Spoleto is a beautiful hilltown, with a very picturesque historical center, so it is not difficult to come up with a top 10 tourist attractions. Steep, narrow alleys, flowers and ancient walls are the norm in the old town. The main highlights are the Cathedral, the Rocca Albernoziana and the Ponte delle Torri.
Top 10 Tourist Attractions Spoleto
1. Ponte delle Torri
The Ponte delle Torri is the most spectacular sight in Spoleto. Keep walking uphill till you come to the castle (see below) and walk on either side around it. You will be rewarded with an immense ancient bridge across the valley next to the city. The bridge used to double as an aqueduct.
2. Duomo (Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral)
The Cathedral of Spoleto was built in the 12th century on top of two earlier churches. The famous painter Filippo Lippi, who was also responsible for some of the works of art inside the church, is buried here. Valadier designed the altars and other well-known painters contributing to the decorations were Annibale Caracci and Pinturicchio.
3. Rocca Albernoz (Castle)
The Rocca Albernoziana or Rocca Albernoz is the castle towering over the city of Spoleto. It was built when the Pope was about to return from Avignon to Rome. Having been used as a prison for many years, it is now the seat of a museum dedicated to the history of the city itself.
4. San Pietro Church
The Church of San Pietro was built in the 5th century and is located slightly outside the city walls. The interior was redisgned in the 17th century, but the biggest attraction is the facade, which is decorated with reliefs and cosmatesque motifs.
5. San Salvatore Basilica
The Basilica of San Salvatore was the first church in Spoleto to end up on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites. It is considered to be one of the best examples of Lombard architecture. Some parts of the church, including the facade, still kook the way they did in the 4th century.
6. Palazzo Collicola
The Palazzo Collicola is a 17th century historic building. It is the seat of Spoleto’s Museo Carandente for Modern and Contemporary Art. The piano nobile, reopened in 2010, still contains a big part if its original furniture.
7. Sant’Eufemia Church
The Church of Sant’Eufemia is located in the courtyard of the Palazzo Vescovile. Its main highlight is the main altar. It is also the only church in Umbria with a matroneum, from where women could attend mass.
8. San Gregorio Maggiore Church
The San Gregorio Maggiore Kerk in the Piazza Garibaldi was built in the 11th century on top of an already existing church. The main highlight is the Cappella degli Innocenti, but the entire church is decorated with pillars and other Roman architectural elements and medieval frescoes.
9. Teatro Romano
The ruins of Spoleto‘s Teatro Romano were unearthed in the 2nd half of the 20th century, although it had already been detected in 1891. Nowadays it is part of the National Archaeological Museum, but if you don’t feel like visiting this you can view the theater from the Piazza della Libertà.
10. Arco di Druso
The Arch of Drusus (and Germanicus) was built for the son and nephew of of Emperor Tiberius. The 1st century AD monument is now partly incorporated in some medival buildings, but used to serve as the entrance to the Roman Forum.