Spoleto City Guide

The enchanting and sleepy town of Spoleto sits perched upon a hill at the bottom of the Apennine Mountain Range in the heart of Italy. This beautiful city is bursting with quintessential Italian character that is only enhanced by the natural aesthetics of the green rolling hills in the surroundings. Although Spoleto is one of the largest medieval towns in the southern part of the region of Umbria, it maintains a small town feel that often makes it a favored respite from larger and more crowded cities, such as Rome. When making plans for your Italian vacation of a lifetime, be sure to set aside a day or two for the lovely town of Spoleto.

This charming town simply exudes Italian appeal with gorgeous sloping cobblestone streets that wind between buildings hosting citizens, local businesses, and fabulous restaurants and cafés. It is a splendidly romantic destination for a getaway to Italy. Those who stroll the streets of Spoleto can literally stop to smell the flowers in the planters stationed just outside first floor entryways and apartment balconies. It seems as though every nook and cranny of this fantastic town is filled with a touch of old-world Italian charm, such as pretty wooden shutters bordering windows and elegant lamps that light up the street when darkness falls.

Upon entering the town, travelers can expect a drastically and blissfully slower pace of life than what they may be used to at home. Locals here tend to value living each moment in the present. Whether it is taking time to water the flowers on the balcony while sipping a cup of hot coffee, strolling through the heart of the city to visit with neighbors, or wandering the countryside to contemplate some of Mother Nature’s finest work, life is to be unhurried and thoroughly enjoyed in Spoleto.

Spoleto has been a jewel of the Umbrian hills since as early as 241 BC when it was a Roman settlement. The city’s strategic location at the top of a valley surrounded by mountains historically made its inhabitants believe they were better safeguarded against enemy forces compared to other settlements. The city served as the capital of the powerful Duchy of Spoleto from the eighth century to the thirteenth century. Spoleto was later a part of the Papal States and eventually became part of Italy. Of all the influences exerted upon Spoleto, that of the Romans is perhaps the most evident still today in key landmarks of the city.

Even though Spoleto is considered to be a tranquil alternative to larger Italian cities, it does not lack in sightseeing opportunities. The Roman influence is perhaps most evident in the rebuilt Roman Theater, the ancient bridge called Ponte Sanguinario, and the Roman Aqueduct.

Spoleto’s ancient history and rich ties to religious history also make the town a must see for travelers of faith. In addition to a number of local historic churches and monasteries, the renowned Saint Francis of Assisi had connections to this town that have made it a popular site for religious pilgrims to this day.

Regardless of your reason for visiting the splendor of Spoleto, there are several ways to reach this Umbrian hill town. If flying into the area, most travelers prefer to fly into Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport. From there, the most efficient option is to travel by car, either a rental car or private driver, up to Spoleto.

Once travelers arrive in Spoleto, they can choose to traverse the city by car, taxi, bus, or foot. It is worth noting that much of the city’s upper town is mostly pedestrian, but there are parking lots available just outside the city.

GEOGRAPHY

The central Italian city of Spoleto is located in the province of Perugia and the region of Umbria. This adorable town sits perched on the foothills of the Apennine Mountains and overlooks the Umbrian countryside below.

Spoleto and its surrounding areas are rural and offer a stunning combination of scenery from Monte Subasio to the rolling green hills below. A large part of the city’s charm is widely considered to be its natural landscape and unity with nature.

CLIMATE

Because the city of Spoleto is landlocked and sits at the base of the Apennine Mountains, the weather tends to be cold in the winter and warmer in the summer.

Spoleto’s late summer months often experience some of the highest rates of tourism due to the warmer weather. Travelers can expect highs to be around 70 degrees Fahrenheit and for lows to hover around 50 degrees.

Fall experiences a steady decline in warm temperatures with highs averaging around the 60s and lows coming in somewhere in the neighborhood of the 40s.

The winter months in Spoleto are cold with an average high in the 40s and lows in the 30s. The spring season ushers in a gradual warming up with highs around the 50s or 60s and lows in the upper 30s or 40s.

The area’s highest rain chances usually arrive in spring and again in fall.

ONLY IN SPOLETO

One of the most unique characteristics of Spoleto is that it is a stop along what is often referred to as the Way of St. Francis. As mentioned above, Saint Francis played a large role in Christianity in a number of cities throughout Italy, including in Spoleto. The Way of Saint Francis is a roadmap of sorts that can take travelers through various places the saint visited hundreds of years ago.

Although there are a number of different versions of the Way of Saint Francis that cater to different activity and difficulty levels, the beginning of the journey is generally considered to be in La Verna and the ending to be in Rome. One of the stops along this journey is Spoleto where travelers can contemplate the natural beauty of the Umbrian countryside that was so beloved by Saint Francis.

The official path of the Way of Saint Francis is marked well with signage so that travelers can easily make their way through. Participating on this walk can take as little or as long as a traveler wishes based on which cities and hillside communities they choose to stop at along the way.

It is worth noting that Saint Francis did not make this journey in a day and neither should you. Those who have walked the Way of Saint Francis say that the beauty is in the journey rather than the destination. This walk offers some of the most intimate looks at the natural beauty of the area that might never be seen otherwise.

Make the gorgeous hill town of Spoleto a stop on your Italian vacation itinerary. The beauty of this city and surrounding area has a way of seeping into the soul of travelers making “arrivederci” (goodbye in Italian) a difficult word to say.Travel Guides

The Umbria Region of Italy

The Cities of Umbria, Italy