Italy - Orvieto

We took a combination of four different trains to our next destination - the Umbrian hill town of Orvieto. Towering a 1,000 feet above the valley on its tufo rock (volcanic tuff), Orvieto was a major Etruscan town a couple of centuries B.C. and a powerful city in the Middle Ages.

From the train station we took the funicular up the hill.

The funicular that went up the hill before ours was packed but we went up with only one other person in the car.

Halfway up the single track becomes two so the ascending and descending cabs can pass each other.

The other passed by us rather closely!

Monument in Piazza Cahen at the top of the funicular.

We decided to walk uphill to our lodging instead of taking the shuttle bus.

The room had two beds, this double and a sleeper sofa. Since my sister is older, I insisted that she have the double.   OK so it's only a year and 7 months but she's still older!

The room had a small patio accessed by this glass door.

There was a small cabinet in between the two doors leading out to the patio

My sleeper sofa, wardrobe cabinet and reading lamp.

The room also had a mini kitchen with a small refrigerator behind the door under the microwave.

After settling in to our room, we walked to view Orvieto's main tourist attraction, its cathedral that was built in 1330.

The next few photos are close ups of the façade



The sides horizontal lines are interesting to say the least.

This is the street/road where our lodging was located.



These cats were gathered around the area of our lodging.



The next morning we explored the town.

 

We found an area on the north side where we could see the valley.

We even saw a train speeding by.

 

At another spot I think we were overlooking the Etruscan Necropolis.

We even found a couple pickups in town.  A rare occasion.

One of the largest trucks we saw in a town during our visit to Italy.

We knew there was a road at the tops of the cliffs around some of the town.

Click to enlarge.  We found it.

One house had a two-car garage!

I imagine it was quite easy to get out of the driver's side of this car but it couldn't be easy getting the door closed when you got back in!

I think these slits in the wall were for raining down arrows or hot oil on anyone trying to raid the town few centuries ago.

We came to the end of the outer road and had to turn in towards town again.

We explored the Fortress Ruins by the top of the funicular. 

The round building is the top of St. Patrick's Well.