ORVIETO~Classic Umbrian Hilltown

 

Set amidst a rolling landscape and surrounded by vineyards, Orvieto perches regally atop a rock outcrop 1000 feet above the valley floor...

Founded by the Etruscans around 500 BCE, Orvieto is thought by many archeologists to be the mysterious city of Velzna, a huge Etruscan city destroyed by the Romans. Later, when the Romans annexed the Etruscans, Orvieto became a major Roman stronghold because of its virtually impenetrable verticle cliffs. Orvieto became a refuge for the Pope and a castle during the Middle Ages. Many grand palaces and churches were built.

Today Orvieto, with its close proximity to the A1 Autostrada connecting Rome with Florence, has become quite the weekend destination for those escaping the big cities and a day-trip destination for foreign tourists.   While this gorgeously preserved Medieval hilltop town can be explored in one day, the real magic of Orvieto occurs at sunset when the crowds disperse, and the residents unwind.

To reach Orvietos Historical Center at the top of the cliffs, you can park at the funicular (near the train station) at the east end of town. There is also public parking on the west side of the cliffs, and you can take the elevator or escalator up to the top. Unless you have accommodation in the Centro Storico with complimentary parking, it is best to leave your car below, avoiding expensive parking fees and driving the very narrow one-way streets. If you decide to drive up to the centro storico, the most convenient parking lots are in the Piazza Cahen and Piazza del Duomo.

If you ride the funicular up to the old center, you are deposited at Piazza Cahen. There is an info centre here at the funicular station where you can get an Orvieto map and find information on various tours of the Orvieto Underground. The ruins of Rocca Albornoziana, a fortress from the mid-12th century, are to the left of Piazza Cahen. The view from here of the Umbrian countryside is outstanding. To your right are a public park, and beyond it, the remains of an ancient Etruscan Temple on the edge of the bluffs with more breathtaking views.  

St. Patricks Well

Towards the belvedere of the Etruscan temple remains is one of the most impressive feats of engineering in 16th century Italy; St. Patricks well. The Pozo di San Patrizio was built in 1527 by pope Clement while he stayed in Orvieto during the sack of Rome. The Pope knew the cliff walls of Orvieto would keep invaders at bay, but if they wanted to outlast an extended siege, the city would need an ample water supply. The well took only ten years to build and has a central shaft reaching down 53 metres (175 feet), and two separate paths spiral around the well. One path leads downwards, and the other spiral upwards so that mules carrying water only had one-way traffic to deal with. It's a fun workout to descend the 250 steps down, and the 70 windows offer those with slight claustrophobia some relief. The cost is €5, and the well is open 9-8. The audio guide is worth the €2 rental; bring a sweater-it's cold at the bottom!

Orvieto Cathedral

Orvieto is the perfect size town to manage by walking. The streets are flat and easy to stroll with the car-free Via Cavour or "the Corso" being the main route. Follow the Corso and listen for the Renaissance-era bells of Orvieto's Duomo or Cathedral. Glistening in gold and brightly coloured mosaics, the Duomo's facade is a feast for the eyes! Resembling Siena's Cathedral with its black & white striped marble, Orvieto's Duomo is also magnificent on the inside. Featuring frescoed ceilings started by Fra'Angelico and finished fifty years later by Luca Signorelli from the nearby Tuscan hill town of Cortona. Signorelli's masterpiece and not to be missed piece of art in Orvieto is the Chapel of San Brizio, featuring beautifully lit frescoed scenes of the Apocalypse. The entrance price for seeing the Cathedral, including the San Brizio Chapel, is €5.

Orvieto Underground

If you want more subterranean tours, The Well of The Cave (Pozzo della Cava) is a vast network of underground caverns, tunnels and wells dating back to the Roman and Etruscan civilizations of Orvieto. The tunnels provide an excellent exploring adventure for kids but are not for the claustrophobic! Self-guided tours are €4/€2.50 for children. For more information, visit pozzodellacava.it

Etruscan Tombs

There are two Etruscan burial sites at the base of Orvieto's cliff. Called a Necropolis, these are literally cities of the dead where the burial tombs look like miniature stone houses laid out in a city grid plan.  On the Southside of Orvieto is the Necropolis of Cannicella, and to the North of  the town is the Necropoli Etrusca del Crocifisso del Tufo.  This is the one I chose to visit because it had a large free parking lot and a small museum holding some of the archeological findings from the area. You can wander freely amongst the tombs that date back to the 5th century BCE and even go inside some of them. You can even see the Etruscan family name carved in stone above the tomb entrance. Tickets €3; closed Mondays & Tuesdays.

