Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Caffè Poliziano
(Via di Voltaia nel Corso 27; )
Established as a cafe in 1868, Poliziano was lovingly restored
to its original form 20 years ago and is the town's favourite cafe. A sit-down coffee is ex-
pensive, but will be worth the outlay if you manage to score one of the tiny, precipitous
balcony tables.
CAFE
WORTH A TRIP
ORVIETO
This Umbrian city looms over the A1
superstrada
(expressway) in truly spectacular fashion. Perched
precariously on a craggy volcanic landform, its skyline is dominated by a huge
cathedral
(
www.opsm.it
; Piazza Duomo; admission €3, incl Cappella di San Brizio €5; 9.30am-7pm Apr-
Sep, 9.30am-6pm Mar & Oct, 9.30am-1pm & 2.30-5pm Nov-Feb), one of the great masterpieces of
medieval architecture. Construction of the cathedral commenced in 1290 and took three centuries to
complete. Its facade is perhaps the most beautiful to grace any Italian church and inside the stark but
ethereally beautiful interior is Luca Signorelli's
The Last Judgment
fresco cycle. Signorelli began
work on these extraordinary frescoes in 1499, and Michelangelo is said to have taken inspiration from
them.
Orvieto is a mere one-hour drive from both Montepulciano and Arezzo, so can easily be visited in a
day if you're staying in the Val di Chiana. The
tourist office
( 0763 34 17 72;
info@iat.orvieto.tr.it
;
Piazza Duomo 24; 8.15am-1.50pm & 4-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm & 3-6pm
Sat & Sun) is opposite the cathedral, and one of Umbria's best restaurants,
I Sette Consoli
( 0763
34 39 11;
www.isetteconsoli.it
;
Piazza Sant'Angelo 1a; meals €40, 6-course degustazion menu €42;
12.30-3pm & 7.30-10pm Thu-Tue), is nearby. When we last visited, this was offering a fabulous-
value €20 set weekday lunch (three courses plus one glass of wine, water and service).
Trains run to/from Florence (
regionale veloce
, €15, 2¼ hours, eight daily) and Rome (
regionale ