Orvieto Travel Guide: The Cathedral on the Cliff

Orvieto sits on a flat-topped plug of volcanic tuff 300m above the Paglia valley — one of the most dramatically positioned towns in central Italy. The tufa cliff is effectively hollow, tunnelled for 3,000 years by successive inhabitants: Etruscans, Romans, medieval inhabitants, and papal refugees. Above the cliff, the town’s Gothic cathedral is considered one of the finest in Italy.

The Duomo

Orvieto Cathedral was begun in 1290 to house the Corporal of Bolsena — a cloth associated with a medieval eucharistic miracle that prompted the establishment of the Feast of Corpus Christi. The façade is a mosaic and sculpture programme that took 300 years to complete; the gold mosaics catch the afternoon light spectacularly. The Cappella di San Brizio inside contains Luca Signorelli’s fresco cycle of the Last Judgment (1499–1504), which influenced Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling.

The underground city

Orvieto Sotterranea is a network of Etruscan and medieval tunnels, cisterns, and chambers beneath the town, carved from the tufa over 2,500 years. Guided tours depart from Piazza del Duomo; the tunnels include a medieval olive press, dove-cotes (colombaie), and Etruscan cisterns.

Wine

Orvieto Classico DOC — white wine made from Grechetto and Trebbiano grapes, produced in the vineyards around the cliff. It was historically an important commercial wine (the Vatican cellars were stocked with it); quality varies significantly. Buy from a local producer rather than a supermarket for the best versions.

Practical

Orvieto is on the Rome–Florence high-speed rail line (1 hour from Rome, 90 min from Florence). The funicular from the station takes you up to the town.