The city of Orvieto

The city of Orvieto rises on a cliff that dominates the plain, in which the rivers Palia and Chiani run shortly before meeting the Tiber. This enormous plateau of volcanic tufa that rises twenty to fifty metres from the plain, was created from volcanic eruptions depositing huge quantities of material. Reliable sources place the first human settlements as early as the 7th century B.C., but it is believed to have been inhabited since the Bronze and Iron Ages. During the Etruscan period the town, named Velzna, had a large urban development and wielded considerable influence within the region. There is a great deal of evidence to verify its Etruscan past in the excavated remains in the town and in the nearby necropolis. The ancient city of Orvieto reached the greatest heights between the 6th and 4th centuries B.C., becoming a flourishing centre for trade and the arts, with military supremacy guaranteed by the strategic position afforded by the natural defences of the rock. However, in 264 B.C. the town was invaded and destroyed by the Romans and the surviving inhabitants were banished to Volsinii Niera, present-day Bolsena.

After having been annexed to the territories of Rome, Orvieto remained under its dominion until the decline of the Roman Empire in the west. It then became a free Comune and, following the conflicts between the Guelphs (papal faction) and Ghibellines (imperialist faction), it remained faithful to the Pope. Orvieto prospered over all of the medieval period, reaching the apex of development in the 13th century with the establishment of the General Council of the 400 and the election of the Capitano del Popolo or “Captain of the People.” It was also during this period that many of the major buildings and churches or religious buildings were realized, some of the most important being the “Palazzo dei Sette” in 1300, the “Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo” in the 12th century and the “Palazzo Soliano” in 1262. But above all is the famous Cathedral of Orvieto, begun in 1263, with its splendid gothic facade, wealth of decorations and magnificent internal chapels. In 1527, the unusual Well of Saint Patrick was built according to a plan by Antonio di Sangallo, the Younger.