Fonti del Clitunno

Water rises here from the limestone through the floor of a shallow basin and forms clear pools among willows and poplars, feeding the Clitunno river. The Romans regarded the spring as a god and built a temple and oracle nearby; Pliny the Younger described the place in a letter, Virgil wrote that the white cattle bathed in the water were used for sacrifices, and later Byron and Carducci both wrote about it. A small building known as the Tempietto del Clitunno stands a short distance away, built from reused Roman materials in the early Middle Ages and listed by UNESCO in 2011 as part of the Longobard sites.

Highlights

• The clear pools - water rising through the basin floor among willows.
• The Tempietto - an early medieval chapel built from Roman fragments.
• The literary record - Pliny, Virgil, Byron and Carducci on the same spot.
• The waterfowl - swans and ducks on the still pools.

When to go

April to October; flow varies with the season and can be reduced after dry spells. The gardens are small and take under an hour. The Tempietto is separately visited.

Things to know

The site is a small landscaped garden beside a busy road, not wild. The Tempietto is a short drive away and keeps separate hours. Flow drops in dry years.

Nearby

Spoleto lies south; Montefalco is northwest.

Key facts