The Golden & the Dying Cities | Private

If you’ve seen most of the wonders of Rome and you wish to enjoy a day away from the hustle and bustle, the noise and the traffic of the city and escape to the pleasant and relaxing countryside, then a day trip to Orvieto is the perfect choice for you.

Orvieto is about an hour and a half’s drive from Rome and it is a jewel of medieval architecture and structure, a real plunge into remote times and traditions. Once an important Etruscan centre, it was later annexed to Rome and then flourished in the Middle Ages, thanks to the presence of the popes.

We will be driving along the motorway North of Rome where we will admire the gently rolling hills of the countryside around Rome and the unique and impressive position Orvieto stands from: the top of a vertical tuft hill.

Once in town, we will be visiting the Duomo with its incomparable gilded and colorful façade decorated with sculptures and mosaics. The interior hosts many masterpieces: frescoes by Fra Angelico and the Last Judgement by Luca Signorelli.

One of the most impressive traces of papal presence is the so called “St Patrick’s well”, a spectacular well built by Clement VII during the sack of Rome in 1527 to provide water to the city of Rome in case of a dramatic attack.

Other interesting highlights are the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, another impressive example of medieval architecture, as well as the Albornoz Fortress, which stands on an area that was once occupied by a temple known by the Latin name Augurale.

But perhaps the most interesting aspect of Orvieto is its array of picturesque narrow lanes, its small shops of handicrafts and typical foodstuffs.  Not to mention the restaurants serving delicious traditional dishes accompanied by the town’s highly prized white wine, the famous “Orvieto” wine.

After lunch we can continue our tour with a visit to the outstanding Civita di Bagnoregio, also called the dying town, as it is currently inhabited by about a dozen of old natives.  It has a dramatic position on top of a plateau of volcanic tuft overlooking the river Tiber valley and it is only reachable by a pedestrian bridge crossing the impressive valley that was built in 1965.

Its beautiful medieval buildings, its empty, narrow lanes opening up to the spectacular valley make a visit to Civita di Bagnoregio an unforgettable experience and among the very best of our day trips from Rome.