a province of the Papal States, bounded on the N. by the province of Pesaro-e-Urbino, E. by those of Macerata and Spoleto, S. by those of Spoleto and Viterbo, and W. by Tuscany. Its length from N. to S. is about 60 miles; extreme breadth, 45; area, 1547 square miles. It lies entirely in the basin of the Tiber, and contains the lake of Perugia, anciently called Trasimeneus, near the frontiers of Tuscany. This sheet of water, which is about 30 miles in circumference, 8 broad at the widest part, and about 30 feet deep, contains several islands, and is inclosed on three sides by mountains, which on the fourth, towards the west, open out into the plain of Cortona. It is fed by springs rising from its bottom, and having no natural outlet, it frequently overflowed the surrounding country, until in the fifteenth century a tunnel and canal were constructed, which carry off the water from the south-east corner to the Tiber. The Apennines extend along the eastern boundary of the province, and cover it with their ramifications; but to the south of the capital there are some extensive plains. The soil is rich and fertile, and the climate mild and healthy. Corn, wine, oil, silk, and grass are raised; and large herds of excellent horned cattle are fed on the pastures of the province, as well as sheep, pigs, and poultry. Manufactures of cotton, woollen, and silk goods are carried on, and these articles are the objects of a considerable trade. Pop. (1853) 234,533.

Perugia (anc. Perusia), the capital of the above province, stands on the sides and top of a hill, between 700 and 800 feet high, overlooking the Tiber, 82 miles N. of Rome. It is surrounded by high but not very strong walls in the form of a polygon, about 6 miles in circumference, and is defended by a castle, erected by Pope Paul III. in 1543. Though irregularly laid out, the streets are broad, and are lined with many handsome buildings. Of the nu- Perugia. merous churches in the town, the principal is the cathedral, a Gothic edifice of the fifteenth century, containing numerous fine paintings by Barocci, Guido, and Perugino, as well as four of Raphael's, and having an extensive library of biblical works and MSS. The church of S. Francesco, a fine edifice, formerly contained Raphael's picture of the "Descent from the Cross," now in the Borghese gallery; and that of S. Domenico has a fine painted window, and the beautifully carved tomb of Pope Benedict XI. The townhouse, a large Gothic edifice, is the residence of the municipal authorities, and contains the archives of the town. The old Exchange, now no longer used for that purpose, is remarkable for the frescoes, by Perugino, with which its walls are covered. Many of the convents in the town are large and splendid, and contain fine paintings; that of San Pietro is the largest Benedictine convent in the Papal States. The university of Perugia, founded in 1307, is one of the oldest in Europe; it is attended by upwards of 200 students, and has a library of 30,000 volumes, a botanic garden, and collections of minerals and of antiquities. There is here an academy of the fine arts, with a collection of paintings by natives of the town and neighbourhood, and several private picture-galleries. Perugia has a school of music and a literary club; and also two theatres, assembly-rooms, and a bull-ring. A lunatic asylum is the chief benevolent establishment. The manufactures of the place consist of carpets, velvet, silk, woollen stuffs, soap, candles, brandy, and other articles. An active trade is carried on in corn, wine, oil, cattle, and wood. Perugia is the seat of a bishop and of a Papal delegate; a court of justice and a board of police are also held here. Many interesting remains of antiquity still exist in the modern town. It is doubtful whether the walls, which consist of long rectangular blocks regularly arranged, are of Etruscan or of Roman origin; to the latter must be ascribed the gates, two of which remain in their ancient condition,—the Arco d'Augusto, probably built by Augustus, and the Porta Marzia. Undoubted Etruscan remains are to be found in the sepulchres outside the walls, from one of which was obtained the only considerable fragment we have of the Etruscan language—an inscription forty-six lines in length, now preserved in the museum at Perugia. The ancient city was of much less extent than the modern, occupying only the summit of the hill. It seems to have been originally an Umbrian city; but it passed into the hands of the Etruscans, and became one of the chief members of that confederacy. It is mentioned frequently in early Roman history, though not before 310 B.C. It was then an independent city, frequently at war with Rome. After 294, it is not again mentioned as independent; but the precise time and circumstances of its conquest by Rome are not known. During the second Punic war it was one of the allies of Rome, and remained faithful to that power, supplying corn and timber for the fleet of Scipio. Perusa does not again occur in history until the civil wars of the second triumvirate. In 41 B.C., L. Antonius, attacked on all sides by Octavius, Agrippa, and Salvidicus, established himself in Perusa, hoping to hold out till he should be reinforced by Ventidius and Asinius Pollio. Disappointed in these hopes, and blockaded by Octavius, after an ineffectual attempt to break through the enemy's lines, he was forced to surrender. His life was spared; but the city was given up to plunder, and accidentally destroyed by fire. Rebuilt by Augustus, the town acquired the name of Augusta Perusa, and soon became a flourishing municipal town. It is not again mentioned till after the fall of the Western Empire; but in the wars which then took place it played a conspicuous part. After falling into the hands of the Goths, it was recovered in 537 A.D. by Belisarius; but on his departure it was taken by Totila. After this period it was an independent municipality, sometimes ruled by tyrants, sometimes divided by factions; till in 1512 it was united to the Papal States by Julius II.