| Orvietano | Orvieto |
 High up on a cliff of tufo with the beautiful yellow tufo and ceramic houses around the Duomo of marble and policrome mosaics, Orvieto overlooks the Valley of the River Paglia. In ancient times the valley was completely immersed by the waters from sea; the surrounding mountains are vulcanic in origin, The outcrop of tufo was cut-off from the when it was first settled in. It was a sacred and important Etruscan site from the 7th and 8th centuries as indicated by the name “Volsini Veteres". The wealth of archaeological findings also confirms its historical importance. The remains from the Roman period on the other hand, are very few, although the Roman name, Urbs Vetus or old city, is the one that has survived. During the Greco-Goth war, the Goths put a blockade on the city but General Belisario besieged and defeated them. Totila reconquered it only for Orvieto to be retaken again by the Greeks. The Which is a real jewel of a cathedral, started in the 1200's on the site of two pre-existent churches in the in true Gothic style, and then completed by various architects, Maitano father and son, the two Nuti’s, the two Pisano's, Matteo of Bologna, Andrea di Cecco from Siena, Orcagna…all the finest. The façade, in two colours of blue and yellow, rests on 4 pillars topped by ornate spires. The three portals, built into a luminous splay fit harmoniously with the triangular cusps; which contain precious mosaic designs. The horizontal loggia is like a ribbon on which rests the rose window giving the idea of a precious stone set in marble. The splendid doors by Emilio Greco were completed only 30 years ago. The horizontal form of the marble side-walls maintain a sober regularity which is in stark contrast to the splendour of the façade. Interior paintings by Signorelli, Beato Angelico, Gozzoli and da Fabriano, all add to the glory of this crown of a cathedral. The only example in the world of perfect harmony between architecture and engineering, it has a depth of 53m with a double spiral staircase, each of 248 steps. This famous well by Antonio da Sangallo was commissioned by Pope Clement VII, to provide continual water for the city. It is 61 mt deep and cylindrical with two intertwined staircases around it, each with 248 stairs. The two stairs allowed the mules to go up and down wit Chiesa di S. Andrea Built in the 1300's is an early Christian temple, with bell tower, The façade made of brick, with a huge entrance door crowned with a large rose window. The bell tower has 12 sides and is very ornate with double windows and topped with merlons. Side there are 3 naves with an elevated altar. Palazzo dei Papi Alongside the Duomo, it is Gothic in structure and houses the museum for the cathedral, which is of great artistic value. Maurizio's tower is one of the first chiming clock towers, erected for the reading of the sun-dial. Maurizio is the bronze figure that beats the hours and dates back to the 1300's. Built in 1364 by Cardinal Albornoz . Nearby there are the remains of an Etruscan temple and the Funicular railway connecting the historic centre to the main station. An Etruscan cemetery clearly laid out with various chambers and tombs and many historical remains, Other necropoli are Cannicella and Settecamini. The extension of the necropoli shows the size of the city. From the 1200's is a good example of civic architecture, with its external staircase, the loggia, and the lovely crenellations of its triple arched windows. 1300’s, houses the teaching throne belonging to San Thomas Aquinas, who taught here. Also where Arnolfo di Cambio erected a memorial monument to Cardinal de Bray. The Petrucci Chapel is magnificent. It is Romanesque from the 1200's with a rounded campanile, and frescoes from the 1300's. It has a bare façade with a solid. The altar, however is Etruscan. It is also Romanesque, rebuilt in the 1300’s, with a solid high bell tower. It is from the 1200's and is now a civic museum. It has external steps and triple arched windows. The exciting and easy guided tour takes you through the largest and best preserved caves dug in to the heart of the cliff of Orvieto. At each step mysterious and fascinating echoes hint at the past, the Etruscan Velzna, the powerful medieval Urbs Vetus and the rich Renaissance Orvieto. Visitors fall under the spell of these underground man-made spaces, excavated in the course of millennia to create a surprising and unexpected “counterpart” to the city up above. It is an extraordinary journey though time to discover the amazing subterranean memory of Orvieto. Guided tours leave every day from the Tourist Offices in Piazza Duomo n.24 In the area… It is a few buildings together with a 12-sided tower built in the 1200's by Matilde de Canossa. The church has a marble mosaic floor and walls of frescoes. Abbey of the Saints Saverio and Martirio Outside the city walls of Orvieto, going south east, an elegant stone tower rises above the tops of the trees. Its mass is relieved by a double row of windows that open high up beneath the battlements of the tower.
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