Perugia - Cattedrale di San Lorenzo

Perugia was an Umbrian settlement on top of a mountain that became a Roman colonia around 250 BC. In 547 Totila´s Ostrogoth troops looted the city after a long siege. Legends tell, that Perugia´s bishop Herculanus, who negotiated with Totila in behalf of his folks, got beheaded by the Ostrogoths, making St. Herculanus (aka "Sant' Ercolano") to the city´s patron saint.

In the 9th century, with the consent of the Carolingians, it passed under the popes. Within the 11th century gained independency. After a long conflict, in 1370 the city signed a treaty accepting a papal legate, but already 5 years later the vicar-general of the Papal States was expelled by a popular uprising. During the Italian Wars Perugia passed through many hands until Condottiero Braccio da Montone reached a concordance with the Papacy. It did not bring peace to the city, but led to the "Salt War" in 1540, that had started as a protest against paying new taxes on salt. The papal troops forced a surrender.

Within a few years, more than hundred houses, as well as churches and monasteries were destroyed and used as building material to built an enormous fortress, the "Rocca Paolina". The fort was for centuries a symbol of oppressive papal rule.

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The erection of the "Cattedrale di San Lorenzo" started in 1345. The building was completed in 1490. The most valuable relic here is the "Holy Ring" ("Santo Anello"), what is believed to be the wedding ring of Mary, given to her by Joseph.

In 1473 this ring had been stolen from "San Francesco" in Chiusi by Wintherius, a monk from Mainz. On his way the monk got lost in dense fog around Perugia - and decided to hand over the "Holy Ring" to the cathedral. Neither troops, sent from Chiesi, could not recover the relic, nor did the Pope ruled in Chiusi´s favor. So the ring is still here, secured in a trunk with seven locks.