Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Come summer, the green-fingered locals try to outdo each other with their billowing
hanging baskets and flowerpots, filling the streets with a riot of colour and scent.
Sights
A leisurely stroll is the best way to click into Spello's easygoing groove. Begin at
Porta
Consolare
, which dates from Roman times, then head towards Piazza Matteotti, the heart
of Spello, where the impressive 12th-century
Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore
(Piazza Matteotti;
8.30am-12.30pm & 3-7pm Mar-Oct, to 6pm Nov-Feb)
houses the town's real treat. In its
Cap-
pella Baglioni
, Pinturicchio's beautiful frescoes of the life of Christ are in the right-hand
corner as you enter. Even the floor, dating from 1566, is a masterpiece. Stay in the same
piazza for the gloomier
Chiesa di Sant'Andrea
(Piazza Matteotti;
8am-7pm)
, where you can
admire Pinturicchio's
Madonna with Child and Saints
.
To see the view of all views, head up past the
Arco Romano
to the
Chiesa di San Severino
.
The active Capuchin monastery is closed to the public but its Romanesque facade is so
stunning you'll have trouble deciding whether you'd like to gaze at its architecture or the
bucolic countryside view below.
Festivals & Events
Corpus Domini
The people of Spello celebrate this feast in June (the Sunday 60 days after Easter) by skil-
fully decorating the main street with fresh flowers in colourful designs. Come on the
Saturday evening before the Sunday procession to see the floral fantasies being laid out
(from about 8.30pm). The Corpus procession begins at 11am on Sunday.
RELIGIOUS
Sleeping
Agriturismo il Bastione
( 320 6761004;
www.bastione.it
;
Via Fontemonte 3; d €75-90, incl half-board €125-140; )
What a delight this medieval farmstead is! On the slopes of 1290m Monte Subasio and
surrounded by olive trees, the
agriturismo
has stirring views over patchwork plains and
hills. The rooms and suites have a cosily rustic flavour, with wrought-iron beds, beams
and stone walls. Dinner, served in the barrel-vaulted restaurant, is a feast of homegrown
produce.
AGRITURISMO
€