Orvieto Wine & Wine Tasting

Orvieto is known for its delicious white wines, appropriately named Orvieto Classico. A blend of 40% Grechetto, 20-40% Trebbiano (locally called Procanico) and up to 40% of other white grape blends such as Verdello and Malvasia Bianco. Orvieto Classico is a DOC wine is a pale straw colour that is light and crisp, with a delicate floral taste. There are many enoteca 0r wine bars to try different local wine varieties, including Orvieto "secco" or dry white. Another fun thing to do is tour a local vineyard and have a wine tasting. You can arrange this with the local Tourist Information Centre near the funicular station in Piazza Cahen or visit the tourist office online at orvietoviva.com to plan your tour. For more on discovering wines of Umbria, don't miss my popular blog post 7 Wines To Try In Umbria

Civita di Bagnoregio

A short 20km from Orvieto is the well-preserved Medieval village of Civita di Bagnoregio.  Considered a ghost town, Civita di Bagnoregio is nicknamed "The Dying Town" because of the gradual slide of its' perch atop a clay pillar into the steep valley below. Civita is connected by a 1 km pedestrian toll bridge crossing the canyon. It costs €5 to cross the bridge to Civita, which pays for the shoring up of the village's hillside. Stepping through the city gates is like stepping back through the mists of time; Renaissance, Medieval, Roman and Etruscan architecture blend together, becoming a fun scavenger hunt. The leisurely pace of life in Civita de Bagnoregio reminds one to slow down and enjoy the moment. Busses from Orvieto to Civita de Bagnoregio leave several times a day; check the orvietoviva.com site for the seasonal schedule. Also, check out my blog post on Civita di Bagnoregio for more information on what to see and do.

Orvieto becomes even more enchanting at night with all the day tourists from Rome gone and the historic buildings, palaces and churches delicately lit up. Stroll the Medieval city ramparts or sip a glass of wine and marvel at the Duomo. My favourite place to stay in Orvieto is La Casa di Tufo B&B right in the historic centre. I feel like I am staying with family at this charming B&B!

Orvieto is a place I stop to visit again and again. What is your favourite memory of Orvieto? The food, the wine, the architecture?

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Castiglione Del Lago~Perfect Family Destination In Umbria

Looking for a hidden family-friendly gem in Tuscany?  This peaceful lakeside town on the Tuscan border with Umbria has all the charms of a big resort, without any tourist crowds.

As a lover of "Slow Travel," I like to stay in one location for at least 3 days and explore the surrounding area.  On my visit to Tuscany, my small family rented part of a farmhouse in Cortona and made day trips to many destinations in Tuscany.  For great tips and Italy road-trip planning advice, read my blog post on: Tuscany Road Trip

Castiglione Del Lago Viewed From Cortona

It was a sweltry mid-September day in Tuscany, and it also happened to be my birthday, so nothing was planned on my travel itinerary.  I decided to be spontaneous, go on an adventure and find somewhere not listed in the guidebooks.  Looking at the map book, I decided to head for Lago Trasimeno to beat the heat.  Castiglione del Lago looked interesting and only 20 km from Cortona, featuring an ancient castle jutting out into a lake.  So I set our rental car's GPS, pressed go, and we were there less than half an hour later.

Gate in Medieval Wall

Castiglione del Lago is on the West side of Lago Trasimeno just across the Tuscan border in Umbria; Lake Trasimeno being the dividing line between Tuscany and Umbria.  The village of about 15,000 people today started as a castle on an island.  Over time as the city grew, the flat area between the castle and the shore was reclaimed and filled in with buildings and piazzas.  The town's well-preserved historical centre or centro storico is surrounded by a Medieval wall.  Castiglione del Lago's old town centre is known for its threes, meaning there are three city gates, three parallel streets (which is a Roman-era city layout), three piazzas and three churches.  The main sights in this charming town are the castle and the palace, but there is also a public park with a beach and free parking just to the north of the castle on Via Lungolago.  

The Centro Storico of Castiglione del Lago is within the Medieval walls and completely car-free, making it a delight to stroll.  There are several free and paid parking lots along Via Belvedere, the road that circles the Old Town.  I also found much free street parking just outside the walled city centre.  Most visitors enter Castiglione del Lago through the West Gate, the Porta Senese and wander along the main street, Via Vittorio Emanuele.  Here you will find a gauntlet of stores selling Prodotti Tipici or regional products like local cheeses, kinds of dried pasta, beans, spices, sweets, and olive oil.  

I loaded up on dried pici, a local thick hand-rolled pasta.  For more on local Tuscan products, read my blog post on: 10 Things You Must Eat In Tuscany

photo: Wolfgang Sauber

The main drag heads East towards the Lake, passing by the beautiful Church of Santa Maria Maddelena, with its neo-classic columns out front and Greek cross plan.  It's worth the peek inside to see the painted panels from 1580 and the lofty dome.  This church was once a Roman Temple when the Romans founded the city and was given the name Clusium Novum or New Chiusi.  Chiusi is a lovely Tuscan village and was an important Etruscan city located nearby.  To read about Chiusi, see my blog post: Chiusi Tuscany~Under The Etruscan Sun

Corridor to the castle

Following Via Vittorio Emanuele, you come to a grand Renaissance palace, the Palazzo della Corgna. This palace was built for the Duke della Corgna and serves as the city hall, civic museum and art gallery.  There are some beautiful frescoes in the palace, but the real fun is taking the long covered corridor to the Medieval star-shaped castle called the Rocca de Leone.  The castle was completed for Frederick II of Swabia in 1247 by the monk/architect Brother Elia.  Elia was a Franciscan monk from Cortona, who happened to be Saint Francis of Assisi's best friend and right-hand man.  For more information on Saint Francis and the shaping of Umbria, check out my blog post: St. Francis the Umbrian Rock Star!   

This long walkway leads you to a wonderfully restored stone fortress with sweeping views of Lake Trasimeno, the lake's islands, and Cortona climbing the distant mountainside.  Kids can have fun exploring the ramparts, climbing the tall three-sided bastion tower called "the masio," or take in the shade of the olive trees in the castle's bailey.

View From The Masio

If you have worked up an appetite from exploring the fortress, many excellent local Osterias serve local specialties from Lake Trasimeno.  Look for a dish called Brastico, which is fish fire-roasted over reeds from the shore of Lake Trasimeno.  Or perhaps try Tegamaccio, a soup made with several different types of lake fish, baked in terracotta pots for five hours.  Alternately you can grab some take-out food such as panini (sandwiches), arancini (deep-fried rice balls stuffed with meat and or cheese) or pizza sold by the gram and head to the public beach for a picnic.  The beach at Castiglione Del Lago is sandy; the water is warm, clear and shallow, perfect for kids to cool off on a hot day.  The lake water is tested daily from April through September to make sure it is safe for swimmers.

Family time in Tuscany has never been so much fun!  What is your favourite family activity when visiting Tuscany?  Let me know in the comments below...

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Italian Ghost Town Civita di Bagnoregio

Somewhere between Ghost Town and Fairy Tale Village floats Civita di Bagnoregio.  Referred to as "the Dying Town," Civita di Bagnoregio is a medieval wonderland lost in time...

Central Italy has no shortage of off-the-beaten-path hilltowns to discover.  The Provinces of Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio meet at the Valle dei Calanchi or Valley Of The Badlands and is home to one of Italy's most beautiful villages, Civita di Bagnoregio.  Civita is one of my favourite hilltowns for many reasons.  Civita is situated very close to Orvietto in Umbria and makes a great day trip.  Full of Medieval architecture, smack in the middle of a stunning canyon and is completely car-free and under-touristed.  Civita is Italy in the raw!

Italian Poet Fillipo Paparazzi once wrote that Civita di Bagnoregio was "an island bravely poised in the middle of the air, on the top of a truncated cone, above the immense abyss..."

Maria's Garden

Built upon a foundation of clay that is slowly eroding every year, Civita was founded by The Etruscans over 2,500 years ago, much like the town of Pitigliano. Much of the town has already slid into the canyon below, and the residents moved to the modern city of Bagnoregio, which used to be a suburb.  There are less than 20 permanent residents living in Civita today. Most of the well-cared-for homes in the village are weekend escapes for city folks.  There are more cats than inhabitants lounging in the shady gardens.  

Getting to Civita di Bagnoregio which lies two hours north of Rome, is simple.  The closest large town to Civita is Orvieto in Umbria.  There are busses leaving from Orvieto to the Bagnoregio bus station several times a day, and then it's a 20-minute walk to the bridge that crosses the canyon to Civita.  Alternately, there is a shuttle bus during tourist season that leaves the Bagnoregio bus station and drops you at the bridge crossing.  If you arrive by car, drive through Bagnoregio's main drag following the yellow street signs to Civita's parking lot.  There is a booth where you can pay to cross the toll bridge (in 2020, it is €5) and also where you can pay for hourly parking. 

A pedestrian footbridge stretches across the vast canyon, leading upward to the Roman archway, which is the village's entrance.  Stepping through the Porta Santa Maria arch, you walk along the Etruscan road that was carved 2,500 years ago.  These ancient cobbled roads had led to Rome before Rome WAS Rome!

Civita is a delightful place to spend an afternoon-WITH NO AGENDA.  

There are no main sights to see in Civita di Bagnorgio. The delight is to stroll the hamlet, take a million pictures, have lunch & a coffee and perhaps stop to pet the many, many cats here.  The village is tiny, so it doesn't take long to wander around it.  Enjoy the Etruscan carvings, the medieval layout of the town, the remains of the renaissance palace and the outdoor laundry sinks, the locals' meeting-place for decades.

On the main piazza, check out the church of San Donato.  You will notice round columns in front of the church. These were once the foundation of an Etruscan temple, then a Roman temple and finally a Christian cathedral.  Peeking inside the church is worth a moment to see the beautiful and haunting 15th-century crucifix carved out of pear wood.  

As you stroll the village and take in the views, wander the small alleyways, admire the display of flowers that explode from every window box and staircase.

At the end of the town, the main street begins to slowly wind downhill. The road eventually turns into a trail that villagers used to travel to attend their farms on the valley floor.  If you descend along the pathway, you begin to see caves carved out by the Etruscans 2,500 years ago!  These caves were used as wine cellars and storage for farm equipment until just a few decades ago. 

One cave has a gate in front of it, sealing it off, but you can peer inside.  This is the Cappella del Carcere or The Chapel of The Incarcerated.  This was most likely an Etruscan tomb, but in Medieval times it was used as the city's jail.  This humble "chapel" is a special place of worship for the few remaining Civita residents and is the town's starting point for religious processions.

Now that you have worked up an appetite exploring Civita, it's time for a meal!

There are many choices for food in Civita.  I decided to stop for a delicious lunch at a small Osteria off the main piazza called La Cantina di Arianna. Delicious "bruschetta" (toasted bread with local olive oil) and homemade salumi, and of course, the local Orvietto Classico white wine is the best!  Check out my blog post for more information on Wines to Try in Umbria.

My son had so much fun feeding the cats and their little kittens that gathered under our table during lunch.  It seems like outdoor dining in hill towns often means you will have little furry guests joining you for your meal.

Civita di Bagnoregio had soared in popularity since I first visited it in 2013 when it was just a sleepy little ghost town on the Tuscan-Umbrian border.  I recommend planning your visit to Civita earlier in the day or later in the evening, catching the sunset, to avoid the mass tour-bus crowds.  Just remember to slow down your pace and enjoy sauntering around this unique place on earth.

Have you been to Civita?  What was your impression; a tourist trap or a slice of heaven?  Let me know in the comments below!

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