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Spoleto

Coordinates:42°45′23″N12°41′08″E/ 42.7564791°N 12.68547°E/42.7564791; 12.68547
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For the festival in South Carolina, seeSpoleto Festival USA.
Spoleto
Comune
Città di Spoleto
View of Spoleto
View of Spoleto
Location of Spoleto
Map
Spoleto is located in Italy
Spoleto
Spoleto
Location of Spoleto in Italy
Spoleto is located in Umbria
Spoleto
Spoleto
Spoleto (Umbria)
Coordinates:42°44′N12°44′E/ 42.733°N 12.733°E/42.733; 12.733
CountryItaly
RegionUmbria
ProvincePerugia(PG)
Frazioniseelist
Government
• MayorAndrea Sisti
Area
[1]
• Total349 km2(135 sq mi)
Elevation
396 m (1,299 ft)
Population
(31 December 2010)[2]
• Total38,283
• Density110/km2(280/sq mi)
DemonymSpoletini
Time zoneUTC+1(CET)
• Summer (DST)UTC+2(CEST)
Postal code
06049
Dialing code0743
Patron saintSan Ponziano
Saint dayJanuary 14
WebsiteOfficial website

42°45′23″N12°41′08″E/ 42.7564791°N 12.68547°E/42.7564791; 12.68547 Spoleto(/spəˈleɪtoʊ/,[3]alsoUS:/spoʊˈleɪtoʊ,spoʊˈliːtoʊ/,[4]UK:/spoʊˈlɛtoʊ/,[5]Italian:[spoˈleːto];Latin:Spoletum) is an ancient city in theItalianprovince of Perugiain east-centralUmbriaon a foothill of theApennines.It is 20 km (12 mi) south ofTrevi,29 km (18 mi) north ofTerni,63 km (39 mi) southeast ofPerugia;212 km (132 mi) southeast ofFlorence;and 126 km (78 mi) north ofRome.

History[edit]

Spoleto was situated on the eastern branch of theVia Flaminia,which forked into two roads atNarniand rejoined atForum Flaminii,nearFoligno.An ancient road also ran hence toNursia.ThePonte Sanguinarioof the 1st century BC still exists. The forum lies under today's marketplace.

Located at the head of a large, broad valley, surrounded by mountains, Spoleto has long occupied a strategic geographical position. It appears to have been an important town to the originalUmbritribes, who built walls around their settlement in the 5th century BC, some of which are visible today.

The first historical mention ofSpoletiumis the notice of the foundation of a colony there in 241 BC;[6]and it was still, according toCicero[7]"colonia latina in primis firma et illustris":a Latin colony in 95 BC. After theBattle of Lake Trasimene(217 BC), Spoletium was attacked byHannibal,who was repulsed by the inhabitants.[8]During theSecond Punic Warthe city was a useful ally to Rome. It suffered greatly during the civil wars ofGaius MariusandSulla.The latter, after his victory over Marius, confiscated the territory of Spoletium (82 BC). From this time forth it was amunicipium.

Under the empire it seems to have flourished once again, but is not often mentioned in history.Martialspeaks of its wine.Aemilianus,who had been proclaimed emperor by his soldiers inMoesia,was slain by them here on his way from Rome (AD 253), after a reign of three or four months. Rescripts ofConstantine(326) andJulian(362) are dated from Spoleto. The foundation of the episcopal see dates from the 4th century: early martyrs of Spoleto are legends, but a letter to the bishopCaecilianus,fromPope Liberiusin 354 constitutes its first historical mention. Owing to its elevated position, Spoleto was an important stronghold during theVandalandGothicwars; its walls were dismantled byTotila.[9]

Under theLombards,Spoleto became the capital of an independent duchy, theDuchy of Spoleto(from 570), and its dukes ruled a considerable part of central Italy. On 29 April 801, it wasstruck by a severe earthquake.Several of its dukes, mainly during the late 9th century, rose to wear the crown of that[clarification needed]empire. Together with other fiefs, it was bequeathed toPope Gregory VIIby the powerful countessMatilda of Tuscany,but for some time struggled to maintain its independence. In 1155 it was destroyed byFrederick Barbarossa.In 1213 it was definitively occupied byPope Gregory IX.During theabsence of the papal court in Avignon,it was prey to the struggles betweenGuelphs and Ghibellines,until in 1354Cardinal Albornozbrought it once more under the authority of thePapal States.

TheRocca Albornozianafortress

In 1809, followingNapoleon's conquest of Italy, Spoleto became capital of the short-lived French department ofTrasimène.It returned toPapal Statescontrol within five years of Napoleon's subsequent defeat. In 1860, after a unsuccessful defence, Spoleto was taken by the troops fighting for the unification of Italy.

