Splendid Spoleto, and a Guest Blogger

Located in central Umbria is the picturesque, hillside village of Spolteo. Known for Roman ruins, olive groves, vineyards and its imposing medieval fortress located high on a hill, this city is yet another fabulous place to include on your Umbrian itinerary. Spoleto is also known for the famous music and drama festival which my dear friend, Lisa Baker, is well aquatinted. She shares her first hand experience with the festival’s sister city, Charleston SC, in this post.

The first historical record of Spoleto dates to 241 BC when it was a Roman colony due to its strategic location on an important trade route. There are remains of Roman ruins here including a well preserved amphitheater built in the 2nd century AD.

The imposing fortress, Rocca Albornoziana located high on a hill above the village is the primary focal point of Spoleto. In the 14th century, Spanish Cardinal Egidio Albornoz was commissioned to bring law and order to the area after a period of unrest. He hired a leading military architect, Matteo Gattapone da Gubbio to design the fortress. Sadly, Albornoz didn’t live long enough to see the final fortress; yet his legend lives on in the name.

Once completed, the fortress served as the residence for the governors of the area. It was used as a prison from 1816 – 1982, and when the prison closed the fortress fell into disrepair. It was left abandoned until a restoration project began in the early 2000s.

The views from the fortress of the village and countryside below are spectacular.

Interestingly, there is a series of eight escalators to take you to the fortress.

Once you reach the top, you’ll walk down a long corridor lined with images from the festival. At the end of the corridor is an elevator which will zip you up effortlessly to the fortress. As we were riding up, I thought of all the merchants, servants, and other people who were summoned to the fortress back in the day, and had to trudge up the steep paths to their appointed chores. I can’t imagine what their reaction would be to the modern conveniences.

Now for Lisa Baker’s experience with the festival in Charleston, SC:

During my weekly Skype chat with Terry and Tricia  (our extraordinarily well travelled friends, who currently live in France – thus the need for Skype chats), they revealed they would be spending several weeks in Umbria, Italy. Upon hearing this, I implored them to visit the medieval village of Spoleto. It has been on my travel radar for decades.

It is through slightly unusual circumstances I feel so connected to this tiny Umbrian town I have never seen but heard so highly praised. Spoleto, Italy, has an interesting connection to Charleston, South Carolina, where I lived for 15 years.

The relationship between Spoleto, Italy, and Charleston, South Carolina traces back to 1958, when acclaimed opera composer and international jet-setter, Gian Carlo Menotti founded the performing arts event, Festival dei Due Mondi (Festival of Two Worlds). Menotti was born in Lombardy, worked and lived all over the Europe (Scotland was one primary residence), but he chose the small, ancient hilltop town of Spoleto, Italy, as the location of his glamourous annual event, where glitterati and arts aficionados from across Europe and the Americas would wine, dine, and attend performances by the world’s premier artists.

Wanting to expand upon the festival’s popularity and success – and extend the “festival of two worlds” theme – Menotti searched for a location across the US for a sister festival. In 1977, the annual 17-day Spoleto Festival USA premiered in Charleston, South Carolina – Charleston being chosen for its echoes of Spoleto, Italy: historic beauty, compact walkability, warm hospitality, and over ten historic theaters and churches (within a one-mile radius) for the festival’s 12+ daily performances by internationally renowned musicians, dancers, and actors.

Living in Charleston, I worked at Spoleto Festival USA from 1990 to 1998, at one point meeting the then 82 year-old Menotti when I was creating an opera education program based upon his new (and last) opera, The Singing Child.  In another capacity, I worked closely with our affluent board of directors, and hid the jealousy behind my smile as they told me of their vacations to Spoleto, Italy, and days at the Festival dei Due Mondi. I hoped one day I would get there, too.

When Terry and Tricia discovered Spoleto was very close to their Umbrian lodgings, they promised me they would take a day trip. And I’m so happy they did. Seeing Tricia’s photos, Terry’s sketches, and listening on our post-Spoleto Skype call to their glowing descriptions reminded me that Spoleto, Italy needs to be elevated back to the top of my “places I must see” list.

Thank you Lisa for sharing your experiences. What a thrill it must have been to have met Gian Carlo Menotti.

In addition to the ancient fortress and festival, there’s much to see in Spoleto. Just wandering through the narrow cobbled streets is a treat.

This concludes my series on our recent trip to Italy, I hope you enjoyed reading about all Umbria and Tuscany have to offer. As always, I would love to hear from you so feel free to leave a comment.

Wishing you grand adventures,

Tricia