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Origin and history

The building of Rue du Prince in Peruges is part of the medieval fortified city, whose walls date from the 14th and 15th centuries. This village, built on a tuff spur at 286 meters above sea level, was a strategic post between the Kingdom of France and Savoy. Its half-timbered houses, lined in ellipse, formed a continuous defensive enclosure, with thick walls of more than a metre and bolt holes for the heavy. The Prince Street, linking the church square to the Halle Square, housed houses such as the Prince's House, now a museum.

The city experienced a demographic decline in the late 19th century, nearing abandonment with fewer than ten inhabitants. A demolition project was envisaged in 1909, but the mobilization of Anthelme Thibaut and the creation of the Defence Committee of the Old Perugia (1911), supported by Édouard Herriot, allowed his safeguard. The Old Peruges Museum, housed in the Prince's House, and the restoration of the medieval facades gave life to the site, now ranked among the Most Beautiful Villages in France.

Peruges was a political and military issue: given to Savoy in 1354 by the Treaty of Paris, she resisted in 1468 to an invasion of Dauphinoise. The Treaty of Lyon (1601) definitively ratified it to France, putting an end to its defensive vocation. In the 20th century, the city became a popular setting for cinema (The Three Musketeers, 1921 and 1922) and a cultural place, welcoming since 1997 the festival Le Printemps de Peruges in its fortified church.

The architecture of Rue du Prince reflects the medieval organization: the houses, aligned along Rue des Rondes, formed an inner rampart. The Gate of Up, protected by a square tower, marked the northwest access. Craft activities, such as weaving in the 13th century, had contributed to its prosperity. Today, the Perugia sugar cake and the exhibitions of MAC Peruges perpetuate its cultural heritage.

The Place de la Halle, the heart of the city, houses the linden of Peruges, planted before the Revolution, and monuments such as the Old Perugia Hostellery. Local legend combines Saint George, the patron saint of the city, with the victory over a dragon depicted on the coat of arms. In 1996, Bill Clinton delivered a speech after the Khobar bombing, highlighting his international influence.

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