Ostello Villa Redenta

It's only a short walk from the train station (but finding the place is not easy). To cover Spoleto's main sights, you will need to take the bus from the station which is what I did. The setting is quite amazing--the Villa Redenta is set in a park which dates back to the Renaissance. You can be alone here for hours, especially at dusk, when visitors, not staying at the hotel, have to leave. I asked for a single but got a large room with a double bed and a single bed for the same price. The manager didn't specify which bed I should sleep in, so I chose the double. When it was time to check out, the woman--a different one--at the desk made a huge fuss and tried to charge me for a double room. We argued--pretty ineffectually since she didn't speak any English and I no Italian--until she conceded defeat. The hotel provides a meagre breakfast and the reception is open only at certain hours (which can be inconvenient). I requested a fan, otherwise I would have had to sweat it out. There's not a lot to do in Spoleto. I was there to see the Fra Lippo Lippi frescoes in the duomo and visit some of the churches (one built with columns and arches from ancient Roman buildings). Later I took a train to nearby Spello to see the magnificent Pinturucchio paintings (not to be missed, if you love art). It's only a short train ride to Rome, so you could visit Spoleto during a day trip.