Rocca Paolina
The ruins of a fortress built by the pope over a medieval neighborhood. Escalators run through it, and the underground preserves an entire ancient street network.
After Pope Paul III subdued Perugia in 1540, he tore down the Baglioni family’s neighborhood and built the massive Rocca Paolina on top of it. In the 19th century, citizens dismantled the fortress’s above-ground structures, but the buried medieval streets, houses and city gates remained underground. Today, public escalators run through this “underground city,” connecting Piazza Italia with the bus station at the foot of the hill. Visitors can walk through it for free, and it occasionally hosts exhibitions and markets. The Etruscan-built Porta Marzia is also set into its walls. It is open all day (escalators run roughly 6:15 to 1:45 the next morning) and is the main route between the upper and lower parts of the city.
Opening hours
Escalators approx. 06:15–01:45
Nearby sights
- Collegio del Cambio
- National Gallery of Umbria
- Piazza IV Novembre & Fontana Maggiore
- Perugia Cathedral (San Lorenzo)
- Etruscan Well (Pozzo Etrusco)
- Chapel of San Severo
- Etruscan Arch (Arco Etrusco)
- Basilica of San Pietro (Perugia)