Description of the attraction
Rocca Paolina was not the first fortress built in Perugia. In the 14th century, during the military campaigns of Cardinal Egidius Albornozo, who tried to seize the territories of Tuscany and Umbria on the orders of Pope Innocent VI, who was in exile in Avignon, Perugia again came under the control of the Holy See. To commemorate this, Albornozo in 1373 ordered the construction of a fortress on the highest hill in the city of Colle del Sole (493 meters). Designed by the architect Gattapone da Gubbio, the fortress, called Rocca del Sole, was the largest at the time. But, despite this, three years later, it was destroyed by local residents during the uprising. All that remains today is the foundation of the massive walls on which the modern Piazza Rossi Scotti was founded. By the way, this square offers a wonderful view of the Apennine Mountains in the east.
In 1540, during the pontificate of Pope Paul III, Perugia was the last free city in Italy and was conquered during the so-called Salt War. At the same time, the pontiff instructed Antonio da Sangallo, the youngest, to build another fortress on the city hill of Colle Landone, named Rocca Paolina. To do this, the entire residential area of San Giuliano had to be razed to the ground, including all the buildings of the Baglioni family, which the Pope so hated. Over a hundred houses, as well as churches and monasteries were destroyed, and the stones from them were used as building material for the construction of the fortress. Only in 1848, Rocca Paolina, a symbol of the hated papal power, was partially demolished.
Today, the Museum Center is open inside Rocca Paolina, where you can get acquainted with the history and artistic heritage of Perugia. Nearby are the Palazzo del Governo, where the Umbrian government sits, and the Piazza Italia square with beautiful buildings from different eras. In the center of the square stands a monument to King Vittorio Emmanuele II.
