J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours

The picturesque Umbrian town of Spoleto lies thirteen miles from Foligno, approximately half-way on the nineteenth-century route between Ancona and Rome. This sketch represents a panoramic view of the skyline from the natural point of entry into the north-east side of the town; the intersection of the Via Flaminia and the River Tessino, near present-day Ponte Garibaldi. On the far left are the remaining arches of the ruined Roman bridge, the Ponte Sanguinario whilst the walls of the town run across the foreground. Other identifiable buildings are, from left to right: the Rocca Albornoziana; the Cathedral of Santa Maria di Assunta; the Church of Santa Maria della Manna d’Oro; the Church of San Filippo Neri; and the Torre dell’Olio. Similar views can be found on folios 38 verso–39 (D14727–8) and 40 verso (D14731).

In the bottom right-hand corner of the page there is a small inverted sketch which appears to show a line of mountains and some buildings. The subject remains unidentified.