Perugia, city of historical layers and emblems

The Nutella® Buongiorno limited edition, produced in collaboration with ENIT, also includes Perugia among the featured cities, telling its story through two distinctive elements - the Fontana Maggiore and jazz - synthesising the city’s historical identity and contemporary sphere.

The Fontana Maggiore, located in the historic centre, is a leading example of medieval Italian sculpture. Created in the 13th century, it consists of decorated panels depicting months of the year, crafts, symbolic figures and scenes from everyday life. Less visually apparent is the narrative structure of the work, where the relief work follows a precise logic combining the calendar, human activities and allegorical representations. This fountain is therefore a kind of tale carved in stone, to be interpreted through the sequence of images.

The city originated in the 11th and 10th centuries BC, with Villanovan settlements and later developed into an important Etruscan centre, one of the twelve city states of the confederation. Sections of the Etruscan city walls, a testament to the historical continuity of the urban fabric, are still visible today.

The symbol of the city is a gryphon, a mythological figure with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion, found in numerous architectural and decorative elements. Perugia’s history is also accompanied by contemporary elements such as the Mini Metro, an automated transport system connecting the lower areas of the city with the centre and embracing the hilly landscape of the city.

An interesting feature of the local culture is pan sciapo, an unsalted bread which originated as a result of taxes levied on salt and evolved over time into a culinary tradition rooted in this area.

The culinary aspect of the story is completed by torta al testo, a dish typical of the Umbria region. It originated as bread baked on a stone plate (or testo), and was eaten as a bread alternative in rural areas. Less well known is the fact that it was considered a practical solution for everyday meals, being easy to prepare and suitable for filling with simple ingredients. Over time, the recipe has undergone various evolutions, changing from a savoury rural food into a more versatile product. The recipe provided on the jar is reinterpreted using Nutella®, upholding the tradition while introducing a sweet variant that expands its usages.