Orvieto, a Stratified City

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 Tyrrhenian Sea in prehistoric times, 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 Lombard king Agilulfo took the city in 596 and soon after it became the diocese seat. Soon after 1000 it set up its own commune statutes, started erecting the typical house towers, rebelled against the excessive interference of the Vatican and fought with neighbouring towns in an effort to get access to the sea; it had brief success with the latter through the imposition on Orbetello. Not even the miraculous event of 1264 could placate the warring factions of the guelphs (Monaldeschi) and the ghibellines (Filippeschi). In 1281 Pope Martin IV resided in the city with his domineering French court which the locals expelled after a year. Internal family feuds continued until the Monaldeschi established dominance in 1334-37 but twenty years after the arrival of Cardinal Albornoz hearlded the primacy of the church though the local institutions and patrimony were left intact. It was in this time that the ceramics (maioliche) of the city started to become famous. Vases and fat jugs with long spouts (called "panate") decorated with reliefs became sought after items by collectors. However, political stability did not accompany this success and in the following century Orvieto fell under the domain of various noble families such as Rinaldo Orsini (Rome), Biordo Michelotti (Perugia), Tomacello (Spoleto) and Braccio Fortebraccio (Perugia). Orvieto's history is not unlike many Umbrian towns, caught up in the struggles between the Pope and Emperor, sacked, depleted and weakened by various marauding armies and then noble families, until it was finally won over by the papacy and church in 1449, after the death and or banishment of the Orvetiani, Arrigo Monaldeschi and Gentile. On the night of the 6th December 1449, Arrigo was killed and Gentile exiled, so the pope intervened and the city passed into the hands of the church. In spite of it being severely weak, Orvieto along with Florence were the only two cities who opposed King Charles VII of France. After the sack of Rome in the early 1500's, Orvieto was the refuge for Pope Alessandro VI Borgia and also Clemente VII. Its history thereafter is similar to that of many other Umbrian towns. Duomo 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. Pozzo di S. Patrizio 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 without ever meeting each other. The many windows give natural lightning to the interior. 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. Torre di Maurizio 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. Fortezza di Albornoz 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. Necropoli del Crocefisso dei Tufo 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. Palazzo dei Popolo 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. Chiesa di S. Domenico 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. Chiesa di S. Lorenzo de Arari 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. Chiesa di S. Giovanale It is also Romanesque, rebuilt in the 1300’s, with a solid high bell tower. Palazzo Soliano It is from the 1200's and is now a civic museum. It has external steps and triple arched windows. Orvieto Underground 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