“Splendidissima Colonia Julia”
Its appearance knows no rival.
Spello literally juts out from the stone of Mt. Subasio, at the foot of the Franciscan mountain, a sight that enchants both the mind and the heart. As visitors make their way in front of the town, what initially appeared to be an urban area is gradually transformed into a fairytale village with a background taken out of a nativity scene.
The Julia Hispellum colony, formerly an Umbrian city, gained importance under the rule of Augustus. The economic prosperity acquired during Roman times was lost in the centuries that followed. However, the town’s artistic-environmental heritage, which continues to distinguish it even today, never declined, as seen with the Urbica Gate, the Consular Gate, and the Venus Gate flanked by the Towers of Propertius.
Inside the city wall is the Baglioni Chapel housed inside the Collegiata of Santa Maria Maggiore, built before 1025. In the church there are two authentic masterpiece paintings, the Dispute in the Temple and the Nativity by Bernardino di Betto, known as Il Pinturicchio.
A visit to the medieval villages of Collepino and San Giovanni and the sprawling estate of Villa Fidelia will provide visitors with a clearer understanding of the role Spello plays as an environmental link between Mt. Subasio and the Umbrian Valley.