In the 16th century, the Umbrian city of Perugia enjoyed limited autonomy from papal rule—including an exemption from the Pope’s salt tax. This allowed its citizens to buy cheaper salt from nearby Tuscany. But in 1540, Pope Paul III extended his authority and imposed a new salt tax. Perugians refused to comply, sparking the brief conflict known as the Salt War. Though the region’s famous saltless bread is often linked to this rebellion as a symbol of local independence, the tradition of making unsalted bread actually predates the war.
The Pope’s army quickly subdued Perugia, but Pope Paul III wanted a lasting symbol of authority to discourage future rebellion. He commissioned Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, a renowned military architect, to construct a massive fortress—the Rocca Paolina—directly over the Borgo San Giuliano district. Entire houses, towers, streets, and even churches were swallowed into its foundations, including the palaces of the Pope’s local rivals, the Baglioni family. An ancient Etruscan gate, the Porta Marzia (3rd century BCE), was incorporated into the new fortress as a lower entrance.
The upper sections of this much-despised fortress were eventually demolished in stages during the Italian unification movement: first in the uprisings of 1848, and finally in 1861 when Perugia joined the Kingdom of Italy. Today, that former space has been transformed into Piazza Italia, a central city park.
The fortress’s underground remains, however, were rediscovered in 1932 and again in 1965. Visitors can now wander through the preserved medieval streets, Gothic arches, and stone houses buried beneath the Rocca. Parts of the underground city are also used for art exhibitions and cultural events, turning a once-oppressive symbol of papal control into a public space of exploration
