Spello is what Assisi would be without the tour buses. A Roman gate, flower-draped alleys, Pinturicchio frescoes in the Baglioni Chapel that rival the Sistine, and during the Infiorata (Corpus Domini, late May/June) the entire town becomes a carpet of flower art. Population: 8,000. Annual tourists: a fraction of Assisi's.
Plan my trip →Every year on the night before Corpus Domini, the residents of Spello stay up all night creating enormous tapestries of fresh flower petals on the stone streets. By dawn, the entire town is an open-air gallery. By noon, the procession walks over them and they're gone. It is ephemeral, beautiful, and completely free. If you can time your visit for this one event, do it. Book accommodation months ahead — the town has limited beds.
Even without the Infiorata, Spello delivers. The Cappella Baglioni in Santa Maria Maggiore has Pinturicchio frescoes (1501) that are jaw-dropping — and you might be alone in the room. The Roman Porta Consolare and Porta Venere with its twin towers are among the best-preserved Roman gates in Italy. And the olive oil from the surrounding hills is some of the best in Umbria — buy directly from the frantoi (mills) for €8-12 a liter.
Compare before you click. Small commission for me, zero extra cost for you.
Our AI builds personalized day-by-day plans with real local knowledge.
Plan free →