Information Orvieto

The Etruscans settled in the area surrounding Orvieto el'VIII between the ninth century BC Around the sixth century BC the city became an important commercial center known as the Velzna, but in 264 BC was almost completely destroyed and depopulated by the Romans. It was not until the Middle Ages to assist the recovery of Orvieto, as a free Commune, regained wealth and authority. The XIII-XV were the most prosperous for Orvieto and saw the birth of churches, palaces and the magnificent Duomo. In 1354 the city lost its independence and became part of the domains of the Papal States, which remained tied until the unification of Italy. At the end of the Commune of Orvieto '200 restored the old Town Hall from scratch and built the Palazzo del Popolo and the Duomo. These three buildings were to form the heart of the urban system, which was placed at the center of the Palazzo dei Sette, built over an existing structure, which became the seat of one of the most important magistrates of the city, the Seven Lords. Today, its open spaces, whose restoration was completed in 1995, hosts major cultural events. Next to the Palace is the Torre del Moro, former Pope's Tower (47m), whose summit was possible to control the surrounding villages and castles. During restoration work in 1866 were placed on a mechanical clock tower and two bells: the larger one was taken from the People's Palace, where he was captain in 1313 at the behest of the People Poncello Orsini, for which he engraved the coat of arms and 'emblem, in addition to the 25 symbols of the arts and the seal of the people of the city of Orvieto. The Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo was built in the mid-1100 in Romanesque-Gothic style as the Papal Palace, was later transferred to the municipality. Has now been transformed into a cutting-edge conference center that can accommodate over 450 people. Not far away stands the magnificent cathedral whose construction began in 1290, contributed some of the greatest artists of the time, who turned it into a masterpiece of Gothic Umbria. The facade is rich with fine carvings and fine mosaic that make up images inspired by the Holy Scriptures. The interior has three naves finds its highest expression in the Chapel of San Brizio, structured with vaulted ceilings and decorated with vivid frescoes begun by Fra Angelico and Benozzo Gozzoli, author of the sails with the Judgement and the choir of the Prophets, and continued by Luca Signorelli and Gentile da Fabriano. In the transept is instead seen a Pietà by Ippolito Barefoot in the sixteenth century. Near the cathedral are the papal palaces, including the Gothic Palazzo Soliano, so renamed after the transfer of the papacy to Avignon, but originally known as the Palace of the Popes and erected at the behest of Pope Boniface VIII in the second half of the thirteenth century As the papacy (the raised platform with the details that decorate blackbirds are a later addition). Also recently restored, houses the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, which contains frescoes, sculptures and other works of art from the '200 onwards, including works by Simone Martini and Luca Signorelli, the reliquary of the skull of S. Savino, drafts of projects on vellum of the facade of the cathedral, sacred art objects and precious jewelry. Do not miss a visit to the Museo Claudio Faina Archaeological developed around the donation of a rich and valuable collection of Count Mauro Faina. To it were added over time are the numerous archaeological remains found in the Municipality of Orvieto, and in particular in the Etruscan necropolis of Croce del Tufo, covering a period of time ranging from sixth to second century. B.C. Among the exhibits are the famous Venus of Cannicella (sixth century BC), vases, urns, polychrome sarcophagus, Etruscan vases and bowls with red figures with red figures from Greece, as well as many other objects of Etruscan, Greek and Corinthian . The area of ??Orvieto is in fact littered with archaeological remains, mainly from the Etruscan era. The artifacts found in the so-called Necropolis of the Crucifix are dated around the eighth to the second century BC, but no less important are the graves of Settecamini. Some of the frescoes found in the tombs are on display in the great hall on the ground floor of Palazzo Soliano, placed inside tombs scale reconstruction. Below the town, perched on a crag of tufa, was also discovered a maze of caves carved over three thousand years, which proved an invaluable reservoir of historical and archaeological sites, recently studied systematically and scientifically. There are many other churches and buildings of historical interest embedded in the fabric of the city. Amongst them are the St. Patrick's Well, built in 1537 as a reservoir of water on a design by Antonio da Sangallo, has a double staircase that descends to 62 meters deep designed to facilitate the transport of water, the neighbor's Etruscan temple Belvedere (fifth century BC), in which fine pottery have been found, the fortified tower of St Juvenal, according to tradition was built shortly after the millennium, the Church of San Lorenzo in Arar, who keeps the interior with three naves, beautifully frescoed Etruscan altar. In addition to its artistic and architectural masterpieces, Orvieto is also famous for the production of Orvieto Classico wine, to pottery, crafts and the great traditional events, among which is the Palio of the Goose, whose origins date back to 400. At Pentecost, the city comes alive for the festival instead of the Palombella, while during the Corpus Domini the streets are covered with a carpet of flowers on which the procession passed and the historical parade with over 400 participants. This religious festival was established in 1264 by Pope Urban IV as a result of the Miracles of St. Christina.

The municipal district of Orvieto is in the region/district of Umbria and it's in the province of Terni. the postcode is 05018 and the code number is +39 0763. Inhabitants are 20.692 and the surface is about 281 km², with a density of population about 74 people for km². Distance: from Rome 96 km, from Florence 136 km and from Venice 303 km.

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Province of Terni:
Monteleone D'orvieto (km. 23) | Baschi (km. 10) | Acquasparta (km. 36) | Narni (km. 40) | Amelia (km. 31) | Arrone (km. 55) | Terni (km. 44) | Ferentillo (km. 56) | Montecchio (km. 15) | Montefranco (km. 55)