Spoleto
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Overview
Presided over by a formidable medieval fortress and backed by the broad-shouldered Apennines, their summits iced with snow in winter, hillside Spoleto is visually stunning. Ancient arches and a virtually intact amphitheatre tell of its past as a strategic Roman colony, while a series of Romanesque churches testifies to a golden age in the early Middle Ages. In 570 the Lombards made it capital of their duchy and over the next three centuries it flourished, becoming for a brief period one of the most important towns in Italy.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Spoleto
A flight of steps sweeps down to Spoleto's pale-stone cathedral, photogenically set on a graceful hillside piazza. Originally constructed to a Romanesque…
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Spoleto
Many people gasp the first time they glimpse the medieval Ponte delle Torri, a 10-arch bridge that spectacularly spans a steeply wooded gorge – a scene…
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Spoleto
The 18th-century Palazzo Collicola houses Spoleto's premier collection of modern art. The collection, named after its late former director and noted art…
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Spoleto
Dominating the skyline above Spoleto, this formidable fortress was built on the summit of Colle Sant’Elia as part of a 14th-century campaign to reassert…
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Spoleto
This big landmark church overlooks the main Via Flaminia (SS3) just outside the southern end of town. A fine example of Romanesque architecture, it was…
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Spoleto
Spoleto's Romanesque basilica, listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site as part of the 'Longobards in Italy, Places of the Power (568-774 AD)' group, dates…
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Spoleto
Accessible though the Museo Archeologico, this well-preserved Roman amphitheatre often hosts live performances during the summer; check with the museum or…
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Spoleto
Spoleto's archaeological museum, housed in a 15th-century monastery on the western edge of Piazza della Libertà, holds a well-curated collection of Roman…
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