Perugia, “city of chocolate”: the main events and when to visit the city
Perugia is a city rich in art, museums and sensational sights, which make it unique to visit during any period of the year. However, the city takes on special colours and atmospheres during some events that have gained fame and visibility over time. We will talk about the four main events in Perugia, during which we suggest you to visit the city: one is dedicated to journalism, one tothe Spanish-American literature, the third is dedicated to music and the last one to chocolate. All the events take place mainly within the historic center.
The International Journalism Festival
The international journalism festival takes place since 2006 every year in April (more rarely in May). It lasts 5 days and includes a program with hundreds of meetings, debates, interviews, book presentations, exhibitions and workshops about journalism, media and communication. It hosts many journalists from all over the world of the main national and international newspapers but also freelance. The entries are free and the meetings are all live streaming on the web platform of the festival. Every year the festival has a main topic and the subjects are freedom of expression, fact checking, data journalism, fake news, technology, gender difference and much more.
Encuentro
It is one of the most recent events but it is very popular and takes place usually on the first week of May. Encuentro Festival, which is organized both in Perugia and in Terni, aims to celebrate Spanish and Latin American literature, theatre, painting and music, which in Italy and Umbria counts on a following of nourished and passionate readers. Paco Ignacio Taibo II, Luis Sepúlveda, Leonardo Padura Fuentes, Almudena Grandes, Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Javier Cercas and Fernando Aramburu are just some of the artists that helped the festival to become famous.
Umbria jazz
Umbria jazz is certainly one of the biggest attractions of the city and every year, in July, hosts thousands of tourists. The long-lived festival, which was born in August 1973, lasts about 10 days and offers the best of Italian and international jazz (and not only jazz) and takes place mainly between Santa Giuliana arena, IV Novembre Square, Carducci gardens and other minor locations, but the music embraces the entire medieval historical centre. Some of the concerts are free.
Umbria jazz is not only dedicated to jazz but also pop-rock, as evidenced by the past appearances of Elton John, Carlos Santana and Eric Clapton, and electronic and experimental music. Currently the president of the Umbria Jazz association, born in the eighties, is Renzo Arbore.
Eurochocolate
Perugia is also known as “City of Chocolate” for the historic presence of the Perugina factory and many other companies specializing in the production of chocolate products. And it is not a coincidence that Perugia hosts one of the most famous chocolate festivals in the world, Eurochocolate, which lasts 10 days in October and takes place in the historical center of the city. Moments of entertainment, attractions, tastings, workshops, exhibitions and many stands of chocolate producers along the main street, Corso Vannucci, are the protagonists of the event. The “Bacio”, one of the most famous pralines in the world, was born in the Umbrian capital. The main initiatives of the event are the realization of the enormous chocolate sculptures and the special Eurochocolate World section, with which the cocoa-producing countries present their uses, traditions and typical cocoa-based products inside the Rocca Paolina.
