Greetings from beautiful Tuscany! Tour guide Cindy is still running hot and asked for another driving/walking tour to Orvieto. Sure, says I! The above is not my picture, I copied it.
Orvieto is an ancient city, (pieces of vases from 15,000 BC were found here) that is built on a plateau above the Tiber River valley. It’s located about one hour south from Montepulciano and it’s about half way to Rome from Montepulciano. Orvieto is in Umbria, we are below Tuscany now.
As you can see, Orvieto is way, way up in the sky. The views from the top are spectacular!Now that’s a plateau to build on.You can see, we were lucky, the sun came back out.Entrance to Fortress Albornoz, the first defense of Orvieto.Orvieto is a very well laid out city, it’s easily walkable, with hills and cobblestones. It’s very, very well maintained, and has great signage for us tourists. About 20,000 people still live in the city. It’s very lively.Bell tower, this style is common in this part of Italy and reflects the city’s heritage.Cathedral Basilica of Santa Maria AssuntaStarted in the 1200’s, the cathedral had over 20 artists that worked on its interior and exterior. It’s truly spectacular.Wow!Wow!While the inside of the church is spectacular, the Facade is an unbelievably beautiful hand carved spectacle. Each of the panels on the facade are hand carved from bible verses.
You could spend the whole day or days studying the church, it’s that special.
But we are on a mission to see the city in a day, let’s go a walking.
As I said earlier, the city is inhabited by thousands of folks. Very few abandoned buildings, however lots of churchs are only open on special occasions. There are dozens of churches in Orvieto.
Walking now, lots to see in his beautiful historic city on a plateau.Chiesa di Sant’Andrea e Bartolomeo Beautiful. Wow!We’re to the end of the plateau now, scenic viewpoints everywhere!😎Ok, swinging around and heading for the trusty Peugeot!👊Beautiful city core, just the right mix of tourist and locals.
Tour guide Cindy and I highly recommend Orvieto if you visit the area. Alice Watters and Nancy Silverman of cooking/baking fame both have homes in this area. That should say enough right there.
Back to Montepulciano to enjoy the afternoon sun and maybe a glass of Vino.
Headed to Naples tomorrow for a couple days. Pizza time✔️😜👊🍕
Trafton’s European Adventure Part Two 
Some of your best pictures yet and the Church and art work within and outside is spectacular!
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Spectacular
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