Orvieto
Orvieto is a particularly
charming Umbrian hill-town. It perches on a huge outcrop of soft volcanic
tufa, with its steep cliff served by a funicular railway that isolates
the spectacular Etruscan and medieval centre at the top from the modern
area of Orvieto Scalo at the bottom. Its small historic area and easy
accessibility make it a magnet for both day-visitors and for people
seeking a special base from which to explore the region.
Orvieto's political importance throughout history is legendary. It was
Primus inter pares (first among equals) of the original Etruscan
Federation. It resisted every attack - the Etruscans dug a honeycomb of
deep wells (Pozzo della Cava is amazing), underground chambers, passages
and openings looking out over the plain into the soft tufa. Later
residents, ever threatened by siege, added underground mills and stables.
In 1527, during the sack of Rome, Pope Clement VII took refuge here and
had a spectacular well, with a double ramp to allow easy access,
constructed.
Above ground, the twelfth-century black-and-white cathedral dominates the
winding lanes. It is Orvieto's most dramatic attraction, and has some
fantastic frescoes by Luca Signorelli and Fra Angelico, but scarcely less
so are the myriad pretty churches and palazzos crowding round it. Orvieto
is a byword for good restaurants and fine wine, and you can enjoy both in
sumptuous medieval surroundings. In fact, even 1,500 years ago, Orvieto
earned the nickname Oinarea, 'where wine flows'.
Also known as being the last
Etruscan city to fall to the Romans. You can get to Orvieto by train from
Rome, Florence or Perugia.
