As I’d mentioned in a previous post, there is a lot to love about Spoleto. And there’s also a lot that makes it seem, by all appearances, a place of great potential for consideration to …set a spell, take your shoes off – y’all come back now, y’hear. Which is precisely what we intend to do in exactly 30 days from today!
In the meantime, however, I’m highlighting a few of the treasures we discovered there during our brief stay in October. Although not overrun with tourists, Spoleto’s natural beauty, ancient history, and amazing sites bring in a number of visitors, both Italian and foreign. One fascinating example is the Roman House, a uniquely intact home that is believed to have belonged to Emperor Vespasian’s mother.
Now resting in a living sort of subterranean tomb, the home features remarkably intact mosaic floors, as well as an easily understood floor plan. It’s believed the house originally had two stories, which is fitting for someone of higher rank.
I’ve pulled a bit of my writing from Facebook travelogues I maintain when we’ve taken trips; this one highlights the day we visited the Roman “patrician domus”.
On Thursday the 23rd, the last full day, we again ventured out into what began as a day of soft rain. There is something about the shimmer of rain over these ancient streets and buildings that takes them to a different level of magical. It’s as if everything is required to slow down, reflect… which can be literal as the glassy appearance of cobble stones is a work of art unto itself. While we enjoy the brilliance of a sunlit day, especially as the leaves have started to turn, we also find these times of gentle rain a beautiful thing.
Our first stop was the ancient Roman house just a block over from where our little apartment was. Loads of interesting info in Ancient World Magazine (linked above), but let me tell you it was a fascinating visit, especially the preserved structure, or better said the floor plan, along with the stunning mosaic floors. We’ve often seen these floors and what remains of the central room of a Roman house in places like Pompeii and Herculaneum, but to actually walk in to one kind of sets the imagination on fire!
We lingered, examining the details of the incredible floors, wondering about the lives that played out here. And other than a few others who came and went more quickly, we had the place to ourselves…and whoever else may’ve lingered unseen.
Love it!!!😍
Thank you! It’s a fascinating place to visit. Truly the feel of being in a a home, being able to imagine the lives lived there!