2 Best Sights in Spoleto, Umbria and the Marches

Background Illustration for Sights

The walled city is set on a slanting hillside, with the most interesting sections clustered toward the upper portion. Parking options inside the walls include Piazza Campello (just below the Rocca) on the southeast end, Via del Trivio to the north, and Piazza San Domenico on the west end. You can also park at Piazza della Vittoria farther north, just outside the walls. There are also several well-marked lots near the train station. If you arrive by train, you can walk 1 km (½ mile) from the station to the entrance to the lower town. Regular bus connections are every 15–30 minutes.

Like most other towns with narrow, winding streets, Spoleto is best explored on foot. Bear in mind that much of the city is on a steep slope, so there are lots of stairs and steep inclines. The well-worn stones can be slippery even when dry; wear rubber-sole shoes for good traction. Several pedestrian walkways cut across Corso Mazzini, which zigzags up the hill, and three escalators connect the main car parks with the upper town. A €9.50 combination ticket purchased at any of the town's museums allows you entry to all the main museums and galleries over seven days.

Duomo di Spoleto

Fodor's Choice

One of the finest cathedrals in the region is lit by eight rose windows that are especially dazzling in the late afternoon sun. Above the church's entrance is Bernini's bust of Pope Urban VIII (1568–1644), who had the church redecorated in 17th-century Baroque; fortunately he didn't touch the 15th-century frescoes painted in the apse by Fra Filippo Lippi (circa 1406–69) between 1466 and 1469. These immaculately restored masterpieces—the Annunciation,Nativity, and Dormition—tell the story of the life of the Virgin. The Coronation of the Virgin, adorning the half dome, is the literal and figurative high point. Portraits of Lippi and his assistants are on the right side of the central panel.

Piazza del Duomo 2, Spoleto, 06049, Italy
0577-286300
Sight Details
Cathedral is free, €5 for cathedral audio guide, €10 for full audio guide including the upper part of the cathedral, bell tower, Sala della Grande Bellezza, Diocesan Museum, and Church of Sant'Eufemia

Something incorrect in this review?

Ponte delle Torri

Fodor's Choice

Standing massive and graceful through the deep gorge that separates Spoleto from Monteluco, this 14th-century bridge is one of Umbria's most photographed monuments, and justifiably so. Built over the foundations of a Roman-era aqueduct, it soars 262 feet above the forested gorge—higher than the dome of St. Peter's in Rome. A must-see sight, the bridge offers spectacular views of Monteluco, and is particularly impressive on a starry night.

Via del Ponte, Spoleto, 06049, Italy
Sight Details
Free

Something incorrect in this review?