Foto's

Spoleto (PG)

Spoleto once had a hundred towers, today only two remain intact, the oil tower and the town hall tower, which you see in the photo. Parallel to the decline of the ducal institute, the Municipality soon became powerful, enough to challenge the wrath of the emperor Frederick I, called Barbarossa. He. in October 1154, accompanied by a mighty army, he descended to Italy to restore the shaken imperial authority. Most Italian cities paid homage to the emperor with donations and acts of subjection. The expedition against Norman rule failed, the emperor camped on the Black River and prepared to collect the fodrum, a tribute due by his vassals. The Spoletini, obliged for eight hundred pounds or silver lire, paid only a part of it and in false currency. Frederick banned the city and headed against it to subdue it. The Spoleto, instead of wisely defending themselves within the walls, on 27 July 1155 went out with their army and attacked the German camp, putting it in difficulty.
Federico, addressing his barons, said: this seems like a game for children, not a fight for men, and commanded that the opponents be invested vigorously. The Spoletini in a first phase resisted the impact of the imperials; then, forced to retreat, they sought refuge inside the walls, taking the pressing enemies with them, who entered with them through the Ponzianina gate, the Roman one whose jambs are still preserved. Barbarossa himself led his assaults up the slope that rises to the cathedral, then setting the city on fire and glimpsing the hundred towers that defended it.