Giovanni Pontano,founder of theAccademia Pontanianaof Naples, was born in the town; as was Francis Possenti, who was educated in the Jesuit school and whose father was the Papal assessor. Francis later entered the Passionists and becameSaint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Main sights[edit]

Roman theatre
TheRocca Albornoziana

Ancient and lay buildings[edit]

  • The Romantheatre,largely rebuilt. The stage is occupied by the former church of St. Agatha, currently housing the National Archaeological Museum.
  • Ponte Sanguinariolit. 'bloody bridge',a 1st century BC Roman bridge. The name is traditionally attributed to thepersecutionsof Christians in the nearby amphitheatre.
  • A restored Roman house with mosaic floors, indicating it was built in the 1st century, and overlooked the forum square. An inscription by Polla toEmperor Caligulasuggests the house was that ofVespasia Polla,the mother ofEmperor Vespasian.
  • Romanamphitheaterfrom the 2nd century AD. It was turned into a fortress by Totila in 545 and in theMiddle Ageswas used for stores and shops, while the church of San Gregorio Minore was built. The stones were later used to build the Rocca Albornoziana.
  • Palazzo Comunale(13th century).
  • Ponte delle Torri[it],a 13th-centuryaqueduct,possibly on Roman foundations: scholarly opinion is divided on whether it was first built by the Romans.
  • Rocca Albornoziana,a fortress built in 1359–1370 by the architectMatteo Gattapone[it]ofGubbioforCardinal Albornoz.It has six sturdy towers which form two distinct inner spaces: theCortile delle Armi,for the troops, and theCortile d'onorefor the use of the city's governor. The latter courtyard is surrounded by a two-floor porch. The rooms include theCamera Pinta(lit. 'Painted Room') with 15th‑century frescoes. After having resisted many sieges, the Rocca was turned into a jail in 1800 and used as such until the late 20th century. After extensive renovation it was reopened as a museum in 2007.
  • Palazzo Racani-Arroni(16th century) has a worngraffitodecoration attributed toGiulio Romano.The inner courtyard has a fountain.
  • Palazzo della Signoria(14th century), housing the city's museum.
  • Palazzo Vigili(15th–16th centuries) includes theTorre dell'Olio(13th century), the sole remaining medieval city tower in Spoleto.
  • Temple of Clitumnuslies between Spoleto andTrevi.

Churches[edit]

Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta
San Pietro church, façade
Duomo (Cathedral) of S. Maria Assunta
construction of the building began around 1175 and completed in 1227. TheRomanesqueedifice contains the tomb ofFilippo Lippi,who died in Spoleto in 1469, designed by his sonFilippino Lippi.The church also houses a manuscript letter bySaint Francis of Assisi.
San Pietro extra Moenia
a church founded in 419 to house the chains that supposedly once bound St. Peter. It was built over an ancient necropolis. It was reconstructed from the 12th to the 15th century, when aRomanesquefaçade was added with three doors with rose-windows, withreliefdecoration by local artists, portraying stories of the life of St. Peter. The church is fronted by a large staircase. In the 17th century the interior was refurbished inBaroquestyle, with a basilica plan with a nave, two aisles, and anelliptical dome.
Basilica of San Salvatore
a 4th–5th century church incorporating thecellaof aRoman templeand example ofEarly Christian architecture.It was rebuilt by theLombardsin the 8th century. In 2011, it became aUNESCO World Heritage Siteas part of a group of seven inscribed as "Longobards in Italy, Places of Power (568–774 A.D.)".
San Ponziano
a monastery and 12th–century Romanesque church standing outside the city's walls, dedicated to the patron saint of Spoleto. The church was modified in later centuries byGiuseppe Valadier.The crypt, however, has remained untouched, with its five small naves and small apses with cross-vault, ancient Romanspoliacolumns and frescoes of the 14th–15th centuries.
Santa Maria della Manna d'Oro
a former sanctuary built in octagonal plan facing thepiazza del Duomo.Putatively erected by the town's merchants to thank the Madonna for sparing the city from plundering by the Imperial army in 1527, it is currently an exhibition hall.
San Domenico[it]
a 13th centuryGothicconstruction in white and pink stone. The interior has paintings byGiovanni Lanfranco.The crypt is a former church dedicated to St. Peter, with frescoed walls.
San Gregorio Maggiore
an 11th–12th century church recently restored to its original Romanesque elements. The façade has a 16th-century portico that includes the Chapel of the Innocents (14th century) with a font. The main external feature is the high belfry, finished in the 15th century. The interior has three naves with spolia columns and pillars.
Santi Giovanni e Paolo
a deconsecrated Romanesque church featuring, on the exterior, a 13th-centuryfrescoportrayingMadonna with Saints.The interior frescoes, from the 13th–15th centuries, include some of the most ancient representations of the martyrdom of St.Thomas Becket(painted byAlberto Sotio), and ofSt. Francis.
Basilica of Sant'Eufemia
an example of 12th-century Romanesque architecture influenced by Lombardy and Veneto. The interior has three naves with spolia columns.
San Paolo inter vineas
a 10th century Romanesque church with rose-window of the façade.
Former church andAugustinianconvent of San Nicolò (1304)
an example of Gothic style in Spoleto. The small church has a single nave with a polygonal apse with mullioned windows. Under the apse is the church of Santa Maria della Misericordia. There are two cloisters, the more recent one pertaining to the 15th century.
San Filippo Neri
Baroqueconstruction of mid-17th century, designed byLoreto Scelli[it].
Sant'Ansano
an 18th-century church built atop more ancient buildings, including a 1st-century Roman temple and the mediaeval Crypt of St. Isaac. It has a cloister from the 16th century.
Santi Simone e Giuda
a 13th-century church completed in 1280 that has undergone many restorations and losses.

