Spoleto

Situated at the edge of the Nerina Valley and at the slopes of Monteluco, Spoleto   is one of the most noble and richest cities of art in Umbria, among the most visited in the region and has a program of events and festivals of great fame, such as the very famous Festival of the Two Worlds.
The variety of the historic and artistic evidence of this city derives without a doubt from its very old origins, which date back to the pre-Roman era, from which there are the remains of a cyclopean wall. In the Roman era, Spoletium was a flourishing municipality and home of many noble villas. There are many remnants from this era, including the Arch of Douso and Germanico, the Roman Theater, a Roman house that is believed to have belonged to the mother of Vespasiano, the Amphitheater colonnade (2nd cent.), and other countless remains, spread out a bit in the historic center and often embedded in the medieval homes. In the Early Middle Ages, Spoleto came under the dominion of the Lombards and Franks, capital of a powerful Dukedom, extending its authority on the vast and fertile lands, but then it quickly began to decline: the final blow was in 1155 when it underwent the siege of the Barbarossa, who ordered the pillage and burning down of the city. Later Spoleto became a municipality, until 1247 when it definitively joined the Papal State. It was in this period that the city underwent a complete redefinition, assuming a physiognomy similar to that of today.
And it was in the Middle Ages that the most famous monuments of Spoleto came to light: among these to begin with is the Duomo, whose solemn mass dominates the splendid Piazza del Duomo, used as a perfect setting during concerts of the Festial of the Two Worlds. Marvelous Romanesque construction, symbol of Spoleto, the Duomo was built on the ruins of the Cathedra of San Primiano (10th century) following the destruction of the army of Federico Barbarossa. True masterpiece is the façade subdivided into three fascias: in the lower is an elegant portico from the end of the 15th century, embellished by two lovely pulpits on the sides and a portal with architrave and sculpted trunks; in the two higher sections, subdivided by a series of small arches on columns, the numerous rose windows (five at the bottom with a larger one in the center embellished wit bas reliefs and three above - in all there are eight) stand out. Also standing out are the pointed arches and most of all, the mosaic of benedictory Christ between the Virgin and St. John, work by Solsterno, with clear Byzantine influence. To the left of the façade rises the severe bell tower, realized in the 12th century reusing Roman, Early Christian, and Early Medieval findings. The interior, however, in spite of a lot of heavy remodeling in the 17th and 18th centuries, maintains part of the original Cosmati-style flooring as well as numerous and notable works of art.
Again, in Piazza del Duomo, we find the Civic Museum, the 19th-century Caio Melisso Theater, and next to it, the elegant Church of Santa Maria della Manna d'Oro, building with octagonal layout from the Brahmanism school, built in the 16th-17th century.
After the Duomo, among the other various sacred buildings of Spoleto worth mentioning are surely the Church and Monastery of San Ponziano and the Church of San Pietro extra moenia, true jewels of Romanesque art and among the most renowned monuments of the city. Finally, worth mentioning are: the little 14th-century Church of San Silvestro; the Church of San Gregorio Maggiore, with its simple façade (which takes the lines of the Cathedral) and medieval crypt; the beautiful Church of Sant'Eufemia, all in stone and with three apses; the austere Church of San Nicolò, with two cloisters and a splendid polygonal apse; the lovely Church of San Salvatore (Early Christian origin with very old interior dating back to the 4th-5th century); the Gothic Church of San Domenico (ex-female prison) with crypt and frescoes.
The city is split uphill by Corso Mazzini, in the alleyways that unravel from the main artery which have two very picturesque views often conferring with the tranquil atmosphere of the medieval part of town. Among the most characteristic are: the Vicolo dello Sdrucciolo, Vicolo delle Cantoncelle, and Via di Visiale with their arches; Via dei Duchi with artisan shops and boutiques; Via di Fontesecca beside austere "palazetti"; Vicolo della Basilica and Via dell'Assalto with stony, rustic appearance; and lastly the curious "fenditure" (crack) of Vicolo delle Baciafemmine, from the eloquent toponymy. The little "piazzette" (squares) are also lovely. Among these worth mentioning are Piazza della Signoria and Piazza del Mercato from which you can get onto the major streets and alleyways mentioned above, and Piazza della Torre dell'Olio, with towers and remains of medieval forts. Worth noting is also Viale Giacomo Matteotti, which lets you take a walk outside of the city center among public gardens and historic villas (the 17th-18th-century Viall Redenta is spectacular). There are many interesting museums not to be missed. Other than the already mentioned Civic Museum, there is the Diocesan Collection ("Raccolta Diocesana" in Palazzo Arcivescovile) and the Municipal Picture Gallery (in Palazzo Comunale), one of the most important permanent public exhibitions in Umbria.
The itinerary culminates with the mighty Albornoziana Fortress, built in 1362 on the initiative of the papal linked Cardinal Albornaz and design by Gattapone. Rectangular design with six robust towers connected by communication trenches, its interior is subdivided into two areas: the Courtyard of Arms, for the troops, and the Courtyard of Honor, reserved for the governor of the city, which gives access on the upper floor to the "Camera Pinta", embellished by valuable 15th-century frescoes brought into light by recent restoration. The fortress was residence and place to stay for important figures and underwent several sieges, always coming out unharmed. Unfortunately in the 19th century it was made into a prison, that which determined irreparable tampering of the internal halls, which, in effect, are unmistakably bare. Near the fort, you can admire the most incredible attraction of Spoleto: the spectacular "Ponte delle Torri" (Tower Bridge), very narrow and interminable passage with beautiful views over the Tessino Valley. It is 236 meters long and 76 meters high and is formed by powerful pointed arches and colossal stone pillars onto which lean streets and the astonishing architectural works in Central Italy; it was probably realized in the second half of the 14th century on the remains of an ancient Roman aqueduct based on the wishes of Albornoz and design by Gattapone (but the date is uncertain). In a very romantic and attractive atmosphere, the unusual and fantastic viaduct gives way to the other side of the wooded mountain and to the off-white Fortilizio dei Mulini, a type of medieval fortified structure built for both productive and defensive purposes.