What is Passignano sul Trasimeno known for?

Hannibal's June 21, 217 BC ambush of 25,000 Romans on the road between Tuoro and Passignano, one of the worst defeats in Roman history. Ninth-century fortress with a 32-meter quadrangular keep, conquered by Perugia in 1187 and partly demolished in 1778. Late August fish-fry festival on the lakeshore using a four-and-a-half-meter pan, fourteen meters around, serving the entire village.

Where is Passignano sul Trasimeno?

Passignano sul Trasimeno is a comune in the province of Perugia, Umbria region of Italy, about 30 kilometers from Perugia.

Umbria · Perugia

Passignano sul Trasimeno

A near-peninsula on the northern shore of Lake Trasimeno, on the road Hannibal closed when he ambushed the Romans in 217 BC.

30 km / 19 mi

Nearest hub (Perugia)

5,714

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Passignano sul Trasimeno sits on a low promontory on the northern shore of Lake Trasimeno, twenty kilometers northwest of Perugia, separated from the lake only by the road that links Perugia to Tuscany. The Umbri held the ground first, then the Etruscans pushed them east of the Tiber; the Romans turned the spur into a watchtower controlling the pass between northern and central Italy. In 217 BC Hannibal trapped Gaius Flaminius's army of 25,000 in the narrow road between Tuoro and Passignano, killing about 15,000 Romans in the morning fog of June 21, one of the worst defeats in Roman history. The Rocca, built around 850 by the marquises of Tuscany and conquered by Perugia in 1187, holds a quadrangular plan around a 32-meter keep that survived a 1778 partial demolition. The Festa della Padella, held in late August, fries lake fish for the village in a four-and-a-half-meter pan on the shore. The Borgo dei Borghi finalist designation arrived in the 2010s.

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Gallery

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Known for

Rocca di Passignano
Quadrangular fortress built around 850 by the marquises of Tuscany with a 32-meter central keep, partly demolished in 1778.
Chiesa di San Bernardino
Sixteenth-century church near the Rocca with a Renaissance interior and views down to the lake from its portico.
Centro di Documentazione Annibale e Battaglia del Trasimeno
Small documentation centre on the Battle of Lake Trasimene of 217 BC and Hannibal's ambush of Gaius Flaminius.
Lungolago
Lakefront promenade running east from the harbour, with ferry connections to Isola Maggiore and the southern shore villages.
Centro storico
Walled medieval upper town climbing from the harbour to the Rocca, with narrow stepped streets and views over the lake.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through June and September into October are the months the lake works. The water warms enough by late May for swimming off the Lido and the ferry to Isola Maggiore runs to a steady schedule. July and August are crowded; the Festa della Padella in late August is the loudest weekend of the year. Cooler evenings come back with September, the Trasimeno light turns pearl across the lake, and the road from Tuoro stays quiet enough to walk. November through March is quiet, with the ferry on reduced hours, the Rocca closed for some weeks, and morning fog rising off the lake into the centro storico.

How to get there

From Perugia, Passignano sul Trasimeno is roughly 30 km by road. Allow about 26–36 minutes depending on traffic and route choice (autostrada vs scenic).

Drive time to the nearest gateway airports