All products featured on Dolcevia are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
It was a sunny January day when I decided, for the first time in my life, to join a demonstration in Rome. There, on the square in front of the Pantheon, I struck up a conversation with a fellow protester who had traveled all the way from Umbria for the occasion - from Spello, to be precise. This chance encounter marked the beginning of a wonderful friendship.
Find great hotels nearby
Browse hotels on the map and see which ones are perfectly located for your trip.
I would have recognized Spello anywhere from photographs. If there's one place where streets adorned with flower pots have been captured ad infinitum, it's surely Spello. The profusion of blooming plants seems to have intensified over the years, making me wonder if a local garden center might be behind this flourishing phenomenon.
My new friend invited me to visit, offering to show me around this ancient town. During Roman times, Spello (then called Hispellum) occupied a strategic position along the Via Flaminia, one of the major routes leading to Rome. Its historical importance is evident in the impressive Porta Venere, a magnificent gateway erected by Emperor Augustus himself, featuring distinctive twin 12-sided towers. Unlike many Italian towns that bear the scars of centuries of conflict, Spello boasts an almost completely intact city wall - a testament to its remarkable preservation through the ages.
Pinturicchio's Fresco
We strolled along Via Cavour toward the Santa Maria Maggiore church to admire Pinturicchio's magnificent fresco from 1501 - one of those sublime artistic treasures that small Italian towns sometimes reveal to unsuspecting visitors. If there's one compelling reason to visit Spello, this masterpiece is certainly it. Take a moment to watch this fascinating BBC video about Spello and the fresco (just 3 minutes long).
The church's exquisitely sculpted portal is equally remarkable. Spello has a drowsy, peaceful atmosphere this time of year with few tourists about. My friend, who has lived here for several years, pauses every few steps to exchange warm greetings with locals - quintessentially Italian, yet somehow even more welcoming than elsewhere. Perched on the slopes of Monte Subasio, it's a town brimming with colorful flowers and even more colorful smiles.
Monte Subasio Piu
Leaving the town behind, we drove toward Monte Subasio National Park. The name reminded me of radio station SubasioPiu that my car radio in Rome announces relentlessly every few minutes. And indeed, the park is definitely "piu" - a bit more of everything: the panoramic views are simply breathtaking. Is that Assisi I can spot in the distance?
Monte Subasio is a rather curious mountain, as if someone gently placed a handful of sand and carefully smoothed it out, leaving no jagged peaks - with the exception of Sasso Rosso castle, of course. Don't miss the fascinating "mortari" - enormous rain basins resembling large round vessels with flat bottoms, sculpted by billions of years of rainfall into the landscape.
Time to Visit the Turtle
In recent years, it seems wineries have become unlikely patrons of cutting-edge architecture. Large vineyards require expansive storage spaces and cellars where wine can mature properly in barrels or bottles. These facilities must far exceed the capacity of ordinary barns, resulting in substantial structures that need to blend harmoniously with the vineyard landscapes without becoming visual intrusions. An architectural challenge indeed. Tenuta Castelbuono in Bevagna followed the lead of several prominent Italian wineries by commissioning a renowned sculptor to design their facility.
The now 90-year-old Arnoldo Pomodoro (isn't it curious how great artists sometimes have such whimsical names: Renzo Piano, Karel Appel (Apple), Pomodoro (Tomato)?) designed what locals affectionately call the 'Carapace' - the turtle.
This horizon-defining structure represents a brilliant fusion of art, architecture, and technical ingenuity. It emerges from the landscape like some prehistoric creature - a man-made echo of nature that mirrors the undulating hills of Umbria, crowned with a distinctive copper-red dome. Step inside to discover an equally impressive interior space where you can sample fine wines or join a guided tour. Tenuta Castelbuono primarily produces wines from the Sagrantino grape, a varietal that perfectly expresses the unique character of this region.
