Siena in Tuscany reminds me of Orvieto, because Orvieto, like Siena, is a small town perched royally on top of a hill, and both have identical, stunning Gothic Italian inspired churches too. Siena has its authentic allure while Orvieto has drama. Set apart in another world, this little village rises above its fortification walls cupped by its vertical tuff cliffs made from the same set of rocks that guards her. You can just imagine how theatrical the setting is. 
Orvieto, the small village in the Umbrian region sitting on top of a mountain – 325 meters high with an area of 108 square meters and approximately 20,000 inhabitants.
From Roma Termini Stazione, Orvieto, located in another region called Umbria (beside Tuscany and north of Lazio where Rome is) only took 50 minutes with the intercity train. The regional train is a little over an hour and is half the price of the intercity train. But as we all know, most trains in Italy never leave or arrive on time. And make sure your tickets are stamped by the machine otherwise you get heftily fined.
All fotos can be found here: Orvieto, Umbria – Italy
To see a panoramic view of Orvieto, please click HERE.
This is the outside arcade (with the flower vendor) of the Sant’ Andrea Church in Piazza della Republica.
Windows, walls, shutters…
Italian gastronomy. This is a typical shop selling local specialties and the ubiquitous furry (disgusting) head of the swine hanging like an altar above the selection of food, if you look closely.
Since this fortress city sits on top of a small mountain, the best way to get to there is to take the funicular across the Orvieto train station. Cost of the ticket including the minibus that will bring you to the town center is €0.95 one-way. The funicular ride from the train station takes about 5 minutes to get to the top in Piazza Cahen. From here, you have the option to walk to the town center or take the minibus which is already included in the fare. The walk from the funicular station to the center is via Corso Cavour and would probably take half an hour, shorter if you walk faster. I took the minibus as it was right on the doorstep of the funicular station waiting for new sets of passengers to take.
Those who arrive by car can drive all the way up to the village but parking there would be a challenge, so the best alternative is to park the car in the big parking lot located at the back cliffs called Campo della Fiera. Then take the lift up to the village. Wait. What? A LIFT? Right, this mountain village has a lift (elevator for those who are not familiar with this term), lol! Can you imagine that? I was wandering around the town walls when I came upon this lift. I could not help but stop and inspect it. How many mountain villages are there in this world that has its own lift? Oh well, so hilarious, but I forgot to take a foto of the lift.
Glimpse of the beautiful Duomo from a narrow street and me sitting on the stairs of the church resting my weary feet.
The striped Duomo with its lavish facade. Construction began in 1290 and there seems to be varying information claiming as to who designed this church.
Amazing details, I am speechless! Bronze (provocative) lady handles bars of the left front entrance doors of the church.
Close up of the Duomo and the nave inside. I think the naveand interior of the Duomo of Siena is by far impressive and grand than of Orvieto’s. Mosaic detail of the facade.
Anyway, I alighted from the minibus in Piazza della Republica, a busy small square in Orvieto which I believe is the heart of the town. From here, I wandered, drifting from one narrow alley to another, enjoying my newfound discoveries until I was inadvertently led to the Duomo. This is typical of me by the way. When I have enough time on my hands, I prefer to stay out of the main roads and take the little meandering streets. I like to walk around mindlessly, exploring, and finding new things. This village is small you know; you can walk from one end to the other end in less than 1 hour. That’s how small it is.
So once again girded with my travel lust, I eagerly traipsed from each alleyway I met, drenching myself in the witchery of my aged surroundings until I came upon a huge red sign that says the Duomo is right in this direction. I followed the arrow sign and voila, a couple of hundred meters away, standing before me, mounting high, is the Duomo – stunning!
Lovely ceramics on the walls and windows. On the right has got to be the winner and the mother of all artistic ceramic shop displays.
Me taking a foto of myself – I was so entertained by the whole array of colorful ceramics! So, so, so pretty here.
