In 1362, the Spanish cardinal Egidio Albornoz, legate and vicar general of the Papal States, entrusted the work to the architect Matteo di Giovannello, known as “il Gattapone.”
The Rocca hosted popes and cardinals, served as the residence of the city’s rectors until 1784, and functioned as a fortress, troop quarters, and from 1817, a penitentiary until 1982. Today, it houses the National Museum of the Duchy of Spoleto, inaugurated in August 2007 following the complete restoration of the fortress’s interior spaces. The works and materials, displayed chronologically, testify to the artistic vitality and cultural unity of the vast territory of the Duchy of Spoleto, covering a historical period from the 4th to the 15th century A.D.
The Rocca, protected by a wall that partially coincides with the Roman city walls, has a rectangular plan, featuring two courtyards and six towers connected by walkways. The main entrance, with a round arch, is flanked by two towers and leads to the Courtyard of Honor, where the Governor’s apartment and the frescoed Hall of Honor were located. In the center of the courtyard, there is a Renaissance well flanked by two pillars with brackets, on whose architrave is carved the coat of arms of Pope Nicholas V. The Courtyard of Arms is enclosed by the transverse body, four towers, and their walkways.
Inside the Main Tower, the restorations have brought to light the Painted Chamber, which preserves two beautiful cycles of secular frescoes dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. Connecting the two courtyards is an arch decorated at the end of the 16th century with frescoes depicting six cities belonging to the Papal States.
