Thomas Ashby

“ SPOLETO (anc. Spoletium) , a town and archiepiscopal see of the province of Perugia, Italy, 18 m. N.N.E. of Terni, and 88 m. N. by E. of Rome by rail. Pop. (1901) , 9631 (town) , 24,648 (commune) . It is situated on a hill, so that the lowest part is about 1000, the highest 1485, ft. above sea-level, at the south end of the open valley of the Topino, a tributary of the Tiber, which it joins near Assisi. ”

“ The principal industries are the collection and preparation of truffles and preserved foods, also tanning and the manufacture of earthenware. Spoleto is also the centre of an agricultural district, and contains a government experimental olive oil factory. There are few towns of Italy which possess so many Roman remains in good preservation under the medieval buildings, and few medieval towns with so picturesque an appearance. ”

“ The present church was consecrated in 1198; the façade belongs to the middle of the 12th century. Over the main entrance is a large mosaic of Christ enthroned, with the Virgin and St John, by the artist Solsernus (1207) . The Early Renaissance vestibule (after 1491) is fine. In the choir and on the half dome of the apse, are the finest frescoes of Fra Filippo Lippi (scenes from the life of the Virgin) completed after his death by Fra Diamante: his tomb, erected by Lorenzo de' Medici, with the epitaph by Politian, is on the left of the choir. ”