Culture[edit]

TheFestival dei Due Mondi(lit. 'Festival of the Two Worlds') was founded in 1958. Because Spoleto was a small town, where real estate and other goods and services were at the time relatively inexpensive, and also because there are two indoor theatres, a Roman theatre and many other spaces, it was chosen byGian Carlo Menottias the venue for an arts festival. It is also fairly close to Rome, with good rail connections. It is an important cultural event, held annually in late June-early July.

The festival has developed into one of the most important cultural manifestations in Italy, with a three-week schedule of music, theater and dance performances. For some time it became a reference point for modern sculpture exhibits, and works of art left to the city byAlexander Calderand others are a testimony to this.

In the United States, a parallel festival —Spoleto Festival USA— held inCharleston, South Carolinawas founded in 1977 with Menotti's involvement. The twinning only lasted some 15 years and, after growing disputes between the Menotti family and the Spoleto Festival USA board, in the early 1990s a separation was consummated. However, following Menotti's death in February 2007, the city administrations of Spoleto and Charleston started talks to re-unite the two festivals which would climax in Spoleto mayor Massimo Brunini's attending the opening ceremony of Spoleto Festival USA in May 2008. For a short period of time, a third parallel festival was also held in Melbourne, Australia.

In 1992, the Spoleto Arts Symposium was initiated with the purpose of bringing talented people from all around the world to study in Spoleto. The program apparently ceased in 2009, to be replaced by a similar program, started by theCollege-Conservatory of Music (CCM)of the University of Cincinnati in 2010.

Sport[edit]

Spoleto gained its main results in sport with the localvolleyballteam, Olio Venturi Spoleto, who classified in the quarter finals of the Italian championship insport.

The town's football team,A.D. Voluntas Calcio Spoleto,play in Serie D.

ASD Spoleto Rugby, is the Rugby Union club of the town. They affiliated with FIR in 2014 and they play at Serie C2.

TheStadio Communalehosted an international Rugby League match, in 2018. The Italy national team (of the Lega Italiana Rugby Football League) played against the British-Asian Rugby League Association (BARA). BARA won the match.

Twin towns – sister cities[edit]

Surrounding area[edit]

Various suburbs and small villages surrounding the city of Spoleto (collectively referred to asFrazioni) include: Acquaiola, Acquacastagna, Ancaiano,Azzano,Baiano, Bazzano Inferiore, Bazzano Superiore, Beroide, Camporoppolo, Campo Salese, Cerqueto, Cese, Collerisana, Collicelli, Cortaccione, Crocemaroggia, Eggi, Fogliano, Forca di Cerro, Madonna di Baiano, Maiano, Messenano, Milano, Montebiblico,Monteluco,Monte Martano, Morgnano, Morro, Ocenelli, Palazzaccio, Perchia, Petrognano, Pompagnano, Pontebari, Poreta, Protte, Rubbiano, San Brizio, San Giacomo, San Giovanni di Baiano, San Martino in Trignano, San Nicolò, San Silvestro, Santa Croce, Sant'Anastasio, Sant'Angelo in Mercole, San Venanzo, Silvignano, Somma, Strettura, Terraia, Terzo la Pieve, Terzo San Severo, Testaccio, Uncinano, Valdarena, Valle San Martino, Vallocchia, Aloha.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011".Italian National Institute of Statistics.Retrieved16 March2019.
  2. ^Population data fromIstat
  3. ^"Spoleto".LexicoUK English Dictionary.Oxford University Press.Archived fromthe originalon 2020-03-22.
  4. ^"Spoleto".Merriam-Webster Dictionary.Retrieved30 May2019.
  5. ^"Spoleto".Collins English Dictionary.HarperCollins.Retrieved30 May2019.
  6. ^Liv. Epit. xxArchived2018-08-19 at theWayback Machine;Vell. Pat. i.14.
  7. ^(Pro Balbo)
  8. ^Livy xxii.9.
  9. ^Procopius,de Bello Gothicoiii. 12.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toSpoleto.


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