What to See in Spello, Between the Infiorata and Pinturicchio

Spello is a municipality in Umbria well known for its splendid historic center, for the works of Pinturicchio, and for the infiorata that every year, on Corpus Christi day, attracts many tourists. Spello, Umbria. It is located about 219 meters above sea level, thus in a very favorable position for flora, and is nestled on the slope of Monte Subasio, above the Topino tributary. It is only 4 kilometers from Foligno and about 35 kilometers from the Umbrian capital, Perugia. Spello is also culture, thanks to its heritage made of museums, art galleries, and ancient villas. Here is what to see in Spello in half a day or even over two days.

What to See in Spello

1 Collegiata di Santa Maria Maggiore and Pinturicchio

Founded in the 11th-12th centuries, the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Spello features a facade dating back to 1644, made during the enlargement of the building. Notice the architrave, the jambs with beautiful frieze and acanthus scrolls of the portal, works by stonemasons active between the 12th-13th centuries between Foligno and Bevagna, partially attributed to craftsmen from Spoleto. The church is in a Latin cross plan and has a nave with a ribbed vault ceiling. In the second half of the 17th century, it was equipped with seven altars and rich stucco decoration. On the altars, numerous works dating back to the 17th century. To the right of the entrance, there is a marble altar of Gaio Titieno Flacco (today used as a holy water font) already present in Santa Maria Maggiore since the 15th century, next to it a marble baptistery shaped like a pyx, by Gasparino from Val di Lugano (1509-1511).

Spello and Pinturicchio

Along the left wall, after the second left altar, opens the Baglioni Chapel, commissioned in 1500 by Troilo Baglioni to the artist Bernardino di Betto, called Pinturicchio (Perugia, circa 1452 – Siena, December 11, 1513). It features a floor richly decorated with maiolica tiles from Deruta dated 1566. The chapel is entirely frescoed by the artist, starting from the vault sails with the sibyls Tiburtina, Eritrea, Europea, Samia seated on thrones; on the left wall, the Annunciation with the artist’s self-portrait and signature. On the back wall, Adoration of the Shepherds and arrival of the Magi; on the right wall, Disputation of the Doctors in the Temple.
Along the left wall also notice the Renaissance sandstone pulpit by Simone da Campione (1545). The high altar covered by the ciborium (or tribune) in caciolfa stone by Rocco di Tommaso from Vicenza (1515). In the roundels; eight terracotta heads by Giandomenico da Carrara: Prophets (1562). On the pillars flanking the apse, two works by Perugino, on the left “Pietà, St. John the Evangelist, and Mary Magdalene”, removed from an unknown location (work dated 1521) and on the right “Madonna with Child, St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Blaise”, removed from an unknown location (work dated 1521).

2 Spello Infiorata

In the days preceding Corpus Christi in Spello , Perugia, there is a real general mobilization of numerous teams of Infioratori, who spread along the slopes of Subasio, through the fields and plains of the green Umbrian valleys. Visiting Spello during this period is a very experiential experience. During flower gathering, other citizens, especially older ladies, spend their evenings in cool ground-floor rooms, separating petals by color and finely chopping fragrant herbs.

On the eve of Corpus Christi, from early afternoon, the streets of Spello involved in the procession route are closed to traffic and literally invaded by groups of citizens and visitors of all ages. 

First, appropriate lighting systems are set up, and then well-tested protection systems (rain and wind protection structures) are installed on the affected street sections, to prevent unpredictable adverse weather conditions from disturbing or compromising the work of the Infioratori. After these preliminary operations, the drawing on the road surface begins, using various techniques: from freehand drawing to pouncing, from metal stencil to cardboard shapes.

After completing the drawings by different techniques, the colorful petals are finally deposited to provide the desired color shades and achieve artistic effects. During the afternoon and all night of the Saturday preceding the festival, the infioratori work on the streets, bent down, drawing, depositing, and arranging millions and millions of petals capable of producing those magical masterpieces that blend ancient and modern art, full of emotional and cultural suggestions, linked to themes of religious tradition and also to current vibrant topics.

The work continues all night and only by 9:00 in the morning the streets are covered by a single multicolored and fragrant carpet: a unique spectacle to see. Consider that on a single floral route, about 70 infiorate are usually created, each carpet between 12 and 15 meters long with a minimum area of 15 sqm, and large frames between 25 and 90 sqm. The uniqueness of the event lies certainly in the execution technique, which consists in the exclusive use of untreated plant materials without chemical agents or preservatives, nor with artificial dyes or powders; in this way, the petal, laid on the road surface (cannot be glued), reigns supreme in an engaging whole of colors and scents. The artworks are made directly on the untreated road surface: the subjects and decorations are always renewed, linking to the great tradition of Umbrian painting from the Renaissance to the 18th century, and sometimes the figurative theme also opens to major modern art testimonies. With the passage of the Sacred Procession led by the Bishop carrying the monstrance, an experience of highest artistic commitment, civil, cultural, and human solidarity, ethical and religious tension concludes in a brilliant harmony of colors. Source Municipality of Spello.

What to Visit in Spello

3 Civic Art Gallery of Spello

The Civic Art Gallery of Spello is located in the historic center, in Piazza Matteotti. Since 1994, it has been housed in the Palazzo dei Canonici, a 16th-century building adjacent to the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. Visiting the museum allows you to come into contact with the city’s history through its precious testimonies. The collection was born in 1916, when the prior of the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maggiore gathered an initial group of works chosen among the most significant pieces kept in Santa Maria Maggiore and the oratories dependent on it. Added to this were objects previously acquired following post-unification demarcations.

