ITALY | Foligno, Spoleto & Monti Sibillini, Italy Travel Guide
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
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Rocca Albornoziana
Piazza Campello
Foligno, Spoleto, Monti Sibillini
Umbria
0743-43707
Type: Sightseeing
Cost: Euro 5, conc. Euro 4
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Foligno, Spoleto, Monti Sibillini
Umbria
0743-43707
Type: Sightseeing
Cost: Euro 5, conc. Euro 4
Comments ( 0 )
Rating (0 Votes)
Walking east out of Piazza del Municipio, the street takes you past Piazza Campello (the large church to your right is the Chiesa di San Simone) to one of the city’s main sights: the Rocca Albornoziana. This vast papal bastion from the 14th century was constructed during the Great Schism under orders from Cardinal Albornoz (hence the name) on the highest point of town. This was a time when the Papacy was exiled to Avignon and Pope Innocent VI was struggling to reorder the papal state. The result, completed by architect Matteo Gattaponi, is a commanding fortress, whose great walls, topped by six regal towers, shield a surprisingly spacious rectangular interior and two beautiful courtyards.
The most famous of the rooms is the Camera Pinta (Painted Room) in the main tower. It contains fresco cycles with chivalric and courtly themes that are thought to depict life in the court of Avignon. Follow up your visit with a pleasant walk to the magnificent Ponte delle Torri (Bridge of the Towers), which links the hill on which the Rocca stands to the green slopes of Monteluco. This imposing bridge was constructed at the end of the 13th century on the remains of a Roman aqueduct that used to bring water from the Cortaccione springs to the city. Eighty meters (262 feet) high and 230 m (752 feet) long, the bridge is noted for its imposing pillars (two of which are actually hollow towers) linked together by 10 short arches, and is considered a marvel of medieval architecture.
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