Nothing can prepare you for the visual feast that is Orvieto's soul-stirring Gothic cathedral. Dating from 1290, it sports a black-and-white banded…
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Orvieto
Set atop a gigantic plug of rock above fields streaked with vines, olive groves and cypress trees, Orvieto is one of Umbria’s star attractions. Its austere medieval centre is a classic of its kind, with weaving lanes, brown stone houses and cobbled piazzas, and its location between Rome and Florence ensures a constant stream of visitors. But what sets the town apart from its medieval neighbours is its breathtaking cathedral. This extraordinary vision, one of Italy's greatest Gothic churches, is stunning inside and out, with a sensational facade and frescoes that are said by some to rival Michelangelo's in the Sistine Chapel.
Explore Orvieto
- Duomo
Nothing can prepare you for the visual feast that is Orvieto's soul-stirring Gothic cathedral. Dating from 1290, it sports a black-and-white banded…
- Orvieto Underground
The coolest place in Orvieto (literally), this series of 440 caves (out of 1200 in the system) has been used for millennia by locals for various purposes …
- MMuseo dell'Opera del Duomo di Orvieto
Housed in a complex of papal palaces, the Palazzi Papali, this museum showcases a fine collection of religious relics from the Duomo and paintings by…
- CChiesa di San Giovenale
This tufa-brick church at the western end of town is one of Orvieto's oldest, dating from 1004. A solemn example of Romanesque-Gothic architecture, it…
- CChiesa di Sant'Andrea
This 12th-century church, with its curious decagonal bell tower, presides over Piazza della Repubblica, once Orvieto's Roman forum and now a cafe-lined…
- MMuseo Claudio Faina e Civico
Stage your own archaeological dig at this fantastic museum opposite the Duomo. It houses one of Italy's foremost collections of Etruscan finds, comprising…
- MMuseo Archeologico Nazionale
Housed in the medieval Palazzo Papale behind the Duomo, Orvieto's archaeological museum holds plenty of interesting artefacts, some over 2500 years old…
- TTorre del Moro
This 47m-high tower has loomed over Orvieto's centro since the 13th century, though the clock was only added in 1866. Climb all 250 steps for sweeping 360…
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Orvieto.
See
Duomo
Nothing can prepare you for the visual feast that is Orvieto's soul-stirring Gothic cathedral. Dating from 1290, it sports a black-and-white banded…
See
Orvieto Underground
The coolest place in Orvieto (literally), this series of 440 caves (out of 1200 in the system) has been used for millennia by locals for various purposes …
See
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo di Orvieto
Housed in a complex of papal palaces, the Palazzi Papali, this museum showcases a fine collection of religious relics from the Duomo and paintings by…
See
Chiesa di San Giovenale
This tufa-brick church at the western end of town is one of Orvieto's oldest, dating from 1004. A solemn example of Romanesque-Gothic architecture, it…
See
Chiesa di Sant'Andrea
This 12th-century church, with its curious decagonal bell tower, presides over Piazza della Repubblica, once Orvieto's Roman forum and now a cafe-lined…
See
Museo Claudio Faina e Civico
Stage your own archaeological dig at this fantastic museum opposite the Duomo. It houses one of Italy's foremost collections of Etruscan finds, comprising…
See
Museo Archeologico Nazionale
Housed in the medieval Palazzo Papale behind the Duomo, Orvieto's archaeological museum holds plenty of interesting artefacts, some over 2500 years old…
See
Torre del Moro
This 47m-high tower has loomed over Orvieto's centro since the 13th century, though the clock was only added in 1866. Climb all 250 steps for sweeping 360…
Guidebooks
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