It’s Memorial Day and we are waking up in Cortona after a wonderful stay at the Monastero di Cortona, high up the top of this hill town that looks out over the Tiberian plains of central Italy in Umbria. I have to say for the record that his boutique hotel and its level of amenities, fine dining, room quality and overall service is unmatched by any place I have stayed recently. It’s half the price of Il Borro and yet probably still twice the price of the places we will stay the next two nights…so its not cheap, but it is very high value. Everything about it has been a perfect blend of the old world charm of this sort of renovated and historical place and modern convenience. We enjoyed the grotto spa yesterday after our walk around town and this morning we awake to another sunny late May Day. When we opened the shutters to our room windows we were greeted by flocks of swallows zooming here and there amongst the rooftops of this ancient city.
Our plan today is to drive down to Orvieto and spend the day leisurely walking the streets of that old hill town that we know and love so well. We will take the longer local road drive down since there is no reason to rush there via autostrada. Before we go up the hill, we will go to scope out the place that we are staying tomorrow night to be sure that everything is OK. I have booked us into a place called Pietra Campana, which is an old farmhouse villa that has been converted into another boutique hotel. It looks wonderful on the website and sits to the south of Orvieto, looking up at one the cliffs that define the hill top city. I booked our one-night stay there in their best room via American Express so that I could use points. Unlike Monastero di Cortona, who I was in good contact with about everything from parking to dinner reservations, spa bookings and early arrival, I have been unable to contact Pietra Campana. To be fair, I only thought to do so a few days ago when I learned that I needed to reserve a parking space at the Monastero. That itself should not be a problem at Pietra Campana because its not in the middle of the city like the Monastero. But it does concern me that on Apple Maps they give a call-in number that belongs to a woman who is getting irate with me since I’ve called twice, ant the number they give on the Google search for the place does not seem to be connected. I’m betting it is just a phone number listing problem rather than something more dramatic. Both Trip Advisor and booking.com are advocates of the place and six of the seven reviews I’ve read about the place are both recent (end of 2024) and glowing. But just to be on the safe side and to give us time to adjust if need be, we will stop by there first and be sure that we can have dinner there and that all is well for our stay. If possible, we will also drop off our bags since Kim has a general ongoing concern about having our bags stolen from our car, a concern that would never cross my mind, even in Italy. But then, our plan is to avoid the hill top parking fiasco in Orvieto and park at the train station in the lower town and take the funicular up the hill, so our car/bags would be rather exposed for the day.
Orvieto is a stunning hilltop town in Umbria, renowned for several distinctive features. It’s Cathedral (Duomo) is a Gothic cathedral and is considered one of Italy’s most beautiful, famous for its elaborate facade with intricate mosaics, sculptures, and rose windows. Inside are Luca Signorelli’s masterful frescoes depicting the Last Judgment. The city is also known for its Underground city, a fascinating network of caves, tunnels, and chambers carved into the volcanic tuff rock over centuries. These underground spaces were used for everything from wine storage to refuge during sieges. While we are not big wine drinkers, Orvieto Classico wine is quite well-regarded. The surrounding volcanic soil produces excellent white wines, particularly the crisp, mineral Orvieto Classico DOC. The area has been producing wine since Etruscan times. In fact the Etruscan heritage is a great historical feature of the town as it sits atop an ancient Etruscan settlement called Velzna, and you can still see Etruscan artifacts and tombs in local museums and archaeological sites. Indeed, the volcanic geology of Orvieto is such that it perches dramatically on a flat-topped volcanic rock formation (tufa), giving it its distinctive appearance and strategic defensive position. And, of course, there is endless Medieval charm to the town with the historic center retaining its medieval character with narrow streets, ancient palazzos, and traditional crafts like ceramics and woodworking.
Orvieto has a rich and layered history spanning over 3,000 years. In the Etruscan Period (9th-3rd centuries BC), Orvieto began as Velzna (or Volsinii), one of the most important cities in the Etruscan confederation. The Etruscans chose this volcanic plateau for its natural defenses and proximity to trade routes. They carved extensive underground chambers and tunnels, many of which survive today, making the city so powerful that it served as a religious center for the Etruscan league. Then came the Roman Conquest (264 BC). After a long siege, Romans destroyed Etruscan Velzna and relocated its inhabitants to a new settlement by Lake Bolsena. The hilltop site was largely abandoned for centuries, though Romans used it sporadically. Like most of Italy, there was a Medieval Revival (6th-12th centuries) that saw the town gradually repopulated during the early medieval period. By the 12th century, it had become a free commune and emerged as an important papal stronghold. The strategic location made it a natural fortress for the Papal States. As a Papal Refuge (13th-14th centuries), Orvieto became a favorite refuge for popes fleeing conflicts in Rome. Pope Urban IV lived here when he proclaimed the Feast of Corpus Christi in 1264, following the Miracle of Bolsena. This led to the construction of the magnificent cathedral, begun in 1290 to house the bloodstained corporal from the miracle. During the Renaissance and period of Papal Control, the resident popes commissioned important architectural works and fortifications. The famous Pozzo di San Patrizio (St. Patrick’s Well) was built in the 1530s during Pope Clement VII’s residency to ensure water supply during sieges. And finally, Orvieto was incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy in 1860. During World War II, the town’s caves provided shelter from bombing raids. Today, it’s celebrated as one of Italy’s most beautiful historic towns, carefully preserving its medieval character while embracing tourism and wine production. The city’s history is literally built in layers – Etruscan foundations, medieval walls, and Renaissance palazzi all coexist on this dramatic volcanic outcrop.
We will commune with Orvieto all we can today and remind ourselves that to us, Orvieto = Italy and all the best that it has to offer.