The Fortress which stands high above Spoleto was built in the 14th century. It was commissioned in 1360 by Pope Innocence VI. Access to the Fortress is either by an uphill path from the town or the easier moving walkway (about 500m of escalators) and a lift. Because our apartment is near the top of the hill we walked through the town to the lift then rode up to the Fortress. Once out of the lift we walked around the Fortress walls to the entrance. Entry fees were 7.50 euros and 6.00 euros (seniors price). Entry is through Pope Eugenio IV's room which is now a reception area and bookshop.
The Rocca Albornozania has had a mixed history. It was built as a strategic fortress to win back previously lost papal territories. It was also the residential seat of the Castellan and the Governor of the Duchy until the end of the 18th century when the Governors moved into the town. In the Renaissance the Rocca was both a centre of Papal power and a luxurious court. Many famous and infamous characters lived there, including Lucrezia Borgia and her brother Cesare (the illegitimate children of Pope AlexanderVI). In 1817 the fortress became a penal settlement and then became a high security prison following the unification of Italy. All of these activities have left their marks as new sections were added to the original buildings. In essence the building consists of 2 large courtyards with six towers and it is situated on Sant' Elia hill. In the 1980s restoration of the building began and the National Museum of the Duchy of Spoleto was opened there in 2007.
The two large courtyards are the Ward of Arms, which was used for military activities, and the Ward of Honour, which was used by the courtiers. The Ward of Arms is a large parade ground with rooms built into the walls.
The Ward of Honour is very decorative with two galleries of coloured bricks and brightly decorated walls and ceilings. The central courtyard has a hexagonal well which is dedicated to John the Baptist.
The two Wards are joined by the highly decorated Fornix. The decorations depict the cardinal virtues, the coat of arms of Pope Gregory XIII Boncompagni and the six towns neighbouring the Papal State.
The rooms around the Ward of Honour now house the Museum's collection. The collection includes a 6th century sarcophagus, marble friezes and many religious artworks. The walls and ceilings still retain many of the brightly coloured decorations and there are also segments of Roman mosaic flooring. Most of the wall decorations date from the 15th and 16th centuries.
The views from the Rocca are astounding and our cameras worked overtime taking photos.
The external ring of walls around the Rocca stands on a Roman ring of walls which dates from 241-90BC. The Roman wall can still be seen and it has a dedication to Saturn. The large rocks on the wall are from the original Roman wall.
Our train trip from Rome to Spoleto was complicated by a train crash last Friday. Two trains "brushed gently" as they were entering the main Roma Termini station. Train cancellations are common in Italy and the train derailment didn't help. The direct express train we intended to catch at 9.37am was cancelled and there was no guarantee that the next direct train at about 11.30am would run so we opted to catch a local train from Rome to Florence, with a change at Orte. While we waited for our train to leave at 11.13am, we bought some breakfast and drank coffee at one of the many food outlets at the station. We also bought an Italian SIM card for Robert's phone from the TIM (Italian Telecom) outlet at the station. We got a Special International deal for 14euros (about $A17.50) which will give us prepaid calls which we can top up and unlimited data- calls to Australia are 20 euro cents per minute plus 16 cent flag fall - Telstra take note!
We had a long walk to Platform 2 Est to catch our train - we thought we were walking to Orte. The train was FULL. We had to stand in the vestibule area with our luggage, with about 8 other people, all crammed into a small space. Well, we thought the train was full - until we got to the next station, where another trainload of people and luggage boarded. Now it was really packed and we shared the vestibule with about 15 others and their luggage. Luckily Orte was the first stop, about 30 minutes away, so we weren't cramped for too long. We bought our onwards tickets and had a comfortable seat for the remaining 45 minutes to Spoleto.
We were met at Spoleto station by Joanna who delivered us to the apartment which will be our home until the 12th May. Whilst we are in Spoleto for 2 months, we will need to change apartments a couple of times. Our landlords, Norma and Laurie, have a number of properties here and we need to move because we couldn't get the full 2 months in one place. Our apartment is excellent, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms etc etc... plenty of room for us to spread out and all mod cons. We have a welcome pack of basics to get us going too. After we settled in and had a rest we went for a walk to get our bearings and check out the town. Spoleto closes between 1.00- 4.30pm and shops then stay open until about 8.00pm. Restaurants open for dinner around 7.30pm.
This is a pretty walled hilltop town in Umbria. Population is about 30,000. The city is sort of in 2 parts, the older city within the walls and on top of the hill, and the new city at the bottom of the hill, where the station is. There is a circular city bus which runs frequently at 1euro per ticket which lasts for 70 minutes after it has been validated. Our apartment is near the top of the hill just outside the city walls.
We walked through the park across the road and into the city. There are many lanes to wander through and piazzas to sit and drink coffee or wine and watch the world go by. Pace seems to be fairly relaxed - unless you are in a car. Our walk took us to the supermarket to buy some supplies and then back up the hill to the apartment (of course the supermarket is in the new city at the bottom of the hill). We're eating in tonight so bought some panchetta and crusty bread to go with the cheese and wine in the fridge.
Thursday 3rd May is a bright sunny day. The weather here seems similar to Canberra, just 6 months later/earlier. Temperatures are cool in the evening with warm sunny days. We expect it to warm up considerably while we're here as we move into summer.
It's coming into festival time and there are several festival over the next few months. The big Spoleto Art and Culture Festival starts in late June and goes through to mid-August and hopefully we will be able to get tickets to some events. There's also a Piano Festival here in May and another festival in nearby Foligno so we won't be starved of culture over the next few months.
We've made it to Rome after a very long day - all 32 hours of it. We were p at 3am to be on the 6am flight from Sydney to Dubai (14 1/2 hours). At Dubai we had a brief stop with just enough time to walk to the gate and board our plane to Rome, another 6 hours. All capped off with a total 8 hour time difference.
This is the first time we have flown with Emirates and we'll be happy to fly with them again. We have had good seats on both flights and although the food service was slow, the food was delicious and there was plenty of it. The flight from Dubai to Rome took an interesting route. Once we left the United Arab Emirates we skirted the coastline of Saudi Arabia. Then we flew over Kuwait, across Iraq and into Turkey. We saw plenty of snow capped mountain ranges in Turkey. Then is was over the Aegean Sea and across Greece, over the Adriatic Sea and on to Italy and Rome.
Once we cleared Immigration and Customs we boarded the train to take us to Roma Termini - the main train station in Rome. From there we found our hotel, only a few minutes walk, and all without a map. We've realised that our maps and Italian tour books are all in storage in Sydney. The 2* Hotel Urbis is comfortable and we had a good sleep. We chose this hotel on the internet for its proximity to the station. Not a bad choice and quiet after about 10pm. It had a very small lift and we can only fit ourselves and our 2 bags in it.
We've bought a passenger with us, one of Tash's dolls, "Penny", is travelling with us and will appear in photos from time to time. Our usual travelling companion "Baa the Sheep" is in long term storage so will miss out on this trip.
The external ring of walls around the Rocca stands on a Roman ring of walls which dates from 241-90BC. The Roman wall can still be seen and it has a dedication to Saturn. The large rocks on the wall are from the original Roman wall.
