Spello
The Consular Gate marks the entrance to the city of Spello, described by Julius Caesar as the “Splendidissima Colonia Julia.” This enchanting village of Roman origin is counted among the most beautiful in Italy, thanks to its rich environmental, cultural and artistic heritage. The gate, dating back to the first century BC, is flanked by three Roman funerary statues and represents one of the most significant testimonies of the city’s glorious past. Spello still preserves numerous traces of its Roman past, with ancient walls that embrace the village and historical monuments such as the Towers of Propertius, imposing structures that protect Porta Venere, another access point to the village. named after the Roman goddess of beauty and love. This monumental gate is one of the best preserved in Italy and offers a fascinating glimpse into Roman military engineering. The Towers of Propertius, with their octagonal shapes, offer a fascinating example of Roman military architecture.
One of the treasures of Spello is the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, which can be reached along picturesque alleys and ancient streets adorned with balconies in bloom. These flower-filled balconies have become symbols of the village, contributing to its charm and attracting numerous visitors every year. The “Balconi Fioriti” competition, which rewards the best decorated balconies and windows, is an annual event that celebrates the floral beauty of Spello, contributing to its picturesque charm.
Inside the church is the Baglioni Chapel, decorated with a Deruta majolica floor and frescoes by the famous artist Bernardino di Betto, better known as Pinturicchio. The frescoes, painted between 1500 and 1501, depict biblical scenes and figures of saints with an incredible richness of detail and color.
The Baglioni Chapel, located inside the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is one of the most significant artistic treasures of Umbria and Italy, a precious jewel of the Renaissance, it was commissioned by the prior Troilo Baglioni in 1500 as a family funeral chapel.
The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, dating back to the twelfth century, was chosen as the burial place for the Baglioni family, one of the most powerful and influential families in the region. Pinturicchio was commissioned to decorate the chapel, and his work was completed in 1501.
The Main Frescoes are:
The Annunciation: This fresco depicts the archangel Gabriel announcing to the Virgin Mary that she will be the mother of Jesus. The scene is rich in symbolic details and features a landscape backdrop that showcases Pinturicchio’s skill in depicting nature.
The Adoration of the Shepherds: The scene of the Nativity is depicted here, with the shepherds adoring the Child Jesus. The fresco is known for its warm atmosphere and realistic rendering of the characters and animals.
The Dispute of Jesus among the Doctors: This fresco shows the adolescent Jesus arguing with the doctors of the Temple in Jerusalem. The composition is dynamic and rich in detail, with a careful representation of facial expressions and gestures.
The vaulted ceiling of the chapel is decorated with images of sibyls and prophets, figures that in Christian iconography foretell the coming of Christ. These figures are arranged in elegant frames and accompanied by floral and geometric decorations that demonstrate the influence of classical motifs. Another distinctive element of the Baglioni Chapel is the majolica floor, made with tiles from Deruta, an Umbrian city famous for its ceramics. The floor is composed of colorful tiles with geometric and floral patterns, which give the chapel an extra touch of sophistication and color.
Spello also boasts a very rich Civic and Diocesan Art Gallery, housed in the Palazzo dei Canonici. The collection includes works of great historical and artistic value, including paintings, sculptures and sacred art from churches and convents in the area. Among the artists represented, names such as Niccolò Alunno and Perugino stand out.
Just outside the walls of Spello, you will find the wonderful museum complex known as the Villa of Mosaics. Discovered in 2005, the villa has brought to light 500 square meters of precious Roman mosaics, whose central theme is that of the grape harvest and wine. The mosaics, dated between the third and fourth centuries A.D., offer an extraordinary testimony of the life and economic activities of the Roman era.
Every year in June, on the occasion of the feast of Corpus Christi, Spello is transformed into a riot of flowers, colors and scents with the setting up of the Infiorate. The master florists work an entire night to create carpets and floral paintings that wind along the streets of the historic center, honoring the passage of the Body of Christ carried in procession by the bishop on Sunday morning. The result is a spectacular route of about 2000 meters, characterized by the alternation of over sixty different floral decorations with dazzling colors and refined shades, an authentic masterpiece of the artistic imagination of Spello. The Infiorate are a tradition that has its roots in the sixteenth century and attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world every year. The origins of the Infiorate di Spello date back to the seventeenth century, although the event in its current form took hold during the twentieth century. The tradition of the infiorata, or the creation of carpets and floral paintings, is closely linked to the feast of Corpus Christi, established in 1264 by Pope Urban IV to celebrate the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. In Spello, this celebration has taken on a unique artistic dimension, thanks to the skill and creativity of its inhabitants.
The preparation of the infiorate begins many weeks before the event. The“master infloretors”design and draw their works on paper, often inspired by religious, artistic or natural motifs. The drawings are then transposed onto the pavement of the streets using colored chalks. The night before Corpus Christi is known as the“Night of Flowers.”It is during this night that the flower masters and their assistants work tirelessly to complete their works. Thousands of flowers are collected, sorted and chopped to create the floral carpets. The Infiorata di Spello is one of the most spectacular and fascinating events in Italy, celebrated every year on the occasion of the feast of Corpus Christi in June. This event transforms the streets of the village into a real carpet of flowers, with extraordinary artistic compositions that enchant visitors and celebrate the tradition and religious devotion of the Spellana community.
Spello pays homage to its Roman splendour with the historical re-enactment “Hispellum,” which takes place every year in August. During the event, the village comes back to life as it did in Roman times, with historical reconstructions of artisan shops, the market, baths, taverns, temples and military camps. In the evening, the alleys come alive offering unmissable banquets, performances and gladiatorial fights. In the evening, the alleys come alive offering unmissable banquets, shows and gladiatorial fights. The event also includes the historical parade, in which citizens wear Roman costumes and parade through the streets of the village, recreating the atmosphere and everyday life of ancient Spello.
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