Santa Maria Assunta is the cathedral of Spoleto at the Piazza del Duomo. It is at the bottom of a long staircase in a very scenic position.
The facade of the cathedral is decorated by the mosaic of Solsterno (1207) and eight rose windows. The bell tower dates back to the 12th century.
The church was Romanesque but had a makeover in Baroque style in the 17th and 18th century by the bishops at the time. Some romanesque art can still be admired today, for example in the decorated apse is the “Life of the Virgin” by Filippo Lippi. The first chapel on the right shows the fresco of the Madonna with Child by Pinturicchio.
The final concert of the Spoleto Festival “Festival dei due Mondi” is held every year in the piazza in front of the Duomo. The Festival of the Two Worlds. This festival is an international music, art, culture and entertainment event. Some performances are held in the “Roman Theatre”. This theatre is close to the Piazza della Libertà.
Another eye catcher is the “Ponte delle Torri”, an originally Roman aquaduct that brought water from the Mount Monteluco to the town. The construction we see today probably dates back to the 13th century. At each end there is a fortress in defense of the aquaduct and until the 19th century these also worked as watermills. For the more sportive amongst us, there is a nice walk one can undertake over this aquaduct up to the Monteluco.
Personally I think Spoleto is one of the most beautiful cities of Umbria. Spoleto is a lively town with good restaurants, cosy bars, squares and shops.
-posted by Sylvia van der Male-
Could be utterly happy in Spoleto
I think. I must get back there soon…
It is a very pleasant little town, isn’t it?
Absolutely lovely! Once again your images are stunning.
Grazie.
Had the best pasta of my life in Spoleto. It was in 1997 and I remember it like yesterday. Pasta with truffle sauce at 11,000 lire meant it probably was not truffle at all. But still amazing.
I remember sitting about at the bottom of those steps at the cathedral. My son ran up and down the steps again and again.
Most probably it was truffle anyway. It is not necessarily terribly expensive. It depends on the quality of the truffle. Lovely memory of your stay. Children grow up too fast, we have to cherish these moments!