Orvieto, Italy - A Journey Through History and Art

Hello friends, today I want to share with you our trip to the incredibly beautiful ancient Italian city of Orvieto. Previously I mentioned that we spent our holiday at Lake Bolsena in the Lazio region, where we swam and explored the surrounding cities. We dedicated one day of this trip to Orvieto in the Umbria region. Orvieto is a unique city that stands out with its historical and artistic heritage, almost like an open-air museum that has witnessed different historical periods, such as the Etruscan era and the Middle Ages. Today approximately 20,000 people live in Orvieto and the city, with its nearly thousand-year history, captivated and will continue to captivate us. I'm sure you will love it too.

In a way Orvieto reminded me of the historic center of Civita di Bagnoregio, which rises on a hill. This cliffside town is another extraordinary place that I would like to describe in another post. It is also very impressive and memorable. Orvieto rises similarly in the middle of a crater but is several times larger than Civita and about 20,000 people live here, not just 16. As we approached Orvieto, its appearance reminded me so much of Civita di Bagnoregio that I felt a sense of déjà vu. Orvieto stands alone on a large layer of volcanic tuff and offers a dramatic view from a distance. The tuff cliffs rise vertically and merge with the city walls made of the same brown tuff. This view looks like something out of a historical film or a fantasy world.

When we entered Orvieto, the city impressed us even more. A large striped cathedral, craft workshops, an archaeology museum filled with Etruscan artifacts, a papal palace with beautiful art collections, an underground city, delicious local food and incredibly beautiful and authentic Italian streets, houses made of dark brown tuff stone and flower pots... All of these are of enchanting beauty. I loved this atmosphere.

Orvieto like Civita di Bagnoregio, is located at a high altitude. However Civita was small, while this is a large city. This ancient city situated at a high point, offers a truly magnificent view from a distance. An incredible beauty.

But the road is really scary, friends. It’s one-way and narrow, with traffic restrictions everywhere. Only residents can drive through here. You should pay attention to traffic rules. Try not to drive into old cities because there are often traffic restrictions. You might receive a high fine after parking.

Orvieto is a really interesting place. As soon as we arrived I was filled with so many emotions that it's hard to describe with words. We were surrounded by stone houses and old buildings, all with a rustic feel.

We parked the car below and returned. The view was magnificent. I was really impressed by the Umbria region. We thought it would be a tough moment to return. Luckily, there were elevators here. Otherwise it would have been really hard to get up. You can easily reach the city with your luggage. There are elevators and escalators available.

We drove from Montefiascone to Orvieto, but it’s also very easy to get here without a car. The most convenient option is to take a train from Florence or Rome. For example, the train from Rome to Orvieto takes about 2 hours. Right in front of the train station, there is a lower station that takes you up to the old town. The funicular takes tourists up 157 meters. The funicular runs frequently, every 15 minutes and there are bus stops in the same square. Like us, you can also take an escalator to reach the old town.

Orvieto is rich in places to visit, architecture, museums, art and various tours. Although we couldn’t see everything, we managed to visit some sites. We visited the Orvieto Cathedral, a masterpiece of Italian Gothic architecture. We also went to the Papal Palace and saw the magnificent painting collection in the museum.

Besides the palace and the cathedral, we took a tour of Orvieto's underground city, which was incredibly exciting. Unfortunately we couldn't visit St. Patrick's Well because it was lunchtime and we had to go back to Lake Bolsena for a swim. However we had the chance to stroll through Orvieto's charming streets.

The Orvieto Cathedral built between the end of the 10th century and the first half of the 14th century, symbolizes the peak of the city's development. The cathedral known as Santa Maria Assunta, was constructed on the remains of two other churches. The construction took several centuries, resulting in one of the most splendid examples of Italian medieval architecture. The grand triple facade by Lorenzo Maitani from the early 10th century is the greatest masterpiece of Italian decorative Gothic style. The magnificent mosaics on gold leaf adorn the surfaces covered with architectural details or reliefs. The elegant rose window above the central entrance and the striped walls of the other facades complete the cathedral’s grand, massive and majestic appearance.

Orvieto was a frequent residence for popes. It was papal property, leading to the construction of the Papal Palace (Palazzo Soliano), also known as the Palazzo Papale. We visited the Papal Palace, which is indeed a beautiful structure. We went to the archaeology museum and saw very interesting artifacts. There was an original statue group from the cathedral's facade, later replaced with a new copy. The museum exhibit greatly impressed me. What I remember most are the masterpieces of Italian painting found in some halls, works by artists such as Cesare Nebbia, Simone Martini, Luca Signorelli and Girolamo.

For reasons I can’t quite remember, we didn’t go to the Etruscan Museum. Perhaps we didn’t have time or we were too tired. Later, I looked through the museum’s publications and saw that it had a large collection of ancient vases, statues and busts from the Etruscan period. I definitely think this museum is worth seeing. However, we did go to the modern art museum and saw a bronze sculpture exhibit by the Sicilian sculptor Emilio Greco. There were black sculptures of various heights and graphic works by this artist.

Another interesting feature of Orvieto, due to its location on a plateau, is the large number of artificial caves. These caves, excavated over time parallel to the city's development, were used to extract tuff, travertine, sand and volcanic stone. These materials were then used to build the houses above ground. Initially used for Etruscan structures, these materials were later used for house construction in the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. Thus, the material was extracted from underground and used for building houses above ground.

Orvieto also has caves made for finding, storing and distributing water. Some caves were used as stables, animal shelters, dovecotes, or grain storage. Even today, caves are still used for rope making, ceramic kilns, wine cellars and oil production. Additionally, there are special caves known as "Butti" used for waste disposal. This was a common practice in the Middle Ages, with almost every house having a few waste disposal caves beneath it. According to the guide, there are numerous artificial tunnels and caves dug under the city from the Etruscan period to the Renaissance and beyond. Therefore, Orvieto is a city at risk of collapsing under unsuitable conditions. Although not the entire historic center a significant part of it is in danger. Thus some caves have been reinforced with special structures.

It was an impressive experience and I highly recommend visiting Orvieto when you vacation in this area. I hope you enjoyed strolling through Orvieto with me. See you soon in my next travel post.