Spoleto

The Ponte delle Torri crosses the Tessino gorge on ten arches, about two hundred and thirty metres long and eighty high, built in the fourteenth century probably on a Roman aqueduct line and used as both bridge and water conduit; it links the city to the Rocca Albornoziana fortress and the wooded Monteluco hill. The cathedral holds Filippo Lippi's last fresco cycle, finished by his workshop after he died in Spoleto in 1469, and his tomb designed by his son. The Festival dei Due Mondi, founded by Gian Carlo Menotti in 1958, brings opera, theatre and dance each summer.

History

Founded by the Umbri in the 10th century BC and later taken by the Etruscans, the city became a Roman colony in 241 BC. Under the Lombards it was the seat of the Duchy of Spoleto from 576, which controlled much of central Italy (Wikipedia, Spoleto).

What's there

• The Ponte delle Torri - a 230-metre bridge 80 metres above the gorge.
• The Lippi frescoes - the painter's last cycle in the cathedral apse.
• The Rocca Albornoziana - a papal fortress above the city, now a museum.
• The festival - the Due Mondi arts programme each June and July.

When to go

April to June and September to October; the festival runs from late June into July and fills the city. Autumn is quiet with good light on the gorge.

Things to know

The Ponte delle Torri has been closed to pedestrians for extended periods after earthquake damage assessments, so check before planning to cross. The city is steep.

Nearby

Fonti del Clitunno lie north; the Valnerina runs east.

Key facts