Theprovince of Perugia (Italian:provincia di Perugia) is the larger of the twoprovinces in theUmbria region ofItaly, comprising two-thirds of both the area and population of the region. Its capital is the city ofPerugia. The province covered all of Umbria until 1927, when theprovince of Terni was carved out of its southern third. The province of Perugia has an area of 6,337 km2 and a total population of 636,531 as of 2025, covering about two-thirds of Umbria.[1][2] It has 59 municipalities.
The province has numerous tourist attractions, especially artistic and historical ones, and is home to theLake Trasimeno, the largest lake of Central Italy. It is historically the ancestral origin of theUmbri, while later it was a Roman province and then part of thePapal States until the late 19th century.
TheEtruscans likely founded Perugia in the 6th century BC. TheUmbra andTiber valleys are located in the province. The eastern part of the province is a hilly region while the rest was covered by forests. The province lies in the basin of the river Tiber and its tributaries Chiaseio, Nestore, Naja, and Chiana.[4] The southern regions are less hilly. Silk, corn and grass are some of the most important agricultural products of the province.[citation needed]
The 1840 version of thePenny Cyclopaedia records that Perugia supplied almost half of the butcher's meat required in the city of Rome. The large number of cattle was fed on grass growing on the plain areas irrigated by the water of Tiber and its tributaries. After the province of Rome, Viterbo and Spoleto e Rieti the Perugian province was the fourth most important of thePapal States.[4]
The largest lake in central Italy,Lake Trasimeno is located in the Province of Perugia. The lake has three islands – Polvese, Maggiore and Minore.[5] The lake has a circumference of about 30 miles but is relatively shallow. It is fed by springs in the nearby hills.[4]
Perugia was incorporated into theKingdom of Italy in 1860, as the Province ofUmbria. The province at the time was somewhat larger than the currentregion of Umbria, comprisingRieti to the south (now part ofLazio). It was subdivided into the districts (circondari) of Perugia,Foligno,Orvieto,Terni, Rieti andSpoleto. In 1921, the municipal council of Terni proposed the separation of the province into the new provinces of Perugia andTerni.
In 1923, Rieti together withCittaducale were added to the province of Rome (Lazio). The remaining Province of Umbria was divided into the provinces of Perugia andTerni in 1927.
The 59 municipalities (comuni) in the province of Perugia are administered by an elected local authority which is responsible for regional planning, managing and addressing municipalities activities, environment, energy, road maintenance etc.[6]
In 2007, 25 people died of consequences of drug overdose in the province of Perugia. This was the highest number of deaths recorded due to drug overdose in any Italian province.[9]
The province is well known for its medieval palaces, castles and fortresses. A few important tourist destinations of the province are the Roman amphitheatre near Porta Marzia, Cassero di Porta Sant'Angelo, Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, Cathedral of San Lorenzo, San Bernardino's Pulpit,Piazza IV Novembre, Maggiore Fountain, National Gallery of Umbria, National Museum of Umbrian Archaeology and St Peter's bell tower in the city of Perugia; Basilica of Saint Clare, Upper Basilica of St Francis,Temple of Minerva (dates back to 1st century B.C.) and the Basilica of Santa Maria Degli Angeli inAssisi. The first Christian monkSaint Benedict was born inNorcia.[5]
The town ofGubbio has a Roman theater which dates back to 1st century A.D.. Franciscan Path of Peace which was the path traversed bySaint Francis who left all the property he inherited from his father, connects Assisi with Gubbio. Assisi is anUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.[5]
The cultural festival named "Festival dei due Mondi" held in Spoleto; Festival of the Ceri involving a candle procession to the nearby Basilica of San Ubaldo and a crossbow contest "Cross-Bow Palio" in Gubbio also attract large number of tourists. The province is also known for its cuisine which includes black truffles, Easter Pizza, lentils from Castelluccio, and salami andcured meats from Norcia.[5]
