Spello called in Latin Hispellum, is an ancient town of Italy in the province of Perugia in eastern-central Umbria, on the lower southern flank of Mount Subasio. Spello is an enchanting town which, due to its beauty and its colorful alleys full of flowers, has become one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. It was called by the Emperor Augustus “Splendid Colonia Julia“, and it is still today a village capable of offering picturesque views, small and ancient streets in which tranquility, silence, and peace prevail. While walking, we passed by narrow alleys of rare beauty full of multitudes of flowers that take your breath away. Going into these alleys, you can stop to taste local food and wine, you can purchase some souvenirs made by the artisans of the village, or just walk around the picturesque Medieval village, considered as an Umbrian gem.
How to reach Spello
It is at only 10 km from Assisi, distant only 15 minutes by car. Instead, if you don’t have a car, it is well connected by train as well, and it’s only 10 minutes away from Assisi, rather from Perugia it takes 20 minutes. As soon as you get to the Spello station, you can walk up and you will find the town of Spello in front of you, on top of the valley, surrounded by the hills. Spello is a town of around 8300 inhabitants that occupies the south-eastern sector of the province of Perugia, in the Umbrian Valley. The capital is located at an altitude of 280 meters above sea level.
The area of Spello extends into mountains, hills and plains. The municipality rises, together with nearby Assisi, on the western slopes of the Monte Subasio chain, in the Umbrian-Marche Apennines. The old walled town lies on a sloping ridge that eventually meets the plain. From the top of the ridge, Spello commands a good view of the Umbrian plain towards Perugia, at the bottom of the ridge.
What to see in Spello
The main entrance to the ancient village is the so called Porta Consolare, characterized by a tower, built with the famous pink limestone of Mount Subasio, dominated by an olive tree, located right at the top of the bell tower, to remember the constant presence of this plant in the territory.
Passing through the arch, and walking through the medieval Borgo, we arrive at the Piazza della Repubblica in which a fountain and also a large statue of Saint Francis on horseback stand out. The statue depicts a young Francis still searching for his own identity. This statue was built by an artist native to Spello, whose name is Norberto Proietti, and it is similar to the one that is present at the entrance of the Upper Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi.
We feared that having visited Spello in the winter, we would have found a village with dull colors, but instead, even with the beginning of the cold weather, Spello continues to be a palette of colors. Every corner is an artistic composition of a thousand colors, expertly mixed, with the bright green of the plant leaves. Every corner is a glimpse to immortalize.
You can’t leave without taking wonderful photos of these beautiful colorful views, characteristic alleys, and enchanting narrow corners. Each narrow street is at the same time unique and different. Each corner is better than the other for its extreme beauty, for the perfection of the composition of the plants, as well as the detailed and unique flower arrangements, and its various colors. Such beauty, however, is also the result of the great love of the citizens of Spello, who dedicate time and energy to ensure that every visitor can admire this beauty, and find themselves almost magically in truly evocative and flowery colorful alleys. From the alleys, to the balconies, to the windows it is all a riot of colors that reaches its maximum expression during the spring and summer seasons. Indeed, this is the perfect time to visit it.
Spello has, in fact, a great tradition in the use of flowers which reaches its peak with the Corpus Domini Flower Festival. A historical-religious event that takes place every year, between May and June, on the the ninth Sunday after Easter, and fills the city with wonderful and spectacular carpets of flowers, created to honor the passage of the Body of Christ, carried in procession by the bishop. In the night preceding the religious festival, between Saturday and Sunday, skilled flower arrangers create their extraordinary floral compositions, a succession of incredible sacred carpets, made entirely with flower petals. Spello’s flower compositions are one of a kind. In addition, enchanting scents spread in the air.
In one of the alleys of the historic center there is a small shop that offers a particular line of perfumes
Acqua ai Fiori di Spello. It is handcrafted with local ingredients and flowers coming directly from Umbria.
Whether it is the Fioritura, la Raccolta, l’Infiorata o Balconi Fioriti, each fragrance captures a unique moment of this ancient tradition!
An enchanting village, with an authentic flavour, which deserves to be visited all year round, to immerse yourself in its atmosphere suspended in time between fragrant alleys and colorful views. In Spello you are surrounded by a different atmosphere: while you walk around the narrow alleys it seems as if you are inside a postcard from a painter, who decided to paint every single corner with detailed flowers, choosing the right colors, and the suitable flowers just in the perfect place.
Two Sisters On The Road 