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.

When is the best time to visit Passignano sul Trasimeno?

Apr–Oct. 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.

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.

How do I get to Passignano sul Trasimeno?

From Perugia, Passignano sul Trasimeno is roughly 30 km by road.

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.

Known for

BATTLE OF TRASIMENO
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.
THE ROCCA
Ninth-century fortress with a 32-meter quadrangular keep, conquered by Perugia in 1187 and partly demolished in 1778.
FESTA DELLA PADELLA
Late August fish-fry festival on the lakeshore using a four-and-a-half-meter pan, fourteen meters around, serving the entire village.

When to visit

Best · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

The festa: San Cristoforo, 25 July

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.

We've been

Feature from our free newsletter

Lago Trasimeno | Never Compete with the Sea

The lake is like a sanatorium compared to the sea. It’s relaxed. It’s calm. It’s silent. To find this level of almost disturbing quietness, you either go up into the mountains, or you really need to know your way around the sea to find that particular spot not overrun by vacationers and beach people. In Trasimeno, this is easy. Even the most popular towns like Castiglione or Passignano sit in quiet harmony with the stillness of the water.

From the Passignano sul Trasimeno letter, August 2026

Read the full feature on anywhereitaly.com

What to see

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.

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Plan your trip

Through the year

What happens here

Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.

Festa dei Barbari - Castel Rigonehistorical re-enactment
usually held across July and August. itinerarinelgusto.it

Living here

Population 5,714
Commuter belti
Pharmacy in town
High school within a 30-minute drive
Train station in the comune
Nearest airport Ancona / Pescara, 2 h 0 min drive
Regional capital Perugia, 25 min drive

Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

Recognised as

The numbers

Elevation: 289 m
Population: 5,714
Surface area: 81.33 km²

On the map

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These figures were compiled from public directories — ISTAT, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata — and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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