Orvieto is a small town in Umbria, Italy. It lies between Rome and Florence.
Orvieto’s history dates back to the 9th Century BC. It was the political and religious center of the Etruscan civilization until the 3rd Century BC when the Etruscans were conquered by the Romans.
During the Middle Ages, Orvieto was a thriving city/state. During the 13th century five different popes lived in Orvieto. It was during this time that the Duomo shown below was commissioned. Construction began in 1292. Orvieto’s prosperity as a city/state came to an end a century later after the plague.
Today Orvieto is a tourist destination, housing a number of historic churches and palaces. It is known for its wine, in particular “Orvieto Classico,” a white wine, and “Orvietoware” a tin-glazed earthenware.
off the leash 
This town looks fascinating Ken. It’s interesting how the destinies of so many Italian city-states was determined by epidemics of the plague. While the architecture is normal Italian eye-candy, the other aspect of your photos that I find so enticing is the pedestrian orientation of all the streets. I love wandering around historical towns on foot without being assaulted by cars, trucks and motorbikes. Thanks for the introduction to Orvieto!
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‘were determined’…I was never an English teacher 🙂
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It may seem hard to believe but most of the streets in my photos were open to cars. Good luck to them!
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I spent a night in Orvieto once, and I’m pretty sure my brother and I ate a gelato on the steps of that church. We went primarily so I could visit the Etruscan Caves, though I seem to recall them being slightly underwhelming.
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I was only there for a few hours and didn’t see the caves. Mostly I ate and drank my way through town.
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AND, you can purchase 100 yr. old (yes, year!) balsamic vinegar there, Ken! Go figure!
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Oooh, I’d be buying all those ceramics to take home!
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Beautiful.
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