Past Blast: Orvieto

Orvieto's Wall

Orvieto is a small hilltop town in southwestern Umbria. It is easily traveled to from Rome's Termini train station, and is a great place to spend a day trip when you need a break from urban Roma. Our class hit it up both on our trip north towards Florence, and as a side-project to redevelop the old military barracks. Ah yes, the good old Caserma project.

Il Duomo

In the mood for some Vino? Orvieto is famous for its white wine: "Orvieto Classico." The city itself seems to be surrounded by vineyards; anytime you find yourself on an outer wall of the city, that's what you'll be looking down on. Keep an eye out Stateside for a bottle or two in the larger liquor stores; it's usually a nice, light summery drink.


The facade of Orvieto's Duomo was recently restored, and is a nice surprise while wandering the narrow winding streets. If you catch it on a nice day, the sun will reflect brilliantly off the gold paint. Inside the 700-year-old building is a chapel containing a cloth that was bled on by a consecrated host; just look for the crowds that tend to gather in front of it.


Orvieto's hillside is made out of that ever-present tufa stone of central Italy. Easily quarried, the hill is now lined with tunnels that you can tour deep underground. If you're lucky you'll see an Etruscan ruin or two.

Echo!

Past Blast: Bagnoregio

Civita di Bagnoregio

Civita street, typ.

One of our abroad day trips to the Viterbo province of central Italy was to the Civita di Bagnoregio: an old, isolated hill town. It's another cut-from-some-fantasy place, and its imposing view of the surrounding landscape lets you know how it has managed to survive so long. Its tight streets are car-free, and wind around buildings that seem to have expanded naturally over the years. The city sits on an outcrop of tufa stone, which is easily cut and mortared into the walls, stairs, roads, pizza, etc.

There is only one access road, although it primarily serves tourists these days.

One way in...