Spoleto

Informations on Spoleto

The town of Spoleto today is famous especially for the Festival dei Due Mondi, and buildings such as the Ponte delle Torri, the Albornoz Fortress, the Duomo or many Roman ruins as the Arc of Drusus, the Roman theatre or the Sanguinario Bridge.

History of Spoleto

The top of the hill on which Spoleto stands today was inhabited since the seventh century BC by the Umbrians, as evidenced by some of the tombs and by cyclopean walls of the fifth century; the city became a Roman colony in 241 BC with the name of Spoletium, and it remained faithful ally of Rome during the Punic wars, when it successfully rejected Hannibal's army after the battle of Trasimeno in 216 BC. Testimonials of this fact can also be found in the name of Torre dell'Olio (Oil tower), a tower from which boiling oil was launched on the Carthaginian army, forcing it to flee; this event is remembered in an inscription placed on a door of the city, since then called Porta fuga (escape door). In Spoleto there are still many memories of the Roman time; among others the Sanguinario Bridge on the Flaminia, the Arc of Drusus and Germanicus (23 AD), the Teatro Romano (I century AD), a house attached by tradition to Vespasia Polla, mother of the imperor Vespasian. The importance of the town of Spoleto is also due to the passage of Flaminia, the most important consular way towards the north, which was the main axis of the city, which passed through the arch of Drusus and crossed the bridge Sanguinario. With the fall of the Roman Empire, the city was an important episcopal city and then seat of the Lombard Duchy, created by Feroaldo I in 576, which stretched until Duchy of Benevento to the south. With the passage of the Duchy to Franks a gradual decline of the city begins, which culminated with the devastation of the city in 1155 by the army of Frederick Barbarossa. Around 1240 it passed definitively under the control of the State of the Church. During these years it also took place the construction of new walls, which united new born villages. In the following years, during the exile of the papacy to Avignon, Cardinal Egidio Albornoz was instructed to submit central Italyto the papacy, and among other works in Umbria, he built the fortress, which is named to him, as the residence of governors of the city. During the Renaissance Spoleto became an important cultural center, with the foundation for example of the Accademia (now Academy Spoleto).

Attractions in Spoleto

Even from great distance you can see the majesty of the fortress and Towers Bridge, most probably an aqueduct built around the thirteenth century. The Rocca Albornoziana, built in 1362 by Cardinal Albornoz, on a project of Gattaponi, with its tower of Spiritata and the Chamber Pinta, with frescoed paintings, it is absolutely not to be missed. Many Roman ruins as the Arc de Druso, who introduced the forum, which corresponds to the modern Piazza del Mercato, the elegant Roman house attributed to Vaspasia Polla, mother of imperor Vespasian, with mosaics still intact, the Teatro Romano , The second-century BC Ponte Sanguinario, 9 metres high on which passed the Flaminia, which is currently below the roadway. With regard to the Middle Ages, the Duomo, built in 1067 on the ruins of a church in the ninth century, offers an enchanting vision; inside you can admire frescoes by Filippo Lippi, who is buried here. The church of St. Saviour of the century IV, among the oldest basilicas of Christian origin in Europe, the church of St. Euphemia, of the twelfth century, built over an insula of which remain mosaics and walls (and which is a rare Italian Romanesque church with women's galleries).

Accomodations in Spoleto:

Country house Antico Monastero Di Santa Maria Interangelos in Spoleto

Farmhouse Collelignani in Spoleto

Farmhouse La Paladina in Spoleto

Farmhouse Vita Sana Le Palazze in Spoleto

Farmhouse San Gabriele in Spoleto

Bed and breakfast Il Fumaiolo in Spoleto

Farmhouse Oasi Del Marroggia in Spoleto

Rooms Angelini Rota Lodovico in Spoleto

Country house Il Castello Di Poreta in Spoleto

Bed and breakfast La Villa in Spoleto

Have you got any suggestions about Spoleto, errors to report or comments about the city of Spoleto? Write us!

Spoleto Città dell'olio

Spoleto Città del vino

Frazioni of Spoleto: Acquacastagna, Acquaiura, Ancaiano, Azzano, Baiano, Bazzano Inferiore, Bazzano Superiore, Beroide, Camporoppolo, Campo Salese, Cerqueto, Cese, Collerisana, Collicelli, Cortaccione, Crocemaroggia, Eggi, Fogliano, Forca di Cerro, Madonna di Baiano, Maiano, Messenano, Milano, Montebibico, Monteluco, Morgnano, Morro, Ocenelli, Palazzaccio, Perchia, Petrognano, Pompagnano, Pontebari, Poreta, Protte, Rubbiano, San Brizio, San Giacomo, San Giovanni di Baiano, San Gregorio di Ocenelli, San Martino in Trignano, San Nicolò, San Severo, San Silvestro, Santa Croce, Santa Maria in Campis, Sant'Anastasio, Sant'Angelo in Mercole, Santo Chiodo, San Venanzo, Silvignano, Somma, Strettura, Terraia, Terzo la Pieve, Terzo San Severo, Testaccio, Uncinano, Valdarena, Valle San Martino, Vallocchia, Acquacastagna, Acquaiura, Ancaiano, Azzano, Baiano, Bazzano Inferiore, Bazzano Superiore, Beroide, Camporoppolo, Campo Salese, Cerqueto, Cese, Collerisana, Collicelli, Cortaccione, Crocemaroggia, Eggi, Fogliano, Forca di Cerro, Madonna di Baiano, Maiano, Messenano, Milano, Montebibico, Monteluco, Morgnano, Morro, Ocenelli, Palazzaccio, Perchia, Petrognano, Pompagnano, Pontebari, Poreta, Protte, Rubbiano, San Brizio, San Giacomo, San Giovanni di Baiano, San Gregorio di Ocenelli, San Martino in Trignano, San Nicolò, San Severo, San Silvestro, Santa Croce, Santa Maria in Campis, Sant'Anastasio, Sant'Angelo in Mercole, Santo Chiodo, San Venanzo, Silvignano, Somma, Strettura, Terraia, Terzo la Pieve, Terzo San Severo, Testaccio, Uncinano, Valdarena, Valle San Martino, Vallocchia, Acquacastagna, Acquaiura, Ancaiano, Azzano, Baiano, Bazzano Inferiore, Bazzano Superiore, Beroide, Camporoppolo, Campo Salese, Cerqueto, Cese, Collerisana, Collicelli, Cortaccione, Crocemaroggia, Eggi, Fogliano, Forca di Cerro, Madonna di Baiano, Maiano, Messenano, Milano, Montebibico, Monteluco, Monte Martano (sorge sull'omonimo monte), Morgnano, Morro, Ocenelli, Palazzaccio, Perchia, Petrognano, Pompagnano, Pontebari, Poreta, Protte, Rubbiano, San Brizio, San Giacomo, San Giovanni di Baiano, San Gregorio di Ocenelli, San Martino in Trignano, San Nicolò, San Severo, San Silvestro, Santa Croce, Santa Maria in Campis, Sant'Anastasio, Sant'Angelo in Mercole, Santo Chiodo, San Venanzo, Silvignano, Somma, Strettura, Terraia, Terzo la Pieve, Terzo San Severo, Testaccio, Uncinano, Valdarena, Valle San Martino, Vallocchia