- Free 1st Sunday
Photo: Antichitera, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
- Type
- Museum
- Period
- Renaissance, 1527
- Architect
- Antonio da Sangallo il Giovane
- Founder
- Clement VII
- Commissioned by
- Clement VII
- Protection
- Italian national heritage
- Coordinates
- 42°43′21″ N, 12°07′14″ E
- Address
- Viale Sangallo, - Orvieto
About
The Pozzo di San Patrizio (English: "Well of St. Patrick") is a historic well in Orvieto, Umbria, central Italy. The city is high on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff that was fortified with defensive walls. The well was built between 1527 and 1537 by the architect-engineer Antonio da Sangallo the Younger of Florence, at the behest of Pope Clement VII who had taken refuge at Orvieto during the sack of Rome in 1527 by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. The city proved to be an excellent refuge except that Clement feared that the natural water supply for Orvieto would be insufficient in the event of a protracted siege. The well was completed in 1537 during the papacy of Pope Paul III.
The name was inspired by medieval legends that St. Patrick's Purgatory in Ireland gave access down to Purgatory, indicating something very deep.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Pozzo di S. Patrizio».
Timeline
- 1527Founded
Events and people from Wikidata (CC0).
Photos
Getting there
OrvietoTrain, nearest
500 m as the crow flies
Pozzo di S. PatrizioViale Sangallo, - Orvieto
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore museums in Umbria
- Free 1st Sunday
- Free 1st Sunday
Frequently asked questions
Where is Pozzo di S. Patrizio?
Pozzo di S. Patrizio is in Orvieto, in the province of Terni (Umbria), Italy. Address: Viale Sangallo, - Orvieto. GPS coordinates: 42.72254, 12.12044.
How old is Pozzo di S. Patrizio?
Wikidata dates it to 1527.
What else is there to see near Pozzo di S. Patrizio?
Nearby you’ll find: Belvedere Temple (0 m away), Fortezza Albornoz (200 m away), Museo archeologico nazionale di Orvieto (800 m away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 9 photos
- Pozzo di San Patrizio Oriveto — Antichitera, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 04 2022 Orvieto (Pozzo di San Patrizio-Antonio da Sangallo il Giovane-Manierismo-1527 1537) FO228629 Photo by Paolo Villa — Paolo Villa, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 04 2022 Orvieto (Pozzo di San Patrizio-Antonio da Sangallo il Giovane-Manierismo-1527 1537) FO228631 Photo by Paolo Villa — Paolo Villa, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 04 2022 Orvieto (Pozzo di San Patrizio-Antonio da Sangallo il Giovane-Manierismo-1527 1537) FO228632 Photo by Paolo Villa — Paolo Villa, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 13-39 Saint Patrick's Well (Pozzo di San Patrizio) @ Orvieto, Italy copy — Serge Yatunin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Orvieto - Pozzo di San Patrizio - 2024-09-07 11-32-20 001 — Jessyangeli90, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Orvieto - Pozzo di San Patrizio - 2024-09-07 11-32-42 001 — Jessyangeli90, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Orvieto - Pozzo di San Patrizio - 2024-09-10 14-48-59 001 — Cristina Maioglio, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Orvieto Brunnen Pozzo di San Patrizio — Sensenschmied, CC BY 3.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences