Spoleto (, <small>also</small> , , ; ) is an ancient city in the Italian province of Perugia in east-central Umbria on a foothill of the Apennines.
It is south of Trevi, north of Terni, southeast of Perugia; southeast of Florence; and north of Rome.
Founded by the Umbri in the 10th century BC and later taken by the Etruscans, it became a Roman colony in 241 BC.
Under Lombard rule, Spoleto became the seat of the Duchy of Spoleto in 576, controlling much of central Italy.
Etymology
In classical sources Spoleto appears as Spoletium (Σπωλήτιον), with the later form Spoletum.
Spoleto was founded by the Umbrians, who called it Pola, meaning a place of pilgrims; the name later became Spoleti, then Spoleto.
History
Antiquity
Spoleto was founded by the Umbri in the 10th century BC and was taken by the Etruscans in the 7th century BC. in the year , shortly after the end of the First Punic War. A few years later, in 209 BC, Spoleto distinguished itself among the colonies for its fidelity to its alliance with Rome at a critical moment in the war. It later became a municipality along with other Latin colonies under the Lex Julia and belonged to the Horatian tribe. The city is again mentioned during the Perusine War in 41 BC, when it provided refuge to Munatius Plancus after his defeat by Octavian. Thereafter it appears only rarely in historical accounts, though it continued under the Empire as a flourishing municipality.
In 536 Belisarius entered Italy, captured Naples, and advanced toward Rome. His general Bessas occupied Narni, while Constantine, tasked with recovering Tuscia, crossed the Nera and took Spoleto, Perugia, and other places. The Gothic king Vitiges attempted to recover these territories but was defeated near Perugia. During this period, an incident occurred involving Presidio, a noble refugee who settled near the church of San Pietro outside the walls. His valuable arms were seized by Constantine, leading to conflict with Belisarius, who ultimately had Constantine executed.
The small village of Arezzo di Spoleto also falls within the municipality of Spoleto.
In 2021, 5,416 people lived in rural dispersed dwellings not assigned to any named locality. In the food sector, Spoleto was one of the main centers for olive oil pressing. It also contributed to small-scale pasta production and other local food industries.
The rebuilding carried out in the 8th century under the Lombard dukes of Spoleto gave the church a more unified architectural character, both in the structure marked by the columns of the nave and presbytery and in the revival of Roman decorative models.
Restoration of Palazzo Pianciani in 2005 led to the discovery of another mosaic floor. Its large, colored tesserae and imagery suggest a date in the 7th-8th century. The decoration includes a deer drinking from water flowing from a vessel and a peacock. These motifs are linked to Christian symbolism and suggest that the mosaic belonged to a church that no longer survives. The 1962 exhibition, Sculpture in the City, brought together major 20th-century sculptors including Alexander Calder, Henry Moore, Lucio Fontana, David Smith, and Beverly Pepper. Works of art from this exhibition were left to the city, including Teodelapio by Alexander Calder, the artist's first monumental stabile which marked a turning point in his career.
In the United States, a parallel festival—Spoleto Festival USA—held in Charleston, South Carolina was founded in 1977 with Menotti's involvement. The twinning only lasted some 15 years and, after growing disputes between the Menotti family and the Spoleto Festival USA board, in the early 1990s a separation was consummated. However, following Menotti's death in February 2007, the city administrations of Spoleto and Charleston started talks to re-unite the two festivals which would climax in Spoleto mayor Massimo Brunini's attending the opening ceremony of Spoleto Festival USA in May 2008. For a short period of time, a third parallel festival was also held in Melbourne, Australia.
In 1992, the Spoleto Arts Symposium was initiated with the purpose of bringing talented people from all around the world to study in Spoleto. The program apparently ceased in 2009, to be replaced by a similar program, started by the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) of the University of Cincinnati in 2010.
Sport
Spoleto gained its main results in sport with the local volleyball team, Olio Venturi Spoleto, who classified in the quarter finals of the Italian championship in sport.
The town's football team, A.D. Voluntas Calcio Spoleto, play in Serie D.
ASD Spoleto Rugby, is the Rugby Union club of the town. They affiliated with FIR in 2014 and they play at Serie C2.
The hosted an international Rugby League match, in 2018. The Italy national team (of the Lega Italiana Rugby Football League) played against the British-Asian Rugby League Association (BARA). BARA won the match.
Notable people
Among the notable figures are Publius Cominius, praised by Cicero; Gaius Melissus, associated with Maecenas and noted as a distinguished grammarian; Matrinus, who gained Roman citizenship for his military valor; Lucius Carvilius, an orator mentioned by Livy; and Fabius Vigilius, a writer and poet known as the Varro of his time.