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Orvieto

Orvieto's Duomo announces the town from the first glance, its mosaic Gothic facade catching the light from across the piazza. A short walk away, the Torre del Moro rises above the narrow streets, its clock face readable from below through the tower's own stone window. The Palazzo del Popolo holds its Romanesque arches and crenellations just as they've stood for centuries, and from a rooftop nearby, the whole town's terracotta roofline spreads out toward the Umbrian countryside below the cliff. Down in the old town, an alley strung with medieval banners leads past Bottega Vera, an enoteca and alimentari trading since 1938, and a board of truffle crostini, cured meats, and local cheeses makes as good a case as any to sit down for a while. The edge of town closes the visit properly: a tree-lined walkway along the old city walls, the patchwork countryside spreading out below, and a wide panorama from the cliff's edge that's hard to look away from.

The Torre del Moro clock tower rising above a narrow street in Orvieto — The Torre del Moro, rising above a narrow street

The clock face of the Torre del Moro in Orvieto, viewed from below — The Torre del Moro's clock face, from below

The Palazzo del Popolo in Orvieto, with its Romanesque arches and crenellations — The Palazzo del Popolo

Orvieto's rooftops and the Palazzo del Popolo, with the Umbrian countryside beyond — Orvieto's rooftops and the Palazzo del Popolo, with the countryside beyond

A narrow alley in Orvieto strung with medieval red and yellow banners — A narrow alley strung with medieval banners

The storefront of Bottega Vera, an enoteca and alimentari in Orvieto trading since 1938 — Bottega Vera, an enoteca since 1938

A board of truffle crostini, cured meats, and local cheeses in Orvieto — A board of truffle crostini, cured meats, and local cheeses

A tree-lined walkway along Orvieto's city walls — A tree-lined walkway along the city walls

The Umbrian countryside seen from Orvieto's city walls — The Umbrian countryside from the city walls

A wide panorama of the Umbrian countryside from the cliff's edge in Orvieto — A wide panorama from the cliff's edge

← 2022 Italy & France