Orvieto: Umbrian hilltop gem
Orvieto is definitely one of my favorite places in Umbria. The town is perched on top of a steep tufa hill that rises amid the verdant landscape. But the beautiful location of the city and its breathtaking views are not the only things that make Orvieto so unique. The city is full of cozy streets, exciting stories, an underground labyrinth, and one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Italy.
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I remember visiting Orvieto for the first time. As the historic center lies on top of the tufa plateau, I had prepared myself for an uphill walk.. But lucky me. In Piazza Matteotti, I found a funicular station right in front of the train station. The funicular runs every 10 minutes and takes you to the center of Orvieto in a few minutes. It is open from 8:00 to 20:30, and tickets are €1.30 per person.
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In this post, I will tell you more about the 10 highlights of my most recent trip (May 2022). I recommend buying a Carta Unica Orvieto if you want to visit all of them. In general, I'm not a big fan of these kinds of passes, but in Orvieto, all the popular sights are included, and you actually get a better deal!
Also, don't forget to read my post about the history of Umbria. It might help you put some stories in perspective and get the most out of your trip.
#1 Rocca Albornoziana
The funicular ride takes about 8 minutes. Once at the top, it's just a few steps to the first three sights: the Etrurian Temple of Belvedere, the Pozzo di San Patrizio and the Rocca Albonoziana. From the latter, you can experience how high the tufa plateau really is. For this reason, I decided to visit the Rocca Albonoziana first.
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Those who have also visited Spoleto may recognize the name of the fortress. Both citadels are named after the Spanish cardinal Egidio Albornoz.
Albornoz had been sent to Umbria by Pope Innocent VI to oversee the construction of a series of fortresses. The structures were meant as a defense against military attacks, but, above all, as a symbol of the papal authority. However, the citadel in Orvieto did not last long. The complex was completed around 1370 and demolished in 1435 by the citizens of Spoleto.
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In 1450 Pope Nicholas V had a new fortress built. After the sack of Rome in 1527 by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, Pope Clement VII fled to Orvieto. Due to the Rocca Albonoziana, the city was considered highly defensible.
The Rocca Albonoziana lost its military function in the 19th century. Today only the outer walls and towers remain. The rest of the area has been transformed into a public park. Here you can relax and enjoy a beautiful view of the valley below.
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Open: Mon - Sun 08:00 to 19:30
Entry fees: Entrance to the fortress is free
#2 Pozzo di San Patrizio
After visiting the Rocca Albonoziana, I walked back to the funicolar. To the station's left, you will find the ticket office of the following sight: the Pozzo di San Patrizio.
When Pope Clement VII chose Orvieto as a place of refuge, he felt quite safe. Yet he still had one fear; that the city's water supply would be insufficient in the event of a siege. Clement therefore gave the order to find an alternative source of water.
The architect Antonio da Sangallo quickly found one and started building the new well. This was quite a challenge, given the depth of the water source.
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Da Sangallo designed a well that is 53 meters deep and comprises of two spiral stairwells. Each stairwell has 248 steps and is nicely lit thanks to 72 arched windows. The stairwells were built wide enough to allow donkeys to go down and fetch water. Once they collected the water, the donkeys crossed a little bridge and went up using the other staircase. A very clever design!
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But where does the name of the well come from? Probably from Station Island in northwest Ireland. Legend has it that on this island, Jesus would have shown one of the entrances to Purgatory to Saint Patrick. In case you're wondering: Purgatory is the place where the spirits of dead people are sent to suffer for their sins before they go to heaven.
The island became a popular destination for pilgrims who wanted to descend into the cave to get close to Purgatory. Later, people probably started comparing the well in Orvieto with the descent to Purgatory. This is how the well got the name Pozzo di San Patrizio.
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Open: Mon - Sun 9:00 to 20:00 (16:30 from October - March)
Entry fees: Entrance to the well is €5,-
#3 Tempio del Belvedere
Opposite the Pozzo di San Patrizio you will find the remains of the Tempio del Belvedere (Google Maps). This ancient Etruscan temple dates back to the 5th or 6th century BC. Today all that is left are the stairway, some parts of the foundation, and columns. The rest of the temple was probably built in wood and, unfortunately, lost in time.
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During the excavations, a black vase with a picture of Tinia was discovered. This Etruscan divinity is similar to the Roman god Jupiter or the Greek god Zeus. Given this find, it is likely that the temple was dedicated to this god.
