HTT - Hill Towns Tours

Orvieto is a wonderful town rich with history and culture, in which everything is found concentrated together into a predetermined physical space, given that the town is located on a hilltop cliff, where the traces of each and every era for almost three millenniums can be seen in the hillside. In fact, this enormous platform of volcanic deposit rises up 325

meters above the plains that stretch out below. It was created by the eruptive activity of volcanoes that deposited an enormous quantity of material. We have strong reasons to believe that the first human settlements date back to the 7th century B.C. but it is believed that people had been living there since the Bronze Age. There is evidence of the town’s importance already during the Etruscan period as well as during Roman rule, however it is believed that Orvieto reached the peak of its development between the 11th and 13th centuries. In fact, during this period there was fervent construction on buildings and churches that made Orvieto the magnificent city that it is today. Among these, one stands out the most—the Duomo (1290), which is a unique masterpiece of Italian Gothic Architecture with its splendid façade, rich internal and external decoration, sculptures, the beautiful mosaics and the Renaissance frescoes in the Cappella di San Brizio (Chapel of San Brizio).
But Orvieto does not consist only of the Duomo…in the city you can find the Pozzo di San Patrizio (Saint Patrick’s well), built in 1527, the Palazzo dei Sette from 1300, the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo (12th century) where the Consiglio Popolare (General Assembly) would meet, the S. Andrea church (12th century), S.Domenico (13th century), S.Giovenale (11th century), the fortress, the Torre del Moro and the Palazzo Soliano (1262) which is home to two museums: the Museo dell'Opera del

Duomo and the Museo d'Arte Moderna (Museum of Modern Art). What’s more, you can also visit the Città Sotterranea (Underground City) and the Necropolis of the Crucifix del Tufo dating back to the Etruscan period.
Throughout the year there are numerous events that take place in Orvieto, celebrating good cuisine, tradition and folklore. Events range from "Umbria Jazz Winter" which falls between December and January to the unique Festa della Palombella in May, and of course there is the most influential event of the city: the Corpus Domini, which each year brings tourists from all over the world.

Any description of this city requires a brief mention of its traditional local products, of which the most important is its wine which has been appreciated since Etruscan times. Many famous artists in the past who loaned their artwork to the city were paid in part with liters of wine. The various kinds of wine are all of the best quality, from abbocato wine to dessert wine, from dry wine to smooth wine.

HTT - Hill Towns Tours HTT - Hill Towns Tours HTT - Hill Towns Tours