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Portico (1491) with pulpit
Spoleto train station
The Towers BridgeSpoleto - Festival 30 June to 16 July 2006
"A unique destination anytime"
The walled town of Spoleto is located at the head of a large, broad valley, surrounded by mountains, Spoleto has long occupied a strategic geographical position. It appears to have been an important town to the original Umbri tribes, who built walls around their settlement in the 5th century BC, some of which are visible today. 126 km (78 miles) North of Rome - population according to the 2003 census was 38,000.
The Festival dei Due Mondi (Festival of the Two Worlds) was founded in 1958. Because Spoleto was a small town, where real estate and other goods and services were at the time relatively inexpensive, and also because there are two indoor theatres, a Roman theatre and many other spaces, it was chosen by Gian-Carlo Menotti as the venue for an arts festival. It is also fairly close to Rome, with good rail connections.
The festival has developed into one of the most important cultural manifestations in Italy, with a three-week schedule of music, theater and dance performances. For some time it became a reference point for modern sculpture exhibits, and works of art left to the city by Alexander Calder and others are a testimony to this effort.
The name of the festival comes from the parallel festival, Spoleto Festival USA, held in Charleston, South Carolina. After disputes with the Menotti family, the American Spoleto Festival is now independent. For a short period of time, a third parallel festival was also held in Australia.
It is a very important cultural event; it is usually held in late June-early July and this year (2006) will continue from 30 June to 16 July.