My sudden and unplanned confrontation with the Duomo was quite dramatic as I didn’t expect her to be this beautiful. Her façade was so lovely; it was captivating. I stood there adoring her for a while – such marvelous work of art.
The Duomo’s design is Gothic enthused, Italian Gothic per se, which is different from the somber looking mainstream Gothic art and architecture found in other parts of Europe. Its spectacular fascia displays a complex design and amalgamation of sculptures and colorful mosaic art. While the bronze doors, in dark moss green, were designed by Emilio Greco, has caught my attention as the female handle bars were comely and graceful.
What I also love about Orvieto, aside from the striking church of course, are the charming shops displaying their variegated ceramic wares. Beautiful works of art hanging on the shop outside walls, beside the window, the door, they are so creative. They are everywhere, and especially thriving along Via Duomo and Piazza del Popolo. I couldn’t stop taking fotos. I was so drawn to the heterogeneous play of colors and design. These earthen wares are simply amazing.
For my lunch I had ‘Afettato’ – a plate of thinly sliced dried cured meat, and of course, a glass of dry white wine. Notice I left out the fats? I am trying to eat healthier now.
And I thought and asked myself — should I buy this? Should I want something like this at home?
Ironic it may seem but we can actually like something without wanting it. It’s contradictory; I was attracted to these gorgeous works of art but I would not want to have them at home. I just want to appreciate them. Look at them. Take a foto. That’s all.
Me taking a souvenir foto of the defensive walls of Orvieto. The weather was perfect – dry, bright and sunny! I was lucky because when I was in Romani Castelli, in Castel Gandolfo and Frascati, it showered there the whole day. Under the walls are the Etruscan ruins, the underground city.
Orvieto has an ‘underground city’ says the pamphlet I picked up in the tourist office. This village was once an Etruscan acropolis. There are labyrinths of caves underground and tunnels hidden in the rock cliffs. Well, I didn’t take the guided tour because it starts at 4PM, too early and by the time it was 4PM, I was dipping myself into something else that I totally lost my (voracious) off-the-beaten-track-exploration-appetite. 
Eagles sitting on top of the gate guarding the village. This is my favorite house. It has a pool several meters away to the right which is not seen in the foto. I love those spiky cypress trees in there. 
In Italy everything is closed between 1PM and 4PM except for the restaurants. Like Spain, they love the afternoon siesta.
Here is also an interesting thing I noticed. Most local deli-gourmet shops hang a huge furry swine head, and this is the real McCoy you know, suspended above their window displays of food assortments. The shop I visited where I bought 3 bottles of Orvieto red wine had a huge swine, the whole of it with body, legs, and tail. It looked like a wild one to me with all the thick prickly hair (it’s dead, embalmed, preserved), standing outside the shop to welcome shoppers. Is the purpose of this wild boar to entice customers to come in and buy? Would it not frighten them instead? Or perhaps, others like me would find it comical, while the rest would probably lose their eating and shopping desires! lol
As for the scenic walk, I would recommend starting from Piazza San Giovenale, an area not very easy to find though. It’s on the corner cliff. From Piazza della Republica, take Via Filippeschi and when you reach a fork, take the right road to Via Malabranca and you will reach the dead-end square where it will lead you to a side street, escorting you to the fortification walls with breathtaking panoramas!
Nevertheless, I followed the snaky and cobble stoned path along the defensive walls of this quaint town. Slowly, and taking in the beauty of the village, its ancient architecture, the preserved culture, all into my system, whilst enjoying the panoramic views until I reached a junction, like a square with a church. From there I exited to a corner street that led me back to the town center.
Umbria, the region of Orvieto, has magnificent dramatic rolling landscapes and vineyards. The scenery is just incredible. Words cannot explain its beauty, and the fotos I took will never justify them. You have got to be there! I wish I stayed a night in Orvieto so I could wake up to such magical beauty around me.
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