Valle Umbra and Valnerina

<< Umbria

Valle Umbra is a large valley in the Province of Perugia, which extends between Assisi and Spoleto. This area features several historic towns with interesting attractions, including Spoleto and Foligno. East of Spoleto is Valnerina, a valley among the mountains hosting the towns of Norcia and Cascia.

Spoleto

Spoleto is a city located among the hills of Umbria, in the Province of Perugia. Inhabited since prehistoric times, it was a Roman town, and it rose to prominence when it became the capital of an independent Lombard duchy in the 6th century. Throughout the Early Middle Ages, the Duchy of Spoleto ruled over a large portion of Central Italy, but eventually the city became part of the Papal States in the 13th century. Spoleto is known today for its beautiful old town and rich artistic and cultural heritage.

✪ Rocca Albornoziana

The Rocca Albornoziana is a large 14th-century fortress built under the rule of the Papal States, and located on top of a hill overlooking Spoleto. The structure features imposing walls and towers and it is very well preserved. The fortress was used as a prison until 1982, but now it hosts the National Museum of the Duchy of Spoleto (Museo Nazionale del Ducato di Spoleto). The museum houses a rich collection of local art and archaeology dating from the Middle Ages.

✪ Monumental Complex of Sant’Agata

The Monumental Complex of Sant’Agata (Complesso Monumentale di Sant’Agata) is a museum complex hosted in a former monastery in the center of Spoleto. Here is the National Archaeological Museum of Spoleto (Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Spoleto), a rich archaeological museum housing numerous finds unearthed around the city, and dating from prehistory until the Roman age. Just outside the museum is the Roman Theater (Teatro Romano), which dates from the 1st century BCE. The complex also includes the historic Church of Sant’Agata, now deconsecrated.

✪ Spoleto Cathedral

The Spoleto Cathedral (Duomo di Spoleto) is the main church in Spoleto, built in the Late Middle Ages in Romanesque style. Its facade features various decorations, including some rose windows and a large mosaic, made in Byzantine style in 1207. The interior is adorned with Baroque decorations and houses a series of 15th-century frescoes painted by Filippo Lippi, one of the greatest works of the artist. The church also hosts various decorated chapels and several artworks.

Ponte delle Torri

Ponte delle Torri is a medieval bridge in Spoleto, built over a previous Roman aqueduct around the 14th century. The bridge is over 80 meters tall, and spans a gorge connecting the Rocca Albornoziana with a small fortification called Fortilizio dei Mulini.

Casa Menotti

Casa Menotti is a historic palace in the center of Spoleto, and the former residence of Gian Carlo Menotti, a composer and the founder of the Festival dei Due Mondi (“Festival of the Two Worlds”), a summer festival dedicated to music and opera. The palace hosts a museum dedicated to the history of the festival and the life and work of Menotti.

Teatro Caio Melisso

The Teatro Caio Melisso is a 17th-century theater located next to the Spoleto Cathedral. The theater, one of the oldest of its kind, was reworked a few times and adorned with various decorations. In the 19th century, the large Teatro Nuovo was built in the city and the Teatro Caio Melisso suffered a decline. After being restored in the 1950s, it is now one of the main venues of the Festival dei Due Mondi. Adjacent to the theater is the deconsecrated Church of Santa Maria della Manna d’Oro, built during the Renaissance.

Church of Sant’Eufemia

The Church of Sant’Eufemia is an ancient Romanesque church in the center of Spoleto. The church was built inside the former palace of the Lombard Dukes of Spoleto, which later became the residence of the local archbishop. Originally built in Lombard style, it was reworked with Romanesque elements in the Late Middle Ages. The adjacent palace houses the Diocesan Museum (Museo Diocesano), a collection of religious artworks spanning several centuries.

Church of Sant’Ansano

The Church of Sant’Ansano is a Neoclassical church built in the 18th century over a previous church and an even older Roman temple. The structure still preserves some sections of the Roman temple and also features a medieval crypt. Adjacent to the church is the Roman Arch of Drusus and Germanicus (Arco di Druso e Germanico), erected in 23 CE.

Museum of Textile and Costume of Spoleto

The Museum of Textile and Costume (Museo del Tessuto e del Costume) of Spoleto is a museum that displays the history of clothing from the Late Middle Ages until today. The museum houses a large collection of historic clothes and accessories.

Palazzo Collicola

Palazzo Collicola is an 18th-century palace in Spoleto that hosts the Carandente Museum (Museo Carandente), a collection of modern and contemporary artworks from the 20th and 21st century. The palace also includes an apartment adorned with 18th-century artworks and furniture.

Church of San Salvatore

The Church of San Salvatore is an ancient church founded around the 4th or 5th century and renovated by the Lombards in the 8th century. Despite having lost most of its original decorations, the church is one of the best examples of Lombard architecture in the region.

Church of San Pietro

The Church of San Pietro is a historic church located just south of Spoleto. Built during the Late Middle Ages, it is best known for the elaborate medieval reliefs that adorn its facade.

Cascia

Cascia is a small town located among the mountains of Umbria in the Province of Perugia, known for being the birthplace of Saint Rita of Cascia and housing some religious sites related to the saint.

Sanctuary of Santa Rita da Cascia

The Sanctuary of Santa Rita da Cascia (Santuario di Santa Rita da Cascia) is a religious complex in the center of Cascia. Originally a small church and a monastery, the current basilica was erected in the 20th century, and it houses the relics of Saint Rita of Cascia.

Roccaporena

Roccaporena is a tiny hamlet located just west of Cascia. This village hosts the birthplace of Saint Rita of Cascia, the church where she got married, the house where she lived with her family, a small garden, and a 20th-century church dedicated to the saint. A small church is located on top of a rocky hill next to the town, on the place where Saint Rita used to pray. The village is a popular pilgrimage site.

Norcia

Norcia is a small town located among the hills in eastern Umbria, in the Province of Perugia. Norcia was a Roman town and it is famous for being the birthplace of Saint Benedict, founder of the Benedictine monastic order. The town has various historic attractions, but it has been heavily damaged by a series of earthquakes in 2016.

Basilica of San Benedetto

The Basilica of San Benedetto is the main church of Norcia, orginally built in the Late Middle Ages and featuring a beautiful Gothic facade and various Baroque decorations. Most of the structure was destroyed by an earthquake in 2016, and it is currently being rebuilt.

La Castellina

La Castellina is a 16th-century fort in the center of Norcia. The building used to host a museum of local art and archaeology, but it is currently closed as it is being restored after suffering heavy damages during an earthquake in 2016.

Campello sul Clitunno

Campello sul Clitunno is a small town in the Province of Perugia, known for an ancient church located in its territory.

Temple of Clitumnus

The Temple of Clitumnus (Tempietto del Clitunno) is a small church located near Campello sul Clitunno. It was erected in the Early Middle Ages, or maybe even the 3rd or 4th century, in the shape of a classic temple with Corinthian columns. It features various ancient decorations and frescoes, and it is among the greatest examples of early medieval architecture in Umbria.

Montefalco

Montefalco is a small town located near Foligno in the Province of Perugia, best known for its winemaking industry.

Museum Complex of San Francesco

The Museum Complex of San Francesco (Complesso Museale di San Francesco) is an art and archaeology museum hosted in a church and convent in Montefalco. The church, built during the 14th century, features a series of medieval frescoes, while its crypt houses a collection of archaeological finds mostly dating from the Roman age. The adjacent monastery hosts an art gallery featuring many Renaissance paintings.

Foligno

Foligno is the second largest city in the Province of Perugia. Founded in ancient times, it was a Roman town and an important regional center throughout the Middle Ages, when it was ruled by Spoleto and then the Papal States. The city hosts a few historic attractions.

Foligno Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of San Feliciano (Cattedrale di San Feliciano)

The Foligno Cathedral (Duomo di Foligno) is a historic church erected over a previous religious site in the Late Middle Ages, and later reworked. Its facade features elaborate decorations and a large mosaic, while the interior hosts various artworks and an 18th-century Baroque baldachin. The church has been damaged by an earthquake in 2016 and it is currently being restored. The palace adajcent to the cathedral houses a museum of religious art.

Palazzo Trinci

Palazzo Trinci is a medieval palace in Foligno, located next to the cathedral of the city. The palace features many Gothic elements and some frescoed halls, and it houses a museum complex. The art gallery hosted here features several paintings mostly dating from the Renaissance, while the archaeological section includes many finds from the Roman age.

Sassovivo Abbey

The Sassovivo Abbey (Abbazia di Sassovivo) is a historic Benedicitine monastery located among the mountains east of Foligno. Founded in the 11th century, it was one of the most powerful abbeys in the region during the Late Middle Ages, with various possessions in Central Italy. After a period of decline, it was closed in the 19th century. The abbey features a medieval cloister with Romanesque decorations, and hosts various frescoes and artworks.

Rasiglia

Rasiglia is a tiny hamlet located among the mountains east of Foligno. The village is a popular tourist destination, known for being crossed by a series of streams, canals, and waterfalls that create a very pleasant and beautiful environment.

Spello

Spello is a town located on a small hill north of Foligno, in the Province of Perugia. Founded in ancient times, the town features various historic attractions mostly dating from the Late Middle Ages.

Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maggiore

The Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maggiore (Collegiata di Santa Maria Maggiore) is a historic church in Spello, erected during the Late Middle Ages. The church is best known for housing the Baglioni Chapel (Cappella Baglioni), adorned with a series of beautiful Renaissance frescoes painted by Pinturicchio.