11 Sights to See in the Clifftop City of Orvieto, Italy, Orvieto, Italy

During my short winter trip through Italy in January, the city of Orvieto was the only one destination I knew I wanted to see from the outset. Another majestic destination in Umbria, I was thrilled by the concept of visiting another mostly overlooked spot. Sometimes overlooked places are overlooked for a reason, but that definitely isn’t true for Orvieto. The city has an essence that is shared with many of Italy’s best destinations.

Best of all, it’s only an hour on the train from the Italian capital, making it a perfect day trip from Rome. If you choose to stay in Orvieto, you can also easily use it as a base to visit Civita di Bagnoregio, as I did. I’m going to show you why Orvieto should be on your radar and all its sights to see. Hopefully after, you’ll be adding another stop on your next Italian holiday.

What makes Orvieto so striking initially is that it sits atop imposing cliffs on all sides. As if the natural barriers weren’t enough it’s surrounded by great big stone fortifications that make it seem wholly inaccessible. In a moment I’ll talk about the fortress but for now I want to share actually reaching Orvieto’s old town.

The historic town may be atop the cliffs, but the modern part of Orvieto including the bus and train station sit below it. To get between the two you have several options. One is to take a bus that drives right around the far side of town to drive up into the old town. Another is to take the funicular opposite the train station and ride it up, if it’s not too busy. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).