Photo Hans Peter Schaefer, http://www.reserv-a-rt.de, CC BY-SA 3.0
Terni · Umbria
Things to see in Orvieto
In Orvieto the atlas lists 34 historic places: 10 historic villas and palaces, 9 museums, 6 castles, 6 archaeological sites, 1 abbey or monastery, 1 fortress or tower and 1 historic theatre.
Of these, 4 list opening hours and 1 has free entry.
Don’t miss: Pozzo di S. Patrizio (1527), water well.
By date of construction, the most common period is the Modern era (33% of dated places) and the Middle Ages (33% of dated places).
- 34historic places
- 19,461inhabitants
- 325 maltitude
The town
Orvieto is a city in Umbria. Designed to be impregnable, it was founded by the Etruscans on the top of a steep hill made of tufa, a volcanic ash stone.
Tourist information, Piazza del Duomo.
Text from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA, abridged · Wikivoyage
34 places
Villas and palaces 10
Museums 9
- Free 1st Sunday
Castles 6
Archaeological sites 6
- Free 1st Sunday
Abbeys and monasteries 1
Fortresses and towers 1
Historic theatres 1
Getting there
By train: The Orvieto train station is at the base of the hill at Orvieto Scalo and there are several daily trains to Florence, Chiusi, and Rome. The station is small and it is easy to find a taxi or a public bus up to the town. The best option however is to walk over to the funicular terminus just outside the station and take the spectacular ride up!
Orvieto railway station, Piazza Matteotti 14.
By bus: The bus station is at Piazza Cahen on the Eastern edge of the town. Public buses, taxis, or a quick walk will get you into the town itself. Frequent buses run to and from Rome (2 hrs), Viterbo, Bolsena, Perugia (1 hr), and Todi (2 hrs). Bus A connects Piazza Cahen to the Piazza del Duomo and Bus B to the Piazza della Repubblica.
By car: Orvieto is on the A1 autostrada that runs from Milan to Rome via Florence. After exiting the autostrada, a steep road winds its way up to the town. The approach to the town is one of the most glorious things about visiting Orvieto, but parking in the upper town is very limited and many streets are pedestrianized. It is better to use the free parking available at the railway station (then take the funicular up to center of the town) and on Via Roma if you eat at a restaurant in the centro storico (ask for a voucher at the restaurant).
Text from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA, abridged · Wikivoyage
What to see, according to Wikivoyage
Just wandering around within the walled city is part of the experience. Piazza del Popolo, Saint Patrick's well, La Cava well (etruscan), Corso Cavour (with its shop and restaurants), the Medieval quarter, Saint Giovenale, Saint Giovanni and Saint Francesco churches, Albornoz rock and the surrounding promenade of the downtown are all worth a visit.
Orvieto Cathedral (Duomo di Orvieto). The wonderful Duomo of Orvieto is the main 'must-see' sight in this town. Constructed in the 13th and 14th centuries, the black and white striped building is in mixed Romanesque and Gothic styles. The setting, on the Orvieto hill and visible from miles away in the Umbrian countryside, doesn't hurt either. But, impressive as the cathedral is, the piece de resistance is inside, the frescoes of Luca Signorelli on the theme of the Last Judgment inside the Capella di San Brizio.
Pozzo della Cava
Medieval Quarter
Palazzo Buzi
San Giacomo Maggiore
Madonna della Cava
Underground Orvieto
Piazza del Popolo and Corso Cavour
San Giovanni
Sant'Agostino
Porta Maggiore
San Lorenzo de Arari
The citadel
Belvedere Temple (Tempio del Belvedere).
Text from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA, abridged · Wikivoyage · Underlined names link to our own pages.