Luce Ristorante in Perugia
Perugia's peculiar existence is due to its topography. It sits perched on a rocky mountain top 1,600ft high surrounded by the Italian Badlands. 3000 years ago it was an Etruscan citadel. Over the centuries people clung to this acropolis largely in fear and defense of what was happening down below. And there was always something bad happening.
Shortly after the Romans took over Hannibal showed up on his 37 elephants just 10 miles northwest of here at Lake Trasimeno. If you were in Perugia at the time surely you’d be biting your nails as Hannibal’s army, and elephants would have been easily in view from here. Hannibal’s defeat of the Roman army is described as “crushing”. Bottom line: if you were Perugian your best chance at staying alive was to be atop this acropolis looking down.
This dependence on heights for safety encouraged two otherwise unlikely staples to their cuisine. Cod and Pigeon. Firstly, cod doesn’t swim anywhere near here. In fact, not even in the Mediterranean. Cod is a northern Baltic fish. Perugia is what can only best be described as the middle of Italy equidistant from both coasts. Preserved Salt Cod (Baccalà) makes perfect sense if you want to stay on a mountain top. Salt Cod can last indefinitely, so as long as you can store it you can have something to eat. As a result, Baccalà shows up on many menus today still.
Similarly Pigeon was a perfect defense food. The Etruscans dug dovecotes into the rock walls so that pigeons could roost there and yet fly out during the day. These dovecotes made it possible to have a food source without having to go down into the treacherous valley and risk your life.
Luce Ristorante, a slick converted space of cavernous stone and pale brick walls, arched ceilings made of the same. I asked the waiter if he knew the past lives of these rooms, he gleefully told me he did. It was built as a 14th century convent, several hundred years later it was used for pressing grapes. Then later still it was a library. “And now,” he shrugged, “it’s a restaurant.”
Luce's interpretation of these Perugian staples is undeniably refined; their chef showcases exceptional talent. The way he elevates these humble recipes with such meticulous care is truly revelatory. The dining room too, sparse yet elegant, wonderfully old but perfectly contemporary. Luce was the best meal I had in Perugia.
