Porta Perugina Paciano Umbria

This is one of the three medieval gates that lead into Paciano in Umbria, Italy - my home town! This is Porta Perugina at the top of the town and the main car access point, though only really for residents and delivery vehicles. There is plenty of parking on the outskirts to allow visitors to enter by foot, walking through the archway into the beautiful narrow streets. The black and orange flags on display on the wall either side of the entrace arch mark a contrada, a subdivision of Paciano dating back to medieval times - the various contrade, who all have different flags, compete against each other in games during the festivals. Above the arch we can see a window which suggests there may be a room, perhaps part of an apartment. Indeed, to the right of the entrance we can see stone steps leading up into an apartment. Looking through the arch we can see a glimpse of the narrow street (scary to drive, I speak from experience) and you can see the traditional stone architecture and windows with shutters.