Even though it shows clear traces of the Roman era in its urban structure, Spoleto retains a substantially late medieval appearance, due to the period in which it was first a flourishing Lombard duchy and then an important city within the Papal State. The area in front of the church of St. Peter affords sweeping panoramic views that encompass all of Spoleto, as far as the imposing Bridge of the Towers (ten arches, a total height of 80 metres and 230 metres long) that connects the castle, which was constructed from 1352 onwards by order of Cardinal Egidio Albornoz based on plans by Matteo Gattaponi, to the slopes of the mountain that dominates the town.