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 SpoletoSpoleto, with its medieval old town centre extremely rich in monuments and works of art, is one of the most visited Umbrian places. The town is of ancient origin. There are indeed many signs (like tombs dated back at the iron age) of human settlements from the VII century B.C. It was a Municipium (part of the second highest class of Roman cities, being inferior in status to the colonia, but with their own magistrates and some administrative autonomy), and had times of splendour under the Holy Roman Empire and later the Ostrogoths. Once conquered by the Longobards, Spoleto became capital of a duchy, the Duchy of Spoleto, which maintained its independence for more than six centuries and whose dukes ruled a considerable part in central Italy. The city was annexed to the territories of Pope Gregorio VII thanks to the powerful countess Matilda of Tuscany but it struggled to maintain its independence. In 1155 it was destroyed by Federico Barbarossa and then disputed by Guelphs and Ghibellines and finally conquered by Napoleon in 1809, when Spoleto became capital of the French department of Trasimène for 5 years. In 1814 it got back to the Papal State until the unification of Italy in 1860. The city has plenty of tight streets and lovely squares of rare beauty and suggestion. Curiosity: you will easily find buildings (like Palazzo Comunale, Palazzo Rosari-Spada, or Palazzo della Signoria). Everything is concentrated in a very small space, so that with a bit of imagination, Spoleto could be represented as a “big fir cone”. The Romanesque Basilica of S.Salvatore is a must: a gorgeous example of the Early Christian architecture that encloses the cell of a Roman Temple. Among the dozens of infinitely beautiful lay buildings and churches you will find the imposing Dome, with the Renaissance frescos by Filippo Lippi and Pinturicchio... a sublime work of art for both art lovers and simple observers; San Domenico, a Gothic church in white and pink stone dated at XIII century, where you will admire the wonderful frescos painted by G. Lanfranco and the crypt dedicated to St.Peter. The longest list and the most detailed descriptions cannot even render the wonder of being there and enjoying live the beauty of Spoleto, its lovely people and fantastic cuisine! Depending on your type of vacation, but in general the best times to come over are:
Going to Spoleto from Perugia, you'll find lots of farm houses and restaurants offering divine local food, but beware of the prices... spend just a few minutes more to have a look around and you'll find different places with the same menus but at a lower cost!
You might also be interested in reading about the following Spoleto topics:
Other towns in the area: Assisi, Bevagna, Castiglione del Lago, Cittą di Castello, Collazzone, Collepepe, Gualdo Cattaneo, Gubbio, Massa Martana, Montefalco, Montone, Narni, Orvieto, Perugia, Spello, Todi |
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