Don Matteo, the priest-detective hero of the famous Rai Uno tv series, rides his well-known bike through streets of unusual beauty. The historical center of Spoleto with its alleys, splendid churches, its palaces and its imposing fortress, serve as a backdrop to the priest's inquiries.
The tour we propose will take you around the "places of Don Matteo". You can walk through the places of the historical center on your own, or take advantage of the guided visit offered in certain times of the year of the year, using the Spoleto Card (for information contact the I.A.T. – Tourist Office – of Spoleto).
One of the key locations is the Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral, Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta. It is one of the principal shooting locations of Don Matteo, where the rectory and the Carabiniere barracks are located. Few meters from the Cathedral square is the Piazza della Signori, where you will recognize the places from Don Matteo season 9. Not far from there is Palazzo Bufalini, which been used for the external shots of the Carabiniere barracks.
Heading towards heart of Spoleto's historical center, look for via Fontesca, a beautiful alley where Cecchini (Nino Frassica) and Captain Tommasi (Simone Montedoro) live.
And what about the Church of Don Matteo? It is the Basilica di Sant'Eufemia located inside the Episcopal palace built on the foundations of the previous residence of the Longobard Dukes. Few meters from there, you can see the Teatro Caio Melisso which stands in as the prison's visiting room.
Visit the Complesso Monumentale di San Nicolò to see the nearby school of Maestre Pie Filippini where all the scenes in the elementary school are filmed.
Don Matteo's well-known bike rides and walks with his friend Marshal Cecchini take place along Corso Garibaldi, one of the main streets of the historical center, and also along via dell'Arringo, via delle Mura, via di Visiale and Vicolo della Basilica. The most evocative location, just a bit outside the historical center, is the Ponte delle Torri under the Rocca Albornoziana, the fortress which dominates views of Spoleto.
