Ten Tips to Jump Start Your Visit to Orvieto in Umbria Italy’s Green Heart

Orvieto in scenic Umbria abounds in things to do and places to see. Here are ten suggestions to get you started.

1. VISIT THE DUOMO

If you are into attractive Gothic cathedrals Orvieto is the place for you. Its Duomo (main cathedral) took over three hundred years to build and the painstaking effort paid off big as it is now world renowned as an example of medieval Italian Gothic architecture.

2. PAY YOUR RESPECTS TO THE ETRUSCAN DEAD

There are at least two Etruscan necropli (fancy word for ancient graveyard) where you can practice your Etruscan by reading the names above the doorframes of the burial chambers.

3. FIND OUT WHAT ETRUSCANS REALLY LOOKED LIKE

Want to see what a real Etruscan looked like? Check out the Museum of the Opera del Duomo where a typical Etruscan citizen is depicted in a well preserved fresco.

4. EXAMINE AN ETRUSCAN WELL

I don’t know if Etruscan wells are different from modern ones but you can decide for yourself while viewing the Pozzo (Italian for well .)

5. OVERCOME YOUR FEAR OF HEIGHTS

The train will drop you in the plain below the city and unless you are acrophobic ( acrophobia is fear of heights) you’ll enjoy the ride up the funicular to the old city.

6. VISIT A FAMOUS FORTRESS

The Fortress of Albornoz (also known as la rocca which means the rock )was built for Pope Innocent VI at the request of a Spanish cardinal named Albornoz.

7. VISIT THE UNDERGROUND CITY

Like many Italian cities this one has a complex network of underground tunnels and passageways that you can visit on a guided tour.

8. GAZE ON A DODECAGON

A dodecagon is a twelve sided figure, and you’ll find one in Orvieto at Sant’ Andrea Church on Piazza Republica, in the form of a twelve sided bell tower.

9. SAMPLE TRUFFLES (NOT THE CHOCOLATE KIND)

If you like rare fungus Umbria is the place for you as here you will find some of Europe’s finest truffles of both the black and the rarer white variety.

Truffles are potato shaped mushrooms that grow in the ground near the roots of deciduous trees. Some say they have a mild garlic like flavor.

10. ENJOY SOME OF ITALY’S BEST CUISINE

In addition to white and black truffles, Umbria boasts specialty cheeses made of sheep’s milk, variously flavored with walnuts, local wine, black pepper and hot peppers.

Fresh carp, trout, perch and eel from nearby Lake Trasimeno have also made a splash in local cuisine.

There is no clear consensus on the best local restaurant but rave reviews abound on the Internet for Il Sette Consoli which has been described by its fans as memorable wonderful and my most memorable lunch in Italy . Here are some rave reviews of Il Sette Consoli from around the world:

We sat outside where they have open tent structures with flowing white curtains, linen table cloths, and really nice table settings. There was a waiter standing by at all times to take any requests.

I have dropped my rental car to train to Rome several times in Orvieto just to have lunch at I Sette Consoli.

...our wine was an amazing ’93 Riserva del Nocio, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. It cost an amazingly low 18 euro. If you like big red wines do this!!! Including that our meal was a total of 107 euro. We left an additional 10, the service was so professional and friendly.

I had fettucine with pigeon, asparagus, and black truffle; roast loin of rabbit with potatoes, sausage, and black olives; and a cheese plate of four cheeses with two marmalades.

Il Sette Consoli
Pzza Sant’Angelo 1A
phone/fax 011 39 0763 343911
Reservations required. Closed Wednesday.

Also popular: Osteria San Patrizio

CONCLUSION

There you have it: ten tips to jump start your tour. Along the way I’m sure you’ll find other treasures worth inspecting and enjoying. Have fun!

About the Author:
Rex Bush is founder of Bush Law Firm near Salt Lake City, Utah where he handles personal injury cases in Utah and throughout the United States and Canada. For more information on personal injury issues visit his website: http://www.utah-personal-injury-attorney.com

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