Day-tripping, funiculars, towers, underground and wooden horses
Monday, 7 October we headed to Orvieto, an UNESCO world heritage site, which is an approximate 1 hour train journey from Rome (on the fastest train, the distance is 96 kilometres). Morgan and Alyssa very generously gifted us this day and the 4 of us headed off on the fast train to explore this medieval town.
Having been intrigued by Orvieto for many years, it was exciting to venture there even just for the day.
Orvieto is situated on a big mass of volanic stone (tufo tuff), majestically situated above a valley overlooking the Umbrian plains dotted with cypress trees. We found it to be a memorable, striking and enjoyable hill top town and we agreed it would be great to stay overnight there so you have more time to thoroughly explore the delights of the distinct two parts of Orvieto (the old-town hilltop and the new town below).
As we were travelling by train, we did not have to pay heed to the recommendation to not drive in the upper old town. Arriving at the train station, (where there is a vast free parking area), we were whisked up the town's natural fortress hill by means of a slick little funicular and then driven in a shuttle bus to the heart of the old town of Orvieto. And at the end of our explorations and having to head to the station for our return train journey, we walked all the way down the hill to the railway station, despite the rainy weather.
We chose to disembark the shuttle in a little piazza, the beautiful Piazza della Repubblica, dominated by the Church of Sant' Andrea and its adjacent bell church and tower. The church and bell tower are adjacent to the Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall). After a much-needed coffee at a lovely bar in the piazza (the staff were so friendly) and a visit to their really decent ablutions, we visited the 12th century church dedicated not only to Sant'Andrea but also San Bartolomeo.
We were not able to visit the basement of this beautiful Church as this is only accessible by reservation and with an authorised guide. The basement holds the remains of ancient Etruscan and Roman buildings as well as an Early Christian church.
We were intrigued by this really delightful and immaculate old-town. Everyone was so friendly and the alleyways are lined with stunning artisan stores and exquisite shop fronts. An elderly lady driving a motorised scooter simply stopped outside a shop for a man to emerge from the shop and assist her; she was clearly well-known, liked and was so at ease navigating the cobbled piazzas and alleyways.
I was so happy to find the famous tall wooden horses by Michelangeli, the woodcarving family of Orvieto. They can be found on Via G Michelangeli Street, but examples of the truly ancient art of woodworking can be found on nearly every street and alleyway (and home) in Orvieto. Bottega Michelangeli has been creating its distinctive wood furniture and whimsical figurines since 1789 and is still in full operation today.
I had read that the Michelangeli whimsical wooden creations bring out the inner child in everyone and Johan was no exception; and its perfectly fine for any child, not matter the age, to clamber upon the fun wooden creations.
The Duomo di Orvieto is stunning. From its lively facade, to the colourful Gothic exterior and the four pillars to the mosaics of the facade concerning the Virgin to which the cathedral was dedicated. The construction of this cathedral dates to 1290. The intention was to create one large cathedral for Orvieto, replacing two decaying churches which existed there before. Beautiful stained glass windows, statues and frescoes are just a few of the wonders of the Duomo. I found the Cathedral an extraordinary synthesis of
decorative arts, architecture, painting and sculpture. The Duomo is considered a jewel of the Italian Romanesque-Gothic style.
We were able to explore the evocative "tunnel" of approximately 800 square metres, located below the transept and the chapels of the cathedral. This underground area gave us a very realistic view of the ancient cathedral warehouse and the "story" of the centuries-old construction site of the Fabbrica.
Exploring the undergound area of the Cathedral
A short distance from the Duomo, is a lovely look-out point complete with those giant telescopes which you can find globally on seafronts and mountain tops alike. We enjoyed looking at the magnificent countryside in the valley below and Johan took multiple photos of a cat who was befriending everyone in this area, most probably the cat's territory.
We loved sauntering around Orvieto, indulging in delicious gelatos (of course!) and Morgan and Alyssa went up the tower and down a well, Johan investigated the war memorial and I loved all the sights and sounds of this medieval town, from the delightful shops and their entertaining store fronts, the wooden horses and other whimsical wooden characters, to eccentric vehicles. There were chestnut trees a plenty and I collected 3 chestnuts which I brought all the way home and which are now in my printer's tray.
We walked down the hill from the old town to the funicular as we thought we had missed the last shuttle (which was actually not the case) and from the funicular we boarded our train to return to Rome. The train departed and after a couple of stops, we had to disembark the train and move to another platform to board the train which would take us straight to Rome. It was a bit confusing and as we finished our late lunch picnic on the railway platform, we realised we were on the wrong platform so high-tailed, as fast as possible, to the correct platform - as we arrived at the right platform, the train was silently gliding away heading for Rome. I noticed the train "conductor" (for want of a better word to describe him) who had been on our train and I went to speak to him explaining what had happened - I tried with my very basic Italian and eventually switched to English which he understood, and he was so amazing telling me that we had to wait for the regional train, which would be arriving in a few minutes, and he would be on that train and we could go on the regional train, and get off at Roma Termini. There would be no charge or need for a new ticket which was amazing - he was so affable, saying it happens all the time (people missing their train) and so we waited for the regional train to take us "home". While the journey did take much longer, because it stops at every station between Orvieto and its final destination of Fuminicio (Rome's main airport), we were immensely grateful for being able to get "home" after missing our train, and at no extra cost.
I am so grateful that I am learning Italian (and had tried to dust off all the rust from my French lessons at school far too many years ago, before we flew to Paris) and had a little confidence to try speaking it as I realised it was appreciated by the Italians I encountered and spoke to from the very nice train "conductor" to the barista in a bar. It shows a respect for the country you are visiting and an eagerness and willingness to learn more about the country, and I would encourage everyone to try to learn, at least basic phrases, if you are travelling to a country where English is not the mother-tongue (even a please and thank you in the country's language is appreciated, and not relying on google translate).
"Its position, its extraordinary artistic beauty, its dimensions made for man's pleasure and ease, make Orvieto the ideal city".
"Orvieto is Umbrian perfection, with luminous frescoes and enigmatic churches".
"Orvieto is a truly extraordinary city, both above ground and far below it".
"Orvieto is made for strolling"
Orvieto, you have captured our hearts, our minds and we will be back!
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