Rocca Paolina

Città Sotterranea


Useful Information

photography
Rocca Paolina, Perugia, Umbria, Italy. Public Domain.
photography
Rocca Paolina, Perugia, Umbria, Italy. Public Domain.
photography
Rocca Paolina, Perugia, Umbria, Italy. Public Domain.
Location: 11 Piazza Italia, 06121 Perugia PG.
(43.107784, 12.388425)
Open: All year daily 6:15-2.
[2022]
Fee: free.
[2022]
Classification: SubterraneaUnderground City
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours: self guided
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography:
Address: Rocca Paolina, 11 Piazza Italia, 06121 Perugia PG, Tel: +39-075-368-1405.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
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History

1540-1543 Rocca Paolina fortress built for Pope Paul III to designs by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger.
1848 fortress partially destroyed
1860 rebuilt by Pope Pius IX.
1861 city annexed by the Kingdom of Italy and fortress finally destroyed.
1932 underground via Bagliona and the remains of the medieval quarter uncovered and restored.
1965 restoration works.

Description

photography
Rocca Paolina, Perugia, Umbria, Italy. Public Domain.
photography
Rocca Paolina, Perugia, Umbria, Italy. Public Domain.

Rocca Paolina (Pauline Rock) is a fortress which built for Pope Paul III to designs by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger. For its construction a large number of Etruscan, Roman and medieval buildings were destroyed. This included over a hundred tower-houses, gates, churches and monasteries. The former streets of the historic city centre became underground passageways. Obviously they were not accessible while it was a fortress, they were part of the foundation. But in 1861 Perugia was annexed by the Kingdom of Italy and the fortress was finally destroyed. The space was then used for erecting new buildings, so the underground structure stayed underground.

They were finally rediscovered in 1931 and excavated, and since the archaeological work is completed it was opened to the public. The passages are accessible without an entrance fee, and as they connect a huge section of the historic city they are used by locals and tourists as comfortable pedestrian tunnels. The entrances are Piazza Italia (escalators), Via Masi, V.le Indipendenza and Porta Marzia (via Bagliona).