Poll: spello vs. spoleto
Jan 29th, 2007, 12:48 PM
#2
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I have stayed in Spello, I haven't stayed in Spoleto, so can't compare.
I can say, however, we absolutely loved Spello. We have travelled all over Italy, and Spello is one of my absolute favorites. Spello is small enough to walk around and get comfortable in, the church has fabulous art, there are incredible restaurants, and we loved our hotel. Very nice shops; we bought amazing art and lovely pottery.
We stayed at Palazzo Bocci and liked everything about it. http://www.palazzobocci.com/
The restaurant associated with Palazzo Bocci (Il Molino) was terrific, but the outstanding restaurant we ate at in Spella was at La Bastiglia. We chose the multi-course tasting menu, which was pricy, but the food was incredible. All generations at our table raved about the food.
La Bastiglia is also a hotel. http://www.labastiglia.com/eng/home.html When we ate dinner there, I asked to see several hotel rooms and we were very favorably impressed. Next time we go we may stay there, not because of any flaw with Palazzo Bocci, but just because La Bastiglia seemed so nice and we had fantasies about sitting on the terrace, which has a beautiful view of the countryside surrounding Spello, and drinking our morning coffee.
I can say, however, we absolutely loved Spello. We have travelled all over Italy, and Spello is one of my absolute favorites. Spello is small enough to walk around and get comfortable in, the church has fabulous art, there are incredible restaurants, and we loved our hotel. Very nice shops; we bought amazing art and lovely pottery.
We stayed at Palazzo Bocci and liked everything about it. http://www.palazzobocci.com/
The restaurant associated with Palazzo Bocci (Il Molino) was terrific, but the outstanding restaurant we ate at in Spella was at La Bastiglia. We chose the multi-course tasting menu, which was pricy, but the food was incredible. All generations at our table raved about the food.
La Bastiglia is also a hotel. http://www.labastiglia.com/eng/home.html When we ate dinner there, I asked to see several hotel rooms and we were very favorably impressed. Next time we go we may stay there, not because of any flaw with Palazzo Bocci, but just because La Bastiglia seemed so nice and we had fantasies about sitting on the terrace, which has a beautiful view of the countryside surrounding Spello, and drinking our morning coffee.
Jan 29th, 2007, 01:50 PM
#3
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Like Eleni I prefer Spello for a couple of reasons. We also stayed at Palazzo Bocci. We ate at some of the same restaurants as well. We loved the place and were glad we chose it. We selected Spello originally because it was more convenient to the day trips we wanted to take to Foligno, Montefalco, Assisi, Perugia and Deruta.
Jan 29th, 2007, 03:26 PM
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We visited both as day trips from Assisi (important because we did not see any at night). I LOOOVED Spoleto and spent an entire day there. There was so much to see and it had a great vibe. There were people going about their day. It felt like a real town. Plus, there was a choice of different restaurants. Spello, well, we did not enjoy. We were there for 20 minutes and could not figure out where anyone was or what was there to see in it. The main square does not have any charm - it has some newer, ugly buildings. An as far as restaurants we only saw one. In any case, the two are so close, you could easily go to the other one.
Jan 29th, 2007, 04:35 PM
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I was confused because there was no one in the town and the center square was not charming. I knew exactly where I was. The Palazoo Bocci did look nice, but that was it for the town! It was kind of creepy. I can tell you there are no sights in Spello. For me, it is the only town in Italy where I walked out wondering why everyone recommended it.
Jan 29th, 2007, 04:43 PM
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And my point is that if you hadn't walked out, you may have discovered why Spello is an amazing place. Which it is. Spello is not creepy, or even anything close to creepy. Rather it is beautiful, interesting, and fascinating.
Jan 29th, 2007, 04:59 PM
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We were scheduled to stay in Spoleto for 3 nights last May. After a very stressful ordeal trying to find our hotel at the top of town (driving into town is crazy), we decided to move to Spello for the next two nights.
We absolutely loved Spello....much more quiet and laid back. Much of Spoleto was covered in scaffolding but it does have some nice sights to visit. I would make a day of it perhaps but staying in Spello was heaven in comparison.
Just my own personal experience and I know there are many people that love Spoleto for its lively untouristic feel.
We absolutely loved Spello....much more quiet and laid back. Much of Spoleto was covered in scaffolding but it does have some nice sights to visit. I would make a day of it perhaps but staying in Spello was heaven in comparison.
Just my own personal experience and I know there are many people that love Spoleto for its lively untouristic feel.
Jan 29th, 2007, 06:02 PM
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I loved Spello as well. We stayed at the lovely Palazzo Bocci and our favorite restaurant was La Bastiglia.
We spend three nights in Spello and I was ready to rent an apartment and stay awhile. I will say that my husband enjoyed the three days but was ready to move on.
It is true that there is not a nice piazza; a school was built on the site of what appeared to be the main piazza.
I have not been to Spoleto.
We spend three nights in Spello and I was ready to rent an apartment and stay awhile. I will say that my husband enjoyed the three days but was ready to move on.
It is true that there is not a nice piazza; a school was built on the site of what appeared to be the main piazza.
I have not been to Spoleto.
Jan 30th, 2007, 02:51 PM
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Spello is not creepy at all. It has many beautiful nooks and crannies if you walk around the town. It is not touristic so there are not any big sights but it an authenic Italian Village.
Here is the link for my photos and you will hopefully see some of what I captured.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/crazy4tr...mbria_may_2006
Here is the link for my photos and you will hopefully see some of what I captured.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/crazy4tr...mbria_may_2006
Jan 30th, 2007, 03:10 PM
#12
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Another vote for Spello, one of my favorite Umbrian towns. How anyone could think of it is creepy is beyond me, especially after seeing those gorgeous photos by Crazy4travel! Thanks for sharing them! I don't care much for Spoleto.
Jan 30th, 2007, 04:48 PM
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We visited both this past March and would absolutely choose Spello over Spoleto, hands down. Spello has all of the charm and beauty that one would imagine in a hilltown. Spoleto was fine but, in my opinion, it had more of an "urban sprawl" to it, complete with billboards and traffic congestion, and lacked the charm that other hilltowns in Umbria have.
Tracy
Tracy
Jan 30th, 2007, 04:52 PM
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Crazy, I too loved your pictures! They are just gorgeous, and as a cat lover I especially loved all of the kitties!
I took some pictures of Spello but they didn't turn out very well, mostly because it was kind of rainy and overcast, it was March so there weren't many flowers blooming, and we left our memory stick at home by accident so we had to go with disposable cameras that in no way subsituted for our digital camera! So I loved your photos and they brought back great memories that my pictures failed to capture.
Tracy
I took some pictures of Spello but they didn't turn out very well, mostly because it was kind of rainy and overcast, it was March so there weren't many flowers blooming, and we left our memory stick at home by accident so we had to go with disposable cameras that in no way subsituted for our digital camera! So I loved your photos and they brought back great memories that my pictures failed to capture.
Tracy
Jan 30th, 2007, 05:12 PM
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Thank you tcreath....I enjoyed your trip report and it was really helpful with planning our trip. We visited Trevi based on your recommendation and thought it was very charming. I was glad we decided to drop the car off in Foligno instead of Perugia...again based on your trip report.
