Perugia is a city located in the central part of Italy, being the capital of the province with the same name and the region of Umbria. It lies between Lake Trasimeno and the Tiber. Currently it has a population of 170,000, but its history dates back to the ancient times. The first records about the city, called then Perusia, go back to 310 BC.

Olsztyn signed a partnership agreement with Perugia in 2004. The agreement was the result of the fruitful relations between the two cities started in 2000 at the initiative of the Organization of Warmian-Masurian Communes that Olsztyn belongs to. During the decision making process, what was taken into consideration were the similarities between the two cities connected with the economy, tourism, historical heritage, or education. The olsztyński, lidzbarski and braniewski districts, which lie within the historical borders of Warmia, also became parties to the agreement.

Initially, these relations developed mainly due to the mutual economic initiatives connected with i.a. agritourism and professional activation of the society from the regions of the former state-owned farms. The agreement signed in 2004 has been bringing and still brings Olsztyn many economic and social advantages.

At the end of 2009, the Voivodeship Labour Office in Olsztyn signed with Perugia a partnership agreement concerning a project called "Give a chance to competencies. The transparency and self-employment working migration via Assessment Centres". The main aim of this initiative was to help women who had come back from abroad enter the labour market. This support included organizing training sessions, workshops, and managing career guidance for the people who were interested.

Another project which brought together these two cities was the program of "Enhancement of gastronomic and hotel services in the Warmian-Masurian region during the years 2004-2013". As a part of the cooperation, throughout the years both cities have organized sporting and cultural events (such as exhibitions and private views) and scientific conferences in order to share their experience concerning the local economy and the social economic initiatives.

The cooperation between Olsztyn and Perugia is efficiently being continued today, mainly within the sectors connected with education and the labour market.