Christina's Cucina

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Home » Country » Is Orvieto Worth Visiting? Short Answer: Yes! 5 Reasons to Visit Orvieto

Is Orvieto Worth Visiting? Short Answer: Yes! 5 Reasons to Visit Orvieto

March 23rd, 2019 | 17 Comments

I’m going to give you 5 reasons to visit Orvieto in central Italy, and think that you’ll agree that Orvieto is worth visiting!

poppies and view in Orvieto, Italy

My last travel post featured San Gimignano and Siena in Tuscany. 

As an Amazon Associate and Booking.com affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

After spending the night just outside Siena, Mum and I had planned to go to Civita di Bagnoregio, but ended up stopping in Orvieto for a few hours since we were passing through this historic city.

Orvieto, Italy

This will give you a little perspective on the area. South of Florence and north of Rome.

map of umbria
Courtesy of Google maps

We drove up to the the historic part of Orvieto, which sits atop a hill. The views were spectacular.

View from Orvieto

But let me get to the 5 reasons you should visit Orvieto, Italy.

5 Reasons to Visit Orvieto

flowers and a vespa in Orvieto, Italy

1. Accessibility

No matter where you are in Italy, other than the south, or the islands, Orvieto is easily within a few hours’ drive. However, it works the other way around, too. While you’re there, there are so many amazing places nearby! Here are just a few examples including the distance by car: Florence (2 hours), Rome (1.5 hours), less than 2 hours to the west coast and 2.5 hours to the east coast of Italy!

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San Domenico church in Orvieto, Italy
San Domenico in Orvieto, Italy

2. See the Architecture When you Visit Orvieto

If you’re into architecture, Orvieto is for you. Honestly, in the few hours we were there, it was fantastic to walk through the ancient streets, see the beautiful buildings. Of course, one cannot miss Orvieto’s duomo (cathedral).

front of the duomo in Orvieto, Italy

It was not just mesmerizing on the outside, but the interior was just as jaw-droppingly gorgeous. 

ceiling of the Duomo in Orvieto

The cathedral is built with stripes of white travertine and a dark basalt, similar to the cathedral of Siena.

inside of the duomo in Orvieto

It’s interesting to note that Orvieto is built on volcanic rock called Tufa in Italian (tuff? in English). You can see that stones from this material were also used to construct walls in the city. 

Purple bike in Orvieto

It’s easy to just wander throughout the entire city!

passageway in Orvieto

3. History

Orvieto, Italy

Orvieto was inhabited by the Etruscans in the 3rd century BC, so you can imagine that this city has some amazing history. Since Mum and I just “popped by” for an afternoon, we didn’t have time to see the top historical sites of the city. For example, there are a labyrinth of caves and tunnels below the city, built by the Etruscans, two historic wells to visit, museums and more. 

It’s difficult to separate the architecture from the history, just know that there is so much of both in Orvieto, you won’t be disappointed.

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Ceramics on display in Orvieto, Italy

4. Views

one of the reasons to visit Orvieto is the views overlooking the lower town

Not only views off the top of the old part of the city as you can see, but views within the city. It’s just so photogenic. 

Fruitshop in Orvieto, Italy

cat in Orvieto, Italy
Italian kitty cat

I had to pose with one of my favorite Italian vehicles: a Piaggio Ape truck! They’re so cute! (Ape is not pronounced like the monkey, but ah-pey, meaning “bee”.)

Christina with her favorite Piaggio ape truck

Unfortunately, I missed the “drop”, but the man and woman were yelling at each other (actually just talking very loudly), when I realized he was catching his lunch. She literally dropped it off to him!

Couple interacting in Orvieto, Italy
Nice catch!

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Porchetta panini in Orvieto

5. Porchetta (and other food/drink)!

My mother and I almost ate at a restaurant near the cathedral that had porchetta, but it was outrageously expensive, so we decided against it (thankfully). After walking for a while, we came upon a butcher shop with a sign that said, “Eat at the Butcher’s”. I stepped inside and asked if they had porchetta, and lo and behold: I heard angels sing! (The color is off because of the indoor lighting, but this was a beauty!)

Porchetta in Orvieto

I recalled that bread in this region has no salt, so we had second thoughts about ordering a porchetta panino, but the lady assured us that the porchetta was perfectly seasoned so that we wouldn’t miss the salt that was missing in the bread. She was so right!

My mother and I still talk about this porchetta sandwich today. We both say it’s the best one we’ve ever had, and that’s saying something! If you go to Bottega Roticiani, tell them I sent you!

Porchetta panini (one of the reasons to visit Orvieto)

By the way, this is right outside the butcher shop where we sat and had our panino! 

Flowers outside the butcher shop in Orvieto

And would you believe we split a large panino which was 4 euros? Yep, lunch was 2 euros each that day! (This area is known for truffles, wild boar, cheese and lots of cured meats, so you won’t go wrong with the food here.)

We had enough to indulge in a gelato (for Mum) 

handheld gelato in a cone with a wafer on top in Orvieto

And a frozen Aperol Spritz for me; it was so refreshing!

Frozen Aperol Spritz in Orvieto

I also noticed a local sweet dessert wine that had won 5 gold medals, but didn’t get a chance to sample it. So, I just have to go back!

wine ad which is one of the reasons to visit Orvieto

Driving from Orvieto to Civita di Bagnoregio and Bomarzo (which I’ll be posting about soon) is a great “off the beaten track” road trip to easily do in one day if you’re in this part of Italy. If you have the time, definitely plan for a longer visit. I hope you enjoyed by 5 reasons to visit Orvieto!



Booking.com

 

Next stop: Civita di Bagnoregio


 

Orvieto collage

Christina’s Cucina is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

5 reasons to visit Orvieto

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Country, ITALY · Etruscans, europe, History, Italian town, Italy, Italy trip, Orvieto, Porchetta, reasons to go to Orvieto, road trip, Travel, travels, Umbria, well

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17 Responses

  1. Civita di Bagnoregio: a Little Known Gem in Lazio - Christina's Cucina says:
    April 4, 2019 at 8:13 pm

    […] When I was planning our route from Tuscany to Lazio, I just knew we needed to stop in Civita di Bagnoregio after visiting Orvieto. […]

    Reply
  2. Cathy says:
    April 2, 2019 at 1:26 pm

    What a wonderful city to wander and enjoy. Definitely looks like it is worth visiting.

    Reply
  3. Jill Colonna says:
    April 2, 2019 at 7:18 am

    My goodness, Orvieto certainly does sound an interesting spot – the caves and passageways sound particularly fascinating. I’ve always adored their wines. Love your images, Christina!

    Reply
  4. Frank says:
    March 28, 2019 at 5:19 am

    Ah Orvieto! I can definitely confirm it’s worth a visit! I remember it well, and that was a good maybe 40+ years ago now… I think it might have been on my first (or second) trip to Italy. We headed up there from our home base in Rome with friends of the family and stayed in a country villa a few kilometers away. The day trip into town to see the Duomo and other sights was really memorable for me, as was everything about that first experience of the beauties of Italy. Thanks for bringing back a magical time in my life. :-)

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      March 28, 2019 at 8:19 pm

      Sounds like a dream, Frank! I hope you’re able to return and enjoy it all over again, very soon!

      Reply
  5. Valentina says:
    March 25, 2019 at 1:18 pm

    What a beautiful city, Christina. You captured so much of it in your photos. Felt like I was walking around with you there. :-) I think I could be happy there for days!

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      March 25, 2019 at 8:14 pm

      I’m very sure you would be, Valentina!

      Reply
  6. Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says:
    March 24, 2019 at 11:20 am

    This needs to go on my bucket list! I remember you raving about that pork sandwich!

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      March 24, 2019 at 3:15 pm

      Definitely!!

      Reply
  7. David says:
    March 24, 2019 at 7:26 am

    We love Orvieto! And porchetta? An absolute favorite of Mark’s! Once in a blue moon, I can find porchetta vendor who hasn’t used garlic, and then I love it, too! Didn’t you love the windows in the Duomo? I expected stained glass and was awed by the onyx.

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      March 24, 2019 at 8:07 am

      There was no garlic in this porchetta and tbh, I think most Italians (at least southern Italy) don’t use it in their porchetta. I didn’t know anything about onyx windows! Now I really have to go back!

      Reply
  8. Peggy Woods says:
    March 23, 2019 at 2:53 pm

    You have sold me on the idea of visiting Orvieto should I ever get the chance to travel to Italy. As always, your photos are superb!

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      March 23, 2019 at 8:02 pm

      Oh thank you so much, Peggy! Definitely a place that would not disappoint!

      Reply
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Trackbacks

  1. Civita di Bagnoregio: a Little Known Gem in Lazio - Christina's Cucina says:
    April 4, 2019 at 8:13 pm

    […] When I was planning our route from Tuscany to Lazio, I just knew we needed to stop in Civita di Bagnoregio after visiting Orvieto. […]

    Reply

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Meet Christina

A Scottish Italian cook living in Los Angeles, Christina is usually cooking, baking or (cr)eating something scrumptious. When she isn't in the kitchen, she loves to travel, near and far, as long as good food is involved. Christina is on a mission to save authentic Italian dishes from extinction, and is constantly promoting Scottish (and British) food as some of the best cuisine the world has to offer—one steak pie and sticky toffee pudding at a time.



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