What to see in Spoleto ?

Spoleto has stood since Roman times, and it shows. This Umbrian town cascades down a hillside above the Spoleto valley with rare coherence: the Ponte delle Torri, a 230-metre medieval aqueduct suspended in thin air, sums up everything the town has to say. Outside the Festival dei Due Mondi season, Spoleto returns to its rhythm as a lived-in town, which makes it far easier to read.

Spring and autumn are the right seasons; summer brings festival tourism that chokes accommodation in July. Two days suffice to explore the old town on foot—the only sensible way here, as cars are pointless and car parks distant. Skip restaurants around Piazza del Duomo, which live solely off passing trade—drop down a lane or two for honest prices.