Etruscan Perugia

It can be difficult to decipher Etruscan Perugia in such a dense, hilly, multi-layered city. The point is not to track down every Etruscan site but to be aware of everyday Etruscan treasures as you pass them. Stretches of Etruscan walls survive, as do several gateways - and even a well, off bustling Piazza IV Novembre. Best of all is the so-called Etruscan Arch. This northern gateway, the Arco Etrusco, is built into the original city walls and is the most memorable and monumental of Etruscan sites. As the most ancient gateway in town, it dates from the 3rd century BC. It lies at the end of via Ulisse Rocchi, facing Piazza Fortebraccio, and bears a Roman inscription on the upper part: 'Augusta Perusia', stressing the city’s ultimate submission to Rome. If the odd Etruscan sighting has whetted your appetite, then visit Perugia’s Archaeological Museum, set just outside the Etruscan city walls. San Domenico’s cloisters are home to the Museo Archeologico, which displays Etruscan pottery, funerary slabs and metalwork, including a bronze chariot.