The current visit path, articulated into seven rooms, follows chronological and typological criteria, allowing an appreciation of the relationships that occurred between Spello and other artistic centers of Umbria over centuries. Besides numerous paintings, textiles, and sacred furnishings, of particular interest is a wooden Madonna from the 13th century (even if mutilated by the theft of the child in 2008), the early 14th-century Deposed Crucifix, the gilded silver processional cross by Paolo Vanni from 1398, and the Madonna and Child attributed to Pinturicchio. Coming from the adjacent church of Santa Maria Maggiore, the latter invites visitors to see the Bella Chapel, a wonderful frescoed work by the same artist.

4 Permanent Emilio Greco Collection

The permanent exhibition of Emilio Greco was set up to honor the artist on the 25th anniversary of his first exhibition in Spello, protagonist of Incontri per le strade in 1983, and recipient in 1985 of honorary citizenship. Following this, the artist donated a large selection of works to the municipality. The collection is divided into three rooms following the chronological order of the works, including graphics, lithographs, etchings, drawings, and a selection of sculptures in bronze, plaster, and resin, dated between the mid-1960s and late 1980s. Without doubt, of the museum’s path, the work Accocolata is the most evocative. Continuing the visit, the visitor’s attention cannot help but be attracted by the female figures presented by the artist, especially frequent in his portrait production made between the mid-1950s and early 1960s.

5 Villa Fidelia

Villa Fidelia is located a short distance from the historic center of Spello, near the Roman amphitheater and the Romanesque church of San Claudio. The very ancient Roman settlement on which the villa stands comprised a large sacred area, which included the so-called Temple of Venus, the Theater, and the Baths. The original building was commissioned in the 16th century by the Counts Acuti Urbani of San Lorenzo. In the 1700s, the villa passed to Donna Teresa Pamphili Grillo, who transformed and expanded the residence built by the Urbani and established the Italian garden. After her death, the property went first to the Sperelli Counts and then to the very wealthy landowner Gregorio Piermarini, who made significant transformations and expansions between 1805 and 1830. After varying events, in 1923 the villa was purchased by engineer Decio Costanzi, who divided the complex by selling the older part to the Missionary Sisters of Egypt and the remaining part, including the Casino, the gardens, and the outbuildings, to the Province of Perugia.

The most notable aspect of Villa Fidelia is the extraordinary external arrangements that gave rise to the Vesuvian garden at the entrance, the racecourse, the Italian garden, and the park with the cypress grove. The garden called “Vesuvian” or baroque, located near the entrance, is designed on a steep inclined plane leading to the entrance door of the casino. Bounded on the long sides by a double row of majestic cypresses, it is formed by rounded terraces connected by sinuous staircases alternating with short grassy areas trimmed with boxwood hedges expertly shaped into unique forms. The protagonist of the composition is the beautiful exedra fountain located in the central position, featuring a statue depicting Diana, goddess of the hunt, topped by the elegant backdrop that hides the cistern, adorned with niches and surmounted by the clock. Apposed to this unique garden, in the 20th century, the large racecourse with a circular shape was built.

The Italian garden, dating back to the 18th century, is older and located at the back of the casino. The garden, rectangular and narrow, over 150 meters long, is currently divided into four large main flowerbeds doubly bordered by boxwood hedges and further divided into four smaller flowerbeds. The inner parterres were entirely occupied by rose beds. Large numbers of citrus pots adorn the garden edges, whose intoxicating fragrance enriches springtime. The mountain-facing margin is planted with rows of cypresses, the main elements of the composition which also includes the beautiful park and the dense holm oak grove. The villa hosted Queen Joanna and King Boris of Bulgaria during their honeymoon in 1930. The villa hosts theatrical shows, concerts, and operatic events in its park. Since 2003 it has been a venue for temporary exhibitions.

Spello and Surroundings

6 Mosaics of Villa Sant’Anna

In July 2005, just outside the walls of Spello, remains of a monumental complex of considerable size came to light. Subsequent archaeological investigations identified seven rooms, probably belonging to the central body of a villa or a public building of late imperial age.
One room of the Villa Sant’Anna nearly entirely preserves the three-color mosaic pavement (white, pink, and black), depicting geometric elements. In a second room, the multi-colored mosaic pavement and remains of multi-colored frescoed walls are conserved. The pavement, covering about 140 square meters, features a modular design commonly called “cushion” with zoomorphic and anthropomorphic representations. Inside the oval cushions are figures of wild animals (panther, deer, wild boar, duck, etc.) and fantastic creatures.
At the center of the room emerges a drinking scene with two naked male figures in profile. The character on the left carries an amphora on his shoulders, pouring wine into a cup held by the character on the right; the wine falling from the cup is collected in a crater on the ground. Other figures, made also with black tesserae, are symmetrically arranged holding plant elements or attributes related to agriculture, probably representing the four seasons.
A third room presents a geometric pavement with larger tesserae. This is very likely the peristyle whose entire length of 24.50 x 5 meters is known.
The fluidity of the design and the color rendering, especially in the largest room, testify to the high technical quality of the workshop, whose craftsmen could have come from Rome to meet the needs of a particularly wealthy client and a specific social setting. The villa can be dated to the early 4th century AD, as supported by the materials returned from the excavation.

What to Do in Spello

7 Subasio Municipal Theater in Spello

The Subasio Civic Theater is located inside the historic center of Spello, not far from the remains of the Arch of Augustus. It is an elegant building in neoclassical style, built in 1787 based on a design by Alessio Lorenzini, characterized by a horseshoe shape distributed over three tiers of boxes with a total capacity of 200 spectators. Notable is the rich stucco and pictorial decoration that features ancient Latin mottos. Before the theater, the Theater Subasio locale was used as a meeting place for the members of the Accademia dei Quieti and was then restored and transformed into a venue for performances directly managed by the Academics.

8 Spello Hotels

The hotels, guesthouses, holiday homes where to sleep in Spello.