 |
|
|
|
 Chianti.
Orvieto.
Siena. |
-
Terry & Isobel
:
We enjoyed meeting you as well, & Isobel & I felt that
Orvieto
was one of the most interesting towns we visited. Perhaps because
you showed us around, whereas elsewhere we had to find our own way &
did not always see the best sights.
We also had a very good 4 days in Rome. But will tell you more about
this in a future email.
-
Sylvia: Built on
a dramatic hilltop more than two thousand years ago, the ancient
town of Orvieto embodies the timeless of Umbria and has
so much to offer!! Explore wine cellars and wineries. Dine at amazing
family owned trattoria's or restaurants.
Orvieto market day is on
Thursdays and Saturdays. Different festivals happen at different times
in the year. Christmas offers a wonderful
Jazz festival. A sight not to
be missed is the
Corpus Christi historical procession and customed
parade which takes place early in June.
-
Helen: Orvieto is
a tourist magnet, thanks to its commanding presence high on a
plateau, and a magnificent grey and white striped
Duomo (Cathedral).
It's the biggest and most jaw-dropping Church I've seen yet, rising
up from the ground like a sphinx. We stayed in Orvieto twice and we rented an apartment in the city center. We use
public transportation and get there from Rome via train, take the
funiculare up the volcanic tufa to the town at the top, and either take
a bus or walk to our destination.
-
Anne: Rome is
filthy, crowded, noisy, the people are rude, and the food is ho hum.
So we hopped a local train to Orvieto, 1 hour away. We took a
funiculare to the old city. This hillside town was the summer
residence of many of the Popes and dates back to 800 BC when the
Etruscans settled. The 13th century
Duomo is one of Italy's most
beautiful Cathedrals. The façade is particularly striking and
includes some remarkable sculpture by Lorenzo Maitani (14th
century). Inside the cathedral, the Chapel of San Brizio is frescoed
by Fra Angelico and with Luca Signorelli's masterpiece, his Last
Judgment (1449-51).
-
Ed: Orvieto is
another fabulous hilltop town, perched on a plateau looking down
from its cliff edge to the vineyards below. Its
Duomo is one of the
greatest of all Italy’s Romanesque-Gothic cathedrals. Perhaps the
crowning glory of this treasure trove is Luca Signorelli's
unforgettable frescoes depicting the end of the world, the
resurrection of the dead, heaven and hell. This lovely little hill
town of
Orvieto is also famous for its colorful ceramics and its
crisp white wine. Exploring this towns by foot is a real pleasure.
Narrow lanes lead you to medieval buildings, tiny piazzas, churches
and delightful cafes. Famous also for their cuisine, you’ll find
superb restaurants and pizzerias offering exquisite traditional
dishes accompanied by local wines.
-
Jeff: Worth
visiting! The most beautiful church I saw in Europe. Instead of
stained glass in some of the windows, there are paper-thin slices of
marble. The chapel inspired Michelangelo’s Sistine.
-
Alex: I think
what I find the most astonishing about the churches and cathedrals
here, or at least the
Duomo in Orvieto, is that it seems to be the
place where everyone gathers. At night, the people here come to the
Duomo to sit and talk. It becomes a meeting place for groups of all
ages. We go and grab dinner or gelato and sit on the steps.
Sometimes we go to sit and sketch or lay down in front of it to feel
overwhelmed by its considerable size. Elderly people sit on the
benches and with friends. When you walk into the Piazza del Duomo,
you can sense a reverence by all of the people. Some may not be
necessarily acknowledging God’s reverence, but at least the feeling
of importance and power the place gives off. It makes me think about
our churches at home and if I feel a sense of reverence like the way
I do here.
-
Visit the
Etruscan tombs at the foot of the plateau. You can actually walk
around and go inside a few. The Well of St. Patrick is also fun.
There's also St Patrick's Well, a 60-metre deep well built on the
orders of Pope Clement VII following the fall of Rome. The well is
13 meters wide, wide enough to accommodate a double-helix staircase.
Water was carried up these staircases by teams of mules. More than
seventy windows provide light and ventilation, and just above water
level a bridge crosses from one side to the other
more
»»»
|
|
 |