Several other finds are displayed at the Museo Claudio Faina (Google Maps) and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale (Google Maps). If you want to visit these museums, entrance to both is included in the Carta Unica.
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#4 Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo
In the heart of the city, you will find Piazza del Popolo: traditionally one of the main squares of Orvieto. This is mainly due to the palace that is located on this square. The Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo (Google Maps).
The palace was built around the 13th century. Back then, it was home to an important institutional figure of the city: the Capitano del Popolo (Captain of the People). As you may have guessed, he represented the bourgeoisie and workers in city assemblies. These meetings were usually held in the large hall on the upper floor of the building.
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Early in the 14th century, the structure was enlarged, and a bell tower was added. The bell that hung in the tower contained symbols of 24 different arts and crafts. This famous bell was later transferred to the Moro Tower, where it is still located.
Over time the Palazzo del Popolo lost its institutional importance, and in 1578 the upper floors of the palace were used as a theatre. Today, following the most recent restoration works, the building is used as a conference center. Unfortunately, this also means that the building is not open to tourists. Nevertheless, it remains an impressive building to see.
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#5 Torre del Moro
For the best view over Spoleto and its surroundings, you will have to climb up the Torre del Moro. The almost 50-meter high medieval tower is located at the crossroads between Corso Cavour, Via del Duomo, and Via della Costituente. During your visit to the city you will almost certainly walk past it.
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The tower dates back to the 13th century. It was built to keep watch over the Orvieto territory. Because Orvieto is built on a tufa plateau of over 150 meters high, the tower offers a beautiful 360-degree panoramic view as far as the eye can see!
Over the centuries, the tower has served various purposes. After serving as a watchtower, it was used for the city's main water tank. In 1875, the mechanical clock was installed as well as the two historic bells. The smaller bell was from the Chiesa di Sant'Andrea whereas the larger bell was from the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo.
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To get to the top of the Torre de Moro, you can either climb 236 steps or take the elevator that takes you halfway. Keep in mind that the church bell rings twice an hour. I was just taking a picture when the bell rang. It almost gave me a heart attack!
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Open: Mon - Sun 10:00 to 19:00
Entry fees: Entrance to the tower is €3,80
#6 Dumo di Orvieto
The Duomo di Orvieto was, without a doubt, the highlight of my visit to the city. You can easily spot this landmark from afar, standing proudly on the isolated tufa plateau on which Orvieto is built.
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The most striking part of the Duomo di Orvieto is the facade. When you stand in front of it and see the countless details and colorful mosaics, you are left open-mouthed. Pope Leo XIII once described the church as "the Golden Lily of Italian cathedrals." A well-deserved compliment to the approximately twenty artists who have worked on this beautiful cathedral.
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At the bottom, several highly detailed bas-reliefs depict biblical stories from the Old and New Testaments. Most of the reliefs were made by Lorenzo Maitani and Andrea Pisano. From left to right, you can see stories from the Book of Genesis, the Tree of Jesse, scenes from the New Testament, and the Last Judgment.
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The upper part of the cathedral is decorated with glittering mosaics designed by Cesare Nebbia. Unfortunately, the current mosaics are replicas, but that doesn't make them less breathtaking. Most of the mosaics represent scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary.
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Make sure to also visit the Cappella San Brizio inside the cathedral. Most of the frescoes in the chapel are painted by Luca Signorelli. He and his school spent two years creating a series of frescoes concerning the Apocalypse and the Last Judgment. The result is a little frightening but, at the same time, incredibly beautiful to look at.
Also read my separate post on the Duomo di Orvieto to find out more about the extraordinary facade and the frescoes inside Cappella San Brizio.
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Open: Mon - Sat 7:30 to 19:00, Sun 13:00 to 19:00
Entry fees: Entrance to the cathedral is €5,-
#7 Orvieto Underground
What if I told you that the tufa plateau on which Orvieto is built is hollow inside? You probably won't believe me, but it's partially true! Beneath the surface is an underground world that consists of over 1,200 caves, tunnels, wells, and reservoirs. All man-made!
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It all started in the 9th century BC when people started to settle on the tufa plateau. In the search for water, people began to dig deep wells. A hell of a job, you might think. But in fact, it was relatively easy. This is because the rock (tuff and pozzolana) is very fragile.
In the centuries that followed, more and more was dug. And it wasn't just wells that were made. Tons of pozzolana were extracted as a building material. Even galleries, cellars, and shelters were chiseled out of the rock. In one of the caves you can find the remains of a medieval olive press. The high humidity and constant temperature are ideal for the production of olive oil.
