In central Italy, before the rise of the romans and their Empire, the most developed and important civilization was the Etruscan one. Their territory spread from northern Tuscany to the river Tiber in northern Lazio. They founded many cities, and some of them succeeded in standing until today. Orvieto is one of these.
One of the reasons, arguably the most significant, why this city could live on is its impressive location. Orvieto, in fact, is situated on the flat top of a massive butte of volcanic tuff, a soft type of rock easy to manipulate, on the middle of the road that connected Rome to Florence. The high location and the walls built around the city gave enough protection to this place, making it almost impossible to conquer.
Orvieto’s peak as a city was during the Middle Ages, XII and XIV centuries especially. During this period the city saw the rising of new beautiful palaces and monuments. The Cathedral is the quintessential example of this development.
The gothic-style Cathedral dominates the city and it couldn’t be otherwise. The church is a triumph of colours, statues, and mosaics. I will not try to describe it more because I wouldn’t know how to do it. If you don’t mind, I’ll leave this task to the images
If you visit this place you won't be disappointed. The number of museums and the quality of the art you find in this little town is seriously surprising.
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The author
Federico Spadoni
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