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Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Spoleto Cathedral)

Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Spoleto Cathedral)

Highlight • Religious Site

Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Spoleto Cathedral)

Recommended by 20 hikers out of 21

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Location: Spoleto, Perugia, Umbria, Italy

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Best Hikes to Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Spoleto Cathedral)

4.7

(29)

374

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1. Ponte delle Torri – Cathedral Square, Spoleto loop from Spoleto

6.24km

01:50

160m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

4.6

(55)

243

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2. Cathedral Square, Spoleto – Cathedral of Spoleto loop from Cortaccione

26.7km

07:42

620m

Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Hard

4.4

(13)

171

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3. Ponte delle Torri – Cathedral Square, Spoleto loop from Spoleto

5.57km

01:35

120m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

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Paul

April 25, 2025

Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, Spoleto Cathedral
Cathedral: the symbol of the city of Spoleto
With its magnificent façade, Spoleto Cathedral provides a kind of backdrop to the Piazza Duomo, which is home to many other buildings.
The cathedral was built in the 12th century on the remains of an earlier religious building named after Santa Maria del Vescovado, which in turn stood on an older church dedicated to the martyr Primiano. The crypt of Santa Primiano, accessed through the rectory, dates back to the 9th century and represents the only original part of the old cathedral, which was rebuilt at the end of the 12th century.
Adjacent to the facade of the cathedral, on the left side, is the imposing square-shaped bell tower. The façade also features an elegant portico with five rounded arches supported by Corinthian columns, a marvelous work by the master Ambrogio Barocci dating from 1492. The upper part is divided into two levels separated by a cornice supported by blind arches: the lower part is decorated with five beautiful rose windows, the central one being larger and surrounded by the symbols of the four evangelists; the upper part features three rose windows and three pointed-arch niches, of which the central, larger one is decorated with a wonderful mosaic depicting Christ enthroned between the Madonna and Saint John the Evangelist. The decorative elements are further emphasized by the use of blocks of local white and pink stone, which highlight the architectural details.

Inside, the space is divided into three naves with a central apse, and the plan is a Latin cross with a transept. The building houses numerous works of art by artists from various eras: the bronze bust of Urban VIII was made by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1640; the cross with the iconography of the Living Christ (Triumphal) is a work by Alberto Sotio from 1187; and the cycle of the Stories of the Virgin, which adorns the central apse, was painted by Filippo Lippi between 1467 and 1469.
Finally, two chapels are particularly admirable: the Chapel of the Santissima Icona, which houses a 12th-century Byzantine panel that, according to tradition, was given to the city of Spoleto by Frederick Barbarossa as a sign of peace; and the Chapel of the Reliquies, which houses one of the only two surviving letters written by Saint Francis himself. It is a small rectangular parchment (13 x 6 cm) made of goatskin, consisting of nineteen lines, addressed to Fra Leone. The other handwritten letter is the so-called Chartula, kept in the Basilica of Assisi and, according to tradition, written by Francis in 1224 after his stigmatization on Mount Verna.
The interior of the building, as it appears today, is the result of a decisive intervention in the 17th century that gave it a Baroque style.
Text / Source: Exploring Umbria srl,
exploring-umbria.com/de/entdecke-spoleto/gehenswuerdigkeiten-in-spoleto/kathedrale-santa-maria-assunta-dom-von-spoleto/#:~:text=Die%20Kathe Drale%20 was%20 built%20 in the%20tw%C3%B6th%20th century%20 on%20, a%20%C3%A4older%2C%20%20%20%20M%C3%A4rtyr%20Primiano%20%20%20house%20dedicated to the%20M%C3%A4rtyr%20Primiano%20.

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Elevation 430 m

Weather

Tuesday 16 December

13°C

4°C

54 %

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Max wind speed: 15.0 km/h

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Location: Spoleto, Perugia, Umbria, Italy

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Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Spoleto Cathedral)

1. Ponte delle Torri – Cathedral Square, Spoleto loop from Spoleto

2. Cathedral Square, Spoleto – Cathedral of Spoleto loop from Cortaccione

3. Ponte delle Torri – Cathedral Square, Spoleto loop from Spoleto

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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