Perugia, Perugia is a capital city in a medieval hill town's clothing -- a town of Gothic palaces and jazz cafes, where ancient alleys of stone drop precipitously off a 19th-century shopping promenade. It produced and trained some of Umbria's finest artists, including Gentile da Fabriano and Perugino (born Pietro Vannucci in nearby Città della Pieve), from whose workshop emerged Pinturicchio, Lo Spagna, and Raphael. It's a respected university city whose student population ensures a lively cultural calendar. After a long and bloody history, Perugia seems to have settled well into its role as capital of Umbria. It's home to one of Italy's largest state universities as well as the Università per Stranieri, the country's most prestigious school teaching Italian language and culture to foreigners. Local industry's biggest name is Perugina, purveyor of Italy's finest chocolates, and the city stages an urbane and stylish passeggiata stroll every evening and one of Europe's most celebrated jazz festivals every summer.