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The 'columbaria' struck me the most. The walls in these spaces contain small niches used to breed pigeons. No wonder pigeon is a classic dish of the local cuisine.
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I definitely recommend booking a tour to visit two of the caves. This tour lasts approximately one hour and departs from Piazza Duomo (on the left, in front of the Duomo di Orvieto).
Open: Mon - Sun 10:30 to 12:30 / 15:30 to 17:30
Entry fees: Entrance to the caves is €7,-
#8 Pozzo della Cava
Want to see more ancient caves and tunnels? Make sure to add the Pozzo della Cava to your itinerary.
The Pozzo della Cava is one of the wells excavated entirely from the rock plateau upon which Orvieto sits. It consists of two unified wells: a rectangular Etruscan shaft and a medieval round one. The latter dates from when Pope Clement VII chose Orvieto as a place of refuge (1527). Clement was afraid that the city's water supply would be insufficient in the event of a siege. He therefore commissioned a well in the Cava district by adapting the Etruscan structure. One year later, he also had the Pozzo di San Patrizio built on the other side of the city.
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The Etruscan shaft is rectangular and only 60cm x 80cm. It has small footholds carved into the wall, also known as 'pederols'. These are typically Etruscan and can be found in multiple wells. The pederols enabled people to climb up and down the shaft.
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A gruesome fact: the Pozzo della Cava is notorious for a horrific crime. In 1820, five French officers were thrown into the well after trying to rape a woman. This event worried the Apostolic Delegation of Viterbo, so they decided to write a letter to Orvieto's local authority. A copy of this letter can be seen in the well's cave.
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During your visit to the Pozzo della Cava, you will also see some interesting caves. Among them is a flask-shaped hole: narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. Every home had one of these, and they were used as medieval waste pits. Nowadays, they form a valuable source of information, telling us more about everyday life in medieval Orvieto.
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Open: Tue - Sun 9:00 to 20:00
Entry fees: Entrance to the well is €4,-
#9 Rocca Albornoziana
Tucked away in a corner of the historic center, you'll find Chiesa di San Giovenale overlooking the north-western edge of the cliff. The area in front of the church is popular among tourists because of the beautiful view over the valley below. However, the church itself is definitely worth a visit as well.
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The Chiesa di San Giovenale was built in 1004 and is the oldest church in Orvieto. Originally the church was constructed in the Romanesque style. This is still clearly visible. Due to expansion at the eastern end in the 14th century, the semi-circular apse was replaced by a Gothic-style rectangular apse.
To the left of the entrance is a bell tower. The lower part of the tower is original, but the upper part was rebuilt in 1825 due to damage caused by lightning.
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The frescoes on the columns and walls immediately catch your eye when you enter the church. Some may look a bit faded. During a major plague epidemic, the church was used to shelter patients. To disinfect the place, it was considered necessary to sprinkle the walls with lime (as was done in many churches). Many of the frescoes were damaged as a result. Fortunately, thanks to recent renovations, many frescoes can again be admired in all their splendor.
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The most famous work in the church (but certainly not the most striking if you ask me) is the Madonna del Soccorso. It can be found on the wall behind the high altar. It was only discovered recently. Until then, it was hidden under a silver plate.
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Open: Sun - Sat 9:00 to 12:30 / 15:30 to 18:30
Entry fees: Entrance to the church is free
#10 Etruscan Necropolis
The final place that I want to highlight is located just below the tufa cliff. Here lie the remains of an ancient Etruscan necropolis, referred to as 'Crocifisso del Tufo'. The necropolis was used between the 8th to the 3rd centuries BC. Along with the remains of the Tempio del Belvedere, it is one of the still visible traces of Etruscan civilization on the tufa plateau.
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The word 'necropolis' means 'city of the dead.' An appropriate name when you see how the tombs are organized. There are over 200 Etruscan tombs, all made of tuff blocks. They look like tiny houses connected by narrow streets.
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Most of the tombs were intended for individual families. Above the entrances of many tombs is an inscription that identifies the tomb's owner. The entrance to the tombs used to be closed with a stone slab. This was removed whenever the remains of another family member had to be placed inside.
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Many luxurious funerary goods were found during the excavations of the necropolis. Some of these finds are displayed inside the Museo Claudio Faina and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale.
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Open: Tue, Thu and Sun 13:00 to 19:30; Wed, Fri and Sat 9:00 to 15:00 (closed on Mondays and the 4th Sunday of the month)
Entry fees: Entrance to the necropolis is €3,-
