Rocca Albornoziana

Spoleto


Dominating the skyline above Spoleto, this formidable fortress was built on the summit of Colle Sant’Elia as part of a 14th-century campaign to reassert papal authority over central Italy. Nowadays, it houses the Museo Nazionale del Ducato, a small museum tracing the history of the Spoleto duchy through a series of Roman, Byzantine, Carolingian and Lombard artefacts, ranging from 5th-century sarcophagi to Byzantine jewellery.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Spoleto attractions

1. Duomo

0.11 MILES

A flight of steps sweeps down to Spoleto's pale-stone cathedral, photogenically set on a graceful hillside piazza. Originally constructed to a Romanesque…

2. Ponte delle Torri

0.14 MILES

Many people gasp the first time they glimpse the medieval Ponte delle Torri, a 10-arch bridge that spectacularly spans a steeply wooded gorge – a scene…

3. Casa Romana

0.21 MILES

With its intact floor mosaics and vaulted ceilings, this small house gives visitors a peek into what a typical Roman villa would have looked like in the…

4. Arco di Druso e Germanico

0.26 MILES

This ancient arch, built in the 1st century AD and named after the Emperor Tiberius' sons, originally formed the monumental entrance to Spoleto's Roman…

5. Museo del Tessile e del Costume

0.35 MILES

Housed in Palazzo Rosari-Spada, this museum holds a collection of antique noble finery from the 15th to the 20th century, donated from the wardrobes of…

6. Teatro Romano

0.36 MILES

Accessible though the Museo Archeologico, this well-preserved Roman amphitheatre often hosts live performances during the summer; check with the museum or…

7. Museo Archeologico

0.37 MILES

Spoleto's archaeological museum, housed in a 15th-century monastery on the western edge of Piazza della Libertà, holds a well-curated collection of Roman…

8. Palazzo Collicola Arte Visive

0.4 MILES

The 18th-century Palazzo Collicola houses Spoleto's premier collection of modern art. The collection, named after its late former director and noted art…