Orvieto

This small city balanced on a cliff and overlooking Umbrians most breath-taking scenery is perfectly preserved and traffic free with its gorgeous Cathedral and home to some most famous wine

Located halfway between Rome and Florence, perched on the top of a volcanic rock in the wonderful town of Orvieto. Filled with beautiful churches, narrow streets, historic palace and a maze of tunnels and caves this interesting place is well worth a visit.

The medieval Duomo stands at the heart of the city and at seven stories high, the front facade can be seen from a great distance as the sun beams down on it making it visible from the autostrada.

As the town is built on volcanic rock it is very easy to dig into and history shows the etruscans formed underground rooms, mills and stables. The tourist office provides many tours for people to explore the hidden passageways carved into the tuff. For those who are up for a bit of exercise head to the Pozzo di San Patrizio (St. Peter's Well). This masterful engineering feat is a double spiral, 175 feet deep and 45 feet wide to allow donkeys to haul the water up from below.

The local cuisine is full of homemade salami, sausage, and pasta, along with forest mushrooms and Umbrian truffles. The white wine of Orvieto is world famous and not to be missed is the Orvieto Con Gusto festival, an all-out gastronomic festival.

Orvieto lies within easy reach of three regions, Umbria, Lazio and Tuscany and nearby places of interest are Todi, Montepulciano, Citta della Pieve and Lake Bolsena.