Rome, Italy - Spoleto - charming umbrian town

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Spoleto.
Spoleto is a beautiful hillside medaeval town in Umbria. If you want to avoid the chaos of Rome, then this is the best place to come to. I would avoid going during the "Due Mondi" festival that takes place during the first two weeks of July. It is so enjoyable to wander around the streets, taking in the small town atmosphere. On the top of the hill lies the Rocca, this is accessable for guided tours. Next to this is a huge bridge called "Ponte delle Torri" affording an escape route for the nobility from Spoleto to the surrounding hills.

Travel to Spoleto
From Rome it is not so easy to get to Spoleto, there are only a few direct trains that arrive in Spoleto. The best thing would be to hire a car in Rome and drive there, since it is only two hours away.

Accomodation in Spoleto
There are a few hotels in the middle of town. The nicest that I have stayed in is called the "Gattapone", which has views overlooking the gorge straddled by the "Ponte delle Torri". A nice experience after the closed in feeling of central Rome. It costs a little more than the usual, but it is well worth it.

Eating out in Spoleto

The cuisine of Umbria, is like no other. Italian food is famous the world over, but the recipes are simple. The key to good cooking is to use good ingredients, and to cook and prepare them in such a way to bring the best out of the food. Different parts of Italy are famous for different dishes due to the availability of quality local produce. To me the words food and Umbria bring to mind only one thing - truffles. Considered an expensive luxury in most of the world, truffles are available in restaurants in Spoleto only a short distance from where they are found. All the restaurants make good use of their local produce, and they know the best way to prepare it to enhance the plates of pasta or risotto or whatever course you are intending to have. The place where I have had the best experience is in a restaurant by the name "Apollinaro" or something like it. It is situated next to the small ampitheatre in the old town. For 30 Euro, they offered the "degustazione" menu, where they give you small portions of much of their regular menu. If you have come to "scoff your face" and quantity is important to you than quality, then this is not the place to come.

More Information on Spoleto

The arch of Trusu, (23 BC) can be found near the Romanic church of St. nearby the Roman theatre, show construction goes back to the first years of..