Spello

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Comune di Spello
Municipal coat of arms
Country	Italy
Region	Umbria
Province	Perugia (PG)
Mayor	Sandro Vitali (since June 13, 2004)

Elevation	280 m
Area	61 km²
Population
- Total (as of December 31, 2004)	8,593
- Density	136/km²
Time zone	CET, UTC+1
Coordinates	42°59′N 12°40′E
Gentilic	Spellani
Dialing code	0742
Postal code	06038
Frazioni	Collepino, San Giovanni, Limiti, Acquatino, Capitan Loreto
Patron	St. Felix
- Day	May 18
Website: www.comune.spello.pg.it

Spello (in Antiquity: Hispellum) is an ancient town and comune (township) of Italy, in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the lower southern flank of Mt. Subasio. It is 6 km (4 mi) NNW of Foligno and 10 km (6 mi) SSE of Assisi.

The old walled town lies on a regularly NW-SE sloping ridge that eventually meets the plain. From the top of the ridge, Spello commands a good view of the Umbrian plain towards Perugia; at the bottom of the ridge, the town spills out of its walls into a small modern section (or Borgo) served by the rail line from Rome to Florence via Perugia.

[edit] History

This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it.

[edit] Main sights

The densely-inhabited town, built of stone, is of decidedly medieval aspect, and is enclosed in a circuit of medieval walls on Roman foundations, including three Roman or Late Antique gates and traces of three more, as well several medieval gates. Spello boasts about two dozen small churches, most of them medieval: the most important are:

S. Maria Maggiore (13th century), with a very fine chapel frescoed by Pinturicchio.
S. Andrea.
S. Lorenzo.
S. Claudio (11th century or earlier), an elegant building with a rose window and votive frescoes, said to have been built on the remains of a Roman temple.

In the plain, near S. Claudio, are the remains of a semi-excavated Roman amphitheater; and a small valley to the east of the town is remarkable for its traces of Roman centuriation.

Beyond the town proper, the comune's chief monuments are the church of S. Silvestro at Collepino, and the church of the Madonna della Spella with late-medieval votive frescoes and graffiti.