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Spoleto in Umbria, Italy, is famous for the ancient bridge and castle up on the hill, along with the Cathedral, Roman monuments, and museums. We see it all in this special look at the historic monuments of Spoleto, Umbria, in central Italy.
We'll take you inside the castle and show you the historic exhibits from the Middle Ages.
The other great landmark of Spoleto is the Cathedral that dates back to the Romanesque days. We'll have a visit inside.
We'll also go into an ancient house dating back to the Roman days, and have a look at a Roman arch and a Roman theater, with a little museum, next to it, showing some artifacts of the ancient Roman life – sculptures, weapons and jewelry. And meet some students out on a field trip studying their history.
This will be a tour of the monuments, museums, the castle and Cathedral of Spoleto.
We're starting our visit into the past at the great Rocca. It's a castle up on the hill overlooking the city. Fortunately, you don't have to walk all the way up the hill. There is an escalator and there is an elevator that will bring you right up. That is a free service provided by the city of Spoleto. They've got 3 different escalator systems in the old town and this convenient elevator. It will take you to the top of the hill, which is quite helpful. After all we're in Umbria, famous for its hill towns like Spoleto.
Ponte delle Torri was built in the 13th century, and the architect built it on top of the foundations of an earlier ancient Roman bridge. This medieval bridge is really an incredible engineering feat. It's 80 meters high above the valley floor and the bridge spans 230 meters. It's huge!
The bridge reaches across the ravine, linking the fortress with the slopes of the Monteluco mountain. On the far and you see the tower of a smaller fortress.
Two columns in the middle are hollow inside. See two small windows for what had probably been the rooms of a guardhouse, and those of the tallest columns, reaching down to the stream.
You can go back downhill the same way, using those escalators if you like, but it's actually a very short walk that we're taking now from the fortress to the Cathedral.
It's called the Duomo of Santa Maria Assunta. It was built in the Romanesque style between the years 1175 and 1227.
The interior evolved over the centuries with a mix of Renaissance and Baroque style, with many important works of art, featuring sculpture, painting and beautiful architectural details.
Behind the altar are the most important paintings in all of Spoleto, featuring stories of the Virgin. Her coronation, the Annunciation, Nativity scene, and the Death of the Virgin.
It's the final masterpiece of Filippo Lippi, who died here while painting these frescoes – buried here in a tomb designed by his son Filippino Lippi.
A few blocks away, just beyond the main market square is another great Roman structure, the Arch of Druso and Germanico, dating from the year 23 A.D. It's on a busy little street with two-way traffic going right through it.
professional tour guides in Spoleto:
Daniela Cittadoni, tastingtravel[at]gmail.com and on facebook daniela.cittadoni
also, Irene Maturi, Umbria tour guide you can find on facebook at inandoutdoorumbria and website inandoutdoorumbria[dot]com
Take a look at this helpful website with detailed information about visiting Umbria:
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