Spoleto Culture
Spoleto is a peaceful hill town with interesting sights, beautiful architecture, and historic culture. Spoleto maintains a medieval appearance, and Spoleto's Roman ruins include a Roman theater, located near the Piazza della Liberta. An archeological museum next door houses statues and artifacts found locally. There are also two Roman arches visible, the Arco Romano and the Arco di Druso, and a Casa Romana (Roman house) with attractive mosaics.
The Duomo is one of Spoleto's finest sights. Begun in the 12th century, the cathedral is set against a backdrop of hills and valleys, and contains an apse frescoed by Fra Filippo Lippi, whose tomb lies in the church.
The town's Pinacoteca, or art museum, occupies part of the city hall, and contains works by Umbrian masters including Perugino. High above the town is the Rocca, a Papal fortress which was used as a prison until the 1980s.
A massive bridge, the Ponte delle Torri, built in the 14th century, functioned as both a bridge and aqueduct; apparently a route led directly up to the Rocca to allow for quick escapes over the gorge in times of siege.
Famous for the Festival dei Due Mondi (Festival of Two Worlds), Spoleto comes to life during June and July with high-quality performing arts events taking place throughout the town.
