Umbria - Italy - page 199

verticality. Though the stair-climbing may leave you panting, I count Orvieto
among the highlights of all my trips to Italy.
DON'T LEAVE ORVIETO WITHOUT . . .
VIEWING THE DUOMO'S FACADE IN THE AFTERNOON LIGHT
The golden-tiled mosaics shimmering in the setting sun turn the front of the
church into a 46m (150-ft.) illuminated text, with Gothic spires standing as mas-
sive exclamation points. Walk closer to see the carved figures on the pillars grow
even more frightening in the fading light.
CHECKING OUT SIGNORELLI'S LAST JUDGMENT FRESCO The
recently restored masterpiece, in the Duomo's San Brizio Chapel, was greatly
admired (and copied) by Michelangelo himself. It is one of the most colorful,
graphic, and entertaining artworks in Italy.
TAKING AN UNDERGROUND TOUR Both a city and a private tour offer
chances for visitors to experience history as they walk through some of Orvieto's
1,200 caves.
TRYING SOME ORVIETO CLASSICO Orvieto is rightly famous for its
Orvieto D.O.C., white wines produced from grapes grown in the surrounding
hills and valleys. They've been endorsed by everyone from ancient Romans and
Gothic marauders to the trendiest wine critics of today.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF ORVIETO
Orvieto ( urbs vetus, or “old city”) sits on a plateau of tufa and clay left from a vol-
cano rising from a seabed millions of years ago. The Etruscans were the first to
build a major settlement here, about 600 B . C ., choosing the location for its seem-
ingly perfect defensive position (see “Who Are the Etruscans & Why Are They
Following Me?” on p. 206). But the Romans flattened the city in 254 B . C ., and
there followed an equally devastating series of conquests by Byzantine, Lombard,
and papal invaders (so perhaps the plateau method of defense had some kinks to
work out).
Most of the towers, churches, and buildings that you'll see were constructed in
a period of prosperity from the 12th to the 14th century. The solid stone build-
ings have thick walls for a reason: Incessant battles between the Guelph and
Ghibelline factions (think the Hatfields and McCoys, but with poison, torture,
and excommunication) kept the town in a mini civil war for over a hundred years.
In 1348, the “smallest” invaders had the most lasting impact on the city. Fleas
carrying the bubonic plague killed over half the population of Orvieto in 5
months--including six of the Council of Seven leaders of the town. The labor
force was decimated, commerce crumbled, and construction of new buildings
came to a halt, leaving the same medieval tourist town you see today. Beginning
in the 1400s, a number of popes used this now backwater fortress as a hide-out
whenever things got too dangerous in Rome. The papal connection sponsored the
creation of several more tourist favorites, including the magnificent Signorelli
frescoes in the Duomo.
Present-day Orvieto has had a rebirth of sorts, hosting the Umbria winter jazz
festival, as well as a quorum of ceramic makers, wine producers, and fine-dining