Orvieto sightseeing, Umbria, Italy.

The original plan was to use Orvieto as a meal stop and then press on towards Chianciano Terme for an overnight stop. However, we called at the tourist office near the rail station for local information. Upon learning what the town has to offer, we decided to stay a little longer. What a little gem Orvieto turned out to be.

From the well sign posted Camper Stop area, we made our way to the funicular that carries passengers to the town. The lady in the ticket office however suggested we might want to purchase a visitor pass, costing 18 euro per person. This ticket includes the funicular, a bus from the top of the funicular to the cathedral and then admission to a range of visitor attractions. The tourist information officer spoke excellent English. I asked to converse in Italian as I need to practice. Anyway, I think this did the trick as the lady then offered us a reduced pass costing 15 euro per person. This lower priced ticket is usually for over 65’s! I knew I was looking a bit ragged around the edges this morning, but not quite certain I looked of pensionable age!

The cathedral dates back to the 14th Century.

There are many beautiful buildings in Orvieto. The first to see when stepping of the minibus was the Duomo or Cathedral. Our visitor pass included admission to the cathedral and also the recently restored vaults.

Continuing our home-made sight-seeing tour – with all entrances included in the cost of the visitor pass – we made our way to the Orvieto Underground. This involves walking in caves under the town centre. We were accompanied by a very pleasant tour guide.

Saint Patrick’s Well or Pozzo di San Patrizio Orvieto

Our day out continued and we visited the bell tower. The bell tower offers splendid views of the area, albeit after a fair few steps to the top. However, off all the attractions in Orvieto, the highlight for me was visiting a well. The Pozzi Di San Patrizio” or “Saint Patrick’s Well” is 53 metres deep and the water level is reached via a spiral staircase. The temperatures dropped as we went lower and lower – whilst the ascent had our heart pumping and legs aching!

Olive oil press at Orvieto Underground.

The Orvieto day visitor pass included the following attractions during our visit to the town…The Duomo, Cappella di San Brizio, Museo dell Opera del Duomo, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Museo C Faina, Orvieto Underground, Necropoli Etrusca, Pozzo della Cava, Pozzi di San Patrizio and Torre del Moro. The ticket also included the return funiculor ride and also the minibus to and from the cathedral. All in all, we found this excellent value for money and a good day out. Furthermore, staff at the attractions were very welcoming and many information points had leaflets in various languages.

This “original” funicular from the 1940’s is now a free to enter museum

Whilst making our way towards the funicular at the end of our day, we passed a wine shop. I went in and spotted various wines at “six bottles for €13.50”. Consequently, I tried, in Italian, to ask for a taste. It turned out I had asked to press the assistants button! After a bit of laughter, and pressing of anyone’s buttons (unfortunately) we had a taste of wine and then purchased six bottles!

These city walls lead to a public garden with lovely views

Orvieto sightseeing – when passing by

The view from the public gardens

For anyone travelling on the A1 motorway in Italy, then Orvieto must be on the list of things to do. The conveniently located camper stop makes a visit to the town easy. Parking is available on a pay per hour basis or for an overnight stop. The town website offers lots of information and suggestions for visits.