This tight-packed city built high above the Tiber Valley on a volcanic rock plateau still impresses the visitor with its cobbled winding streets, towering Cathedral and evocative lanes which seem to keep the mystery of the Middle Ages alive!

Founded by the Etruscans, one of the first and for sure the most important ancient italic tribe,  before the Romans, Orvieto has been inhabited since the 6th century before Christ! Orvieto houses one of Italy’s unforgettable art treasures, the Duomo .

Its facade boasts one of the liveliest and most colourful italian mosaic decorations ever!

 Another unique highlight is St. Patrick’s Well — 175 feet deep, 45 feet wide, and 496 very mild steps down — built on the orders of the Pope Clement VII in the 15 hundreds.

The need for water during a time of siege, prompted the Pope to built this unique well, with two spiral stairways leading down to a bridge from which people could take the water.

The double-helix design was meant to avoid that people and donkeys, who were to take the water, would never get stuck in a donkey traffic jam. This project still impresses modern day architects all over the world!

You won’t leave Orvieto without enjoying a good lunch and a glass of wine in a local trattoria!