Etruscan Arch Situated in a dominant position overlooking the river Tiber, Perugia marks the border between the lands of the Etruscans and the Umbrians. Originally a Villanovian settlement since the 9th century BC, these tribes gathered on the Colle Landone and the Colle del Sole in the 6th century BC, when Perugia became an Etruscan town. The city was a religious centre, or lucumonia, and part of the Etruscan Dodecapolis league comprising a total of twelve cities.
Between the 6th and 3rd centuries BC Perugia was fortified by massive town walls in travertine blocks that followed the hilly ground around the city and are still largely visible today, particularly to the west and north. Seven gates, of which six still exist although they were partly modified by the Romans and in the Middle Ages, allowed access into town.
Fountain - Etruscan Arch To the west is the Arco della Mandorla in Via San Giacomo. The pointed arch we see today is Medieval, but the structure retains a post and a right side in Etruscan blocks that give an idea of the original round arch that stood here. The Porta Trasimena (also called Arco di San Luca) at the end of Via dei Priori, retains only its Etruscan piers.
To the north is the main gate into the city, the Arco Etrusco (also called Arco di Augusto). Built in the 3rd century BC, the trapeze-shaped dungeons on either side make this an imposing structure.
Beneath the Doric frieze there are two Latin inscriptions. The first, "AUGUSTA PERUSIA" (1st century BC) commemorates the city's reconciliation with Octavian, who had distroyed Perugia in 40 BC following a seven-month siege during the
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