Umbria - Italy - page 222

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Be sure also to look down at the geometric designs of the marble floor, said to
be the original of the Christian temple built in the 7th century. Then walk to the
chapel at the left of the altar to see a genuine St. Francis autograph, at the bottom
of a letter he wrote to one of his followers, now preserved behind glass in an
ornate frame. On the right side of the altar is a chapel containing a spooky black-
and-silver Virgin Mary icon. Barbarossa stole the icon from Constantinople, and
then donated it to the newly constructed Duomo in a “sorry I destroyed your
town” gesture.
Walk the steps to the top of Piazza Duomo, and then follow Via Saffi to Via
del Ponte to reach Spoleto's famous Ponte delle Torri bridge

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. This awe-
inspiring arched stone structure towers 75m (250 ft.) above the Tessino gorge and
225m (750 ft.) across the river, from Spoleto to Monteluco. The architect
Gattapone designed the bridge in the 14th century on top of an ancient Roman
aqueduct, the still-visible structure serving as the medieval bridge's base. A num-
ber of shaded mountain paths begin at the far side of the bridge. Maps are avail-
able in the tourist office.
Viewed from the bridge, or from anywhere else in town, the Rocca fortress
( % 0743-43707; € 5) stands in intimidating watch over Spoleto, and was
designed to look that way. Pope Innocent VI had his “pit bull,” the Cardinal
Albornoz, supervise construction of this castle in the 1360s, and populated it with
troops to keep Spoleto under Vatican control. As the need to subjugate the city
faded, the fortress served as a prison for hundreds of years. It went through reno-
vations the reverse of those seen in many Italian hotels: medieval walls stripped
bare of frescoes, rooms made less hospitable, windows bricked shut. It has housed
enemies of the state, including Slavic political prisoners, Red Brigade terrorists,
and the man who tried to assassinate Pope John Paul II.
Nowadays, the Rocca has been converted once again, this time into an art
gallery, performance space, and medieval museum showing off restored frescoes
and original gardens. Admission is only by guided tour, and English-language
tours are offered only twice daily, at 11am and 3pm. But because the guides don't
really add much beyond the info pamphlet, consider joining one of the hourly
Italian tours and simply admiring the views. Tickets can be bought at the wood
shed at the gate of the castle drive at the end of Via Saffi, where a minibus will
take you to the fortress. Tours (in Italian) run from 10am to 6pm in summer, but
are more limited in winter months. Call for more information on their ever-
changing schedule.
To gain an appreciation of ancient Spoletium, visit the Teatro Romano

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and
the connected Museo Archeologico (Via San Agata, 18, just below Piazza della
Libertà; % 0743-223277; € 2.50). You can enter through the doors and peek
through the railing for a free view of the Roman theater, or pay the € 2.50 for the
combination visit. The theater, constructed in the 1st century A . D ., sank into the
ground and had to be rebuilt at that time, sort of an ancient Leaning Tower of
Pisa. It lay buried over the years, and was only excavated and restored in the
1950s. Today it's used as part of the Spoleto Festival. The museum has some note-
worthy artifacts, including a set of stone tablets outlining local Roman laws, and
a shield and weapons recovered from a Bronze Age tomb.
Another view into the distant past can be seen in the crypt of the usually ignored
Sant'Ansano Church (next to Piazza del Mercato; free admission; 7:30am-noon and