once the church was built, the name of hill changed to Colle del Paradiso, “Hill of Paradise.”

With construction starting in 1228 AD, the basilica is now a complex comprising two complementary churches, one on top of the other: the Upper and Lower Basilicas. The former is built in Lombard Romanic style, while the latter in Gothic style.