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The property pages were last updated: 05-09-2008

The  "SCELLI" Studio in the town of Spoleto
16th century 'studio' with frescoed walls
and painted wooden ceilings

Description and historic background 

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Located in the very heart of the historic centre of the town of Spoleto, in a small alley, a few steps from the Piazza del Mercato, this enchanting Studio was an annex to the 16th century Palazzo Scelli. This building had its main façade onto the main road, Via Monterone, which was the urban part of the old Roman road called Flaminia, while the annexes were situated at the back.
The building: Two rooms for a total of about 60 square metres, a beautiful antique stone fireplace, three big windows and an enchanting small one that had been bricked up and that was reopened during the restoration, from which one enjoys a view over the late 18th century church of S. Ansano and the Arco di Druso e Germanico, dating back to the 1st c. A.D.
The interior: While rather plain on the exterior, in the interior the building has beautiful frescoes on the top part of all the walls in both rooms and paintings on the wooden ceilings in blue with golden decorations.
Present condition of the building: At the beginning of the 20th century, the small building was used as a store room for the art objects that an erudite from Spoleto collected throughout his lifetime. Its restoration has been carried out respecting and underlining the original features and characteristics of the place while at the same time creating a contemporary living space.
Restoration: The architect Giuliano Macchia from Spoleto has been the "advisor" rather than the director of the restoration of this building. A personal friend of the present owner, they share the same passion for the preservation of every possible piece of history of their beloved town.
Every original feature has been preserved, including the 19th century windows, and the only addition has been the necessary creation of a bathroom above which is a "soppalco" (mezzanine) that creates a lovely extra space bringing one in close contact with the frescoes of the upper part of the walls and of the wooden ceilings. The metal beams remind one of the colours of the frescoes (see the beams painted in the Babel tower scene). All the other modern additions such as the panel that separates the bedroom, the big kitchen partition, the fireplace screen, etc. have also been made to fit in with the colours of the frescoes.
Nowadays the restored apartment is like a small jewel, a proof of the talent of the artists / artisans basically unchanged since the 16th century. The unknown masters of the past have been approached with a sense of respect but without fear of comparisons by the present restorers, all of them  from Spoleto.
 

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