Spello: Roman Traces and Renaissance Art

Spello brings together Roman architecture, medieval traces and works of art from several centuries. If you are looking for a hotel for a cultural trip, you can plan around these highlights: are you particularly interested in ancient gates and walls, mosaics and paintings, or churches and routes? The sights offer different perspectives on the town’s history and give you ideas for shaping your trip around your personal interests.

Roman Traces and Medieval Walls

Porta Venere was built during the Augustan period. Spello’s circuit of walls also dates from this era. It is about 2 km long and built from limestone from Monte Subasio; part of it was reused in the Middle Ages. Along Via Roma, you can walk beside a section of the Augustan city walls. The full extent of the circuit and a specific section you can walk along thus offer different points of reference for exploring the fortifications.

The Villa dei Mosaici di Spello is also part of the town’s archaeological history: it was discovered in July 2005 just outside the city walls, in the Sant’Anna area. The museum features ten rooms with mosaic floors and polychrome decorations. The motifs depicted include geometric shapes, human figures, wild animals and fantastical creatures. Visitors to the villa can use a free interactive app with additional multimedia content, detailed photographs and an audio guide. Check whether the app is available before your trip.

Art from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance

The Pinacoteca’s art collection is housed in the rooms of Palazzo dei Canonici. It includes Gothic and Baroque goldsmithery, medieval and Renaissance wood sculptures, and paintings dating from the late 13th to the 18th century. This span of time makes the Pinacoteca a place to explore different forms and periods of art.

The Baglioni Chapel in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore offers a narrower chronological focus: Pinturicchio covered it entirely with frescoes between late summer 1500 and spring 1501. They depict episodes from the life of Mary and scenes from everyday life. The details range from clothing and hairstyles to decorations, flowers and vegetation. While the Pinacoteca brings together works from several centuries, the chapel focuses on a group of frescoes created within a clearly defined period.

Churches and Routes Through Spello

The church of San Claudio is a 12th-century Romanesque building that stands on the remains of a Roman bath complex. Its history as a pilgrimage destination and marketplace also belongs to Spello’s past: between the 14th and 15th centuries, pilgrims travelled to the church, and important fairs were held in the square in front of its façade. The building’s history and its former use provide two different ways to explore the town’s past.

Spello is one of the Umbrian towns along the Via di Francesco. On the Foligno–Assisi section, the route leaves Spello through Porta Montanara and then continues along Via Bulgarella. The municipal visitor itineraries take a different approach: they lead through lanes and paths and include workshops and olive mills. When planning, you can distinguish between the specifically described route of the pilgrimage trail and the themes of the local visitor itineraries.

If you are looking for a hotel in Spello, the town’s art and history highlights can help guide your choice of destination. Whether you want to focus mainly on the Roman city walls, the mosaics in the villa or the frescoes in the Baglioni Chapel depends on your interests. Each period and theme can be explored separately.

Discover more destinations: Collestrada, San Feliciano, Cibottola, Todi, Agello, Mocaiana, Gaglietole, Vaiano

For the main travel overview: Perugia.