The trial of Amanda Knox and her boyfriend will be over this week, they say. It has been two years and doubtless has been a heartrending worry for all those concerned.
It will not, however, be over for the place where the crime happened and where the trial is being held. Perugia is what we would call a small county town, the capital of the region of Umbria with a population of about 150,000. It sits atop a steep hill. Visitors stroll through the broad streets, take an aperitivo in the Corso Vanucci or look down from the ancient Etruscan walls over the splendid Umbrian countryside. The Tiber flows close by on its way down to Rome.
Somehow this charming place seems to have acquired a reputation for drugs and violence. It is not justified. The University of Foreigners consists for the great part of young people eager to learn about Italy and enjoying themselves harmlessly. But the tourist trade has been bad and bars and restaurants are closing, thanks to Foxy Knoxy and the lurid press treatment her trial is receiving.
Pity poor Perugia, and come and visit if you can.
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