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Rich in
history,
the town
was the seat of
the Duchy
of Spoleto,
which, with its
55 dukes
dominated part
of central
Italy for over
400 years,
until
the 13th
century. The
numerous works
of art and
architecture from
the
Roman era
(amphitheatre,
theatre, the
Roman house,
etc.) indicate
the importance
of Spoleto in
the remote
past.
After the
end of the
Duchy. the
city became
part of the
Papal
States.
Under the
dominion of
the
Church, the
Rocca
Albornoz
was
built, which
takes its
name from
the
Cardinal who
ordered its
constructio.
An
unassailable
fortress,
it is
situated on
the hill of
Saint Elia,
the highest
point of
the
town. In
recent
history,
from
the mid
1800s to
the 1970s,
the Rocca
was a
prison. Beginning
in 1984,
an
enormous undertaking
of
restoration
returned
the castle
to its
ancient
beauty
and returned
it to
the
national
historic
treasury, and
made it
available
to
visitors.
The fortress
now houses
the
National
Academy
of Book
Restoration
and the
Duchy
Museum; It
is also the
place where
many
performances,
including
events of
the
Festival of
Two Worlds,
meetings,
concerts,
art
exhibitions
and dance
shows are
held.
Adjacent
to the
Rocca is
the majestic
Ponte delle
Torri, built to
supply water
and to connect
the city to
Monteluco, the
"holy mountain"
of Spoleto. The
bridge,
80 meters
high, is
one of the most
important,
audacious and
best
conserved examples
of Medieval
architecture.
Walking from
the Rocca to
the historical
center, you can
observe Piazza
del Duomo,
defined by many
experts as one
of the most
beautiful
squares in the
world. The
Cathedral of
Spoleto,
romanic
building,
century
XII-XIII
contains great
works of
Bernini,
Pinturicchio and
wonderful
frescoes of
Filippo Lippi,
whose tomb is
in one of the
chapels in
the
cathedral.
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