The Etruscan Arch (Arco Etrusco, also called the Arch of Augustus) is the huge stone gate on Piazza Fortebraccio, on the northern edge of Perugia's old town. Built in the 3rd century BC, it is one of the best-preserved gates of the Etruscan world. Its stones still carry the name that Octavian, the future Augustus, gave the city when he rebuilt it after the war of 41–40 BC: Augusta Perusia.

The Etruscan Arch at a glance

Where: Piazza Fortebraccio, at the bottom of Via Ulisse Rocchi, the steep street that climbs to the cathedral.
Built: second half of the 3rd century BC, as part of Perugia's Etruscan walls; restored after 40 BC, with a 16th-century loggia and a 1621 fountain added later.
What it is today: a city gate you can still walk through, about 11 metres high, and Perugia's best-known Etruscan monument.
Time needed: 10–15 minutes, longer if you sit down for a coffee on the square.

An Etruscan gate with a Roman name

Perugia was one of the leading cities of Etruria, and the Etruscans ringed its hilltop with walls of travertine blocks laid without mortar. The arch faces north and was the main entrance to the upper town. The street that runs through it followed the ancient main north–south axis, the cardo maximus, which today is Via Ulisse Rocchi.

In 41–40 BC Perugia was caught up in Rome's civil wars. Lucius Antonius, brother of Mark Antony, took refuge in the city, and Octavian besieged it until hunger forced a surrender. The Perusine War ended with much of the city in flames. When Octavian, later the emperor Augustus, had it rebuilt, Perugia was renamed Augusta Perusia, and the name was carved on the arch. Almost three centuries later, the emperor Trebonianus Gallus (251–253), who is said to have come from Perugia, granted the city the rank of colony, and the words COLONIA VIBIA were added. In the 16th century a Renaissance loggia was built on top of the left-hand tower, and in 1621 a fountain was set at its foot.

What to look for

The two towers: trapezoidal, slightly tapering and built of enormous travertine blocks, they frame the gateway like a pair of shoulders.
The double arch: a lower arch for the road and a smaller one above it, between two pilasters, which may once have been used for defence.
The frieze above the main arch: a Doric-style band of round shields alternating with triglyphs, one of the oldest decorative details on the gate.
The inscriptions: look for AUGUSTA PERUSIA, from the time of Augustus, and COLONIA VIBIA, added in the 3rd century AD. Finding both takes a moment of searching.
The loggia and the fountain: a Renaissance loggia perched on top of the left tower, and the 17th-century fountain at its base.
The Etruscan walls: to the right of the gate, along Via Cesare Battisti, runs one of the finest surviving stretches of the ancient wall.

Tips for your visit

Come in the late afternoon, when the low sun warms the travertine and students from the nearby university fill Piazza Fortebraccio.
For the full view, step back to the far side of the square, by Palazzo Gallenga: from close up the towers are too tall to take in.
Walk through the arch and look back at the inner face too, then follow the walls along Via Cesare Battisti.
The climb up Via Ulisse Rocchi to the cathedral is short but steep, so wear comfortable shoes.

Nearby

Palazzo Gallenga Stuart: the 18th-century palace on Piazza Fortebraccio, home of the University for Foreigners, where students from all over the world come to learn Italian.
Piazza IV Novembre: at the top of Via Ulisse Rocchi, with the cathedral of San Lorenzo, the Palazzo dei Priori and the 13th-century Fontana Maggiore.
Pozzo Etrusco: a deep Etruscan well and cistern near Piazza Danti, which you can walk down into.
Tempio di Sant'Angelo: a round early Christian church at the end of Corso Garibaldi, among the oldest churches in Umbria.

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Our Perugia scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. It takes around 2 hours, with about 33 minutes of walking, and leads you through the hilltop streets between the old gates and squares. You can play in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish or Dutch.

If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Perugia.

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Facts checked in October 2026.

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