Access to the, once-Etruscan, hill town of Orvieto
Orvieto was under Roman control in the 3rd century BC
The Cathedral was dedicated in 1290.
The characteristic bands are white travertine and greenish-black basalt.
Orvieto has a labyrinth of tufa caves and tunnels that lie beneath the surface – they number in the hundreds. Created over the centuries, there are tunnels, wells, cellars and cisterns. Some are open to the public, but most are owned by individual citizens of Orvieto.
In 1527, Pope Clement VII commissioned the Pozzo di S. Patrizio (St. Patrick’s Well). Its single ramp is a double helix that allows for ascending to the bottom and returning without turning around.
Pictures by Tom Aprille ( tomaprille@quartomese.com )