HISTORY OF ORVIETO:
Orvieto was settled by the Etruscans in the 10th century BC, and became an important center of this civilization. In the 3rd century BC, the town was annexed by Rome, and after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, Orvieto was conquered in turn by the Goths, the Byzantines and the Lombards. Read More [...]
In the 12th century, Orvieto became a military power, and began to expand its borders. Allied with Florence, the town won battles against Siena, Viterbo, Perugia and Todi. The 13th century was the period of maximum splendor for Orvieto which, with a population of about 30,000 inhabitants, became an undisputed military power.
The 17th and 18th centuries were periods of tranquility for the town. Under the Napoleonic Empire, Orvieto became a canton in the arrondissement of Todi, but returned in 1831 under the control of the Pope. Orvieto was part of the Papal States until 1860, when it was annexed to the newly created Kingdom of Italy.
GEOGRAPHY OF ORVIETO:
Today, Orvieto is a town of about 20,000 inhabitants, part of the province of Terni and the Italian region of Umbria. The historical center of the town stands on a tuff cliff, which dominates the valley of the Paglia River. Read More [...]
Orvieto is located 65 kilometers southwest of Perugia, 75 kilometers west of Spoleto and about the same distance southwest of Assisi, 100 kilometers south of Arezzo, 120 kilometers southeast of Siena, 130 kilometers north of Rome, 160 kilometers southeast of Florence, 225 kilometers southeast of Pisa, 265 kilometers south of Bologna, 340 kilometers northwest of Naples, 385 kilometers south of Venice, 475 kilometers southeast of Milan, 530 kilometers northwest of Bari, and about 550 kilometers southeast of Turin.
TRANSPORT TO ORVIETO:
The closest airport is the Saint Francis of Assisi Airport, the main airport of Umbria, located near Perugia, about 80 kilometers away, but you can also fly to Rome, to the Fiumicino International Airport, located about 130 kilometers away, or to the Ciampino International Airport, located about 140 kilometers away. Read More [...]
From the Perugia Airport, you can take one of the local buses E007 and E422 to the Perugia railway station. The trip takes about 25 minutes, and a ticket costs 2.50€ at the ticket office or 3.50€ if bought on board. Then, from the Perugia railway station, you can take a train to Orvieto. The trip takes about one hour and a half, and the cheapest ticket costs 8.90€.
From any of the two airports of Rome, you can take a shuttle bus to the Roma Termini railway station. A one-way ticket costs 6.00€. Then, from the railway station, you can take a train to Orvieto. The trip takes between one hour and a half and two hours, and the cheapest ticket costs 8.60€.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN ORVIETO:
Orvieto is mainly known for its splendid Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, an Italian national monument, one of the most beautiful churches in Italy and the world, and a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. Read More [...]