Spoleto is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful villages in Umbria to visit by motorbike and to add to one's itineraries in Italy.
In a postcard addressed to his wife, Hermann Hesse he wrote: "Spoleto is the most beautiful discovery I have made in Italy [...], there is such a wealth of almost unknown beauties, mountains, valleys, oak forests, convents, waterfalls!"
Content index
Ancient capital of the Lombard dukes, you will be breathless thanks to the richness of the city's historical and artistic heritage.
What to see in Spoleto
It is not easy to decide where to start visiting Spoleto: we recommend starting from the majestic one Rocca Albornoziana, overlooking the city. The Rocca, bordered by a high system of perimeter walls alternated by six square towers, is in fact the symbol of the city and is divided into two distinct areas: the Courtyard of honor, with the National Museum of the Duchy and a multipurpose space for exhibitions, concerts and conferences, and the Courtyard of Arms, with an open-air theater.
For those not suffering from vertigo, get on the Bridge of the Towers and joins the Rocca and Monteluco it's a thrilling experience. This bridge is impressive and one of a kind: 230 meters long and 82 meters high, it seems to have been built between the thirteenth and the following century, after the sacking of Spoleto by Barbarossa. Goethe, described it in his Journey to Italy, and the English painter Turner, portrayed him in one of his masterpieces.
Going down, you arrive at the Roman Theater (XNUMXst century AD) which is still used for various shows and performances. From the theater, along via Monterone, up to the intersection, you come across on the right Mauri Palace (seat of the Municipal Library), on the left in the church di Sant'Ansano and Crypt of St. Isaac (XNUMXth-XNUMXth centuries) and inArch of Drusus and Germanicus.
Before arriving in Piazza del Mercato, on the left you can see the entrance of Leti Sensi Palace: it was the Palazzo del Podestà, then the seat of the Umbrian Reclamation Consortium, now it is used for shows and exhibitions.
Finally arrived in Piazza del Duomo among the things to see in Spoleto there is absolutely the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, a rare example of a synthesis of Romanesque architecture, which houses frescoes by Pinturicchio and Filippo Lippi, and the beautiful Roman house attributed to the emperor's mother Vespasian Polla.
What to do in Spoleto
We first suggest the Tour of the Rocca, a panoramic walk around the top of the Colle Sant'Elia and Rocca Albornoziana, from which you can admire the splendid Spoleto valley and the Cathedral from above.
In addition, thanks to eight blocks of escalators, this area is connected with the neighborhood of Pontianine, Corso Garibaldi, Basilica of S. Salvatore became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Church and Monastery of San Ponziano.
Others itineraries suggested in the area: from Arrone to Monteleone, Waterfall marmore, Norcia and the Val Nerina.
What to eat in Spoleto
Don't miss the black truffle, the undisputed leading player in Spoleto cuisine and therefore making way for spaghetti with black truffles; the very rare celery of Trevi which lends itself ideally to consumption raw, perhaps dipped in exquisite Trevi oil or cooked "alla parmigiana". At the end of the meal you must try the crescionda, a typical dessert made with eggs, flour, chocolate, amaretti and mistral.
