Perugia

As one walks through Perugia, you are struck by the antiquity of the place. Many of the masonry walls surrounding you date back over eight hundred years. The stone carving is exquisite and the passages, tunnels and archways are unbelievably well conceived and engineered, even by today's standards. Of course, they would have to be in order to remain standing for so long.

But I have to admit, sometimes passing through these dark portals, where so many countless others have previously trodden, wearing away the stairs and cobblestones, I get a serious case of the creeps.

One such place in particular is Rocca Paolina, a Renaissance fortress that was built in 1540-1543 for Pope Paul III, thus the name.

So large was the project, it destroyed many Etruscan, Roman and medieval buildings, as well as over a hundred tower-houses, gates, churches and monasteries. It turned the former streets of the historic city center into underground passageways, which Brenda and I briefly visited on Wednesday. Despite a temperature of 20°C outside, the air within the Rocca was very cool and damp and we had only begun our exploration when we decided we would have to return another day wearing warmer clothing.

As is usually the case with these huge structures, photos cannot convey their vastness and breadth, but hopefully the attached images show a little of the magic we're experiencing.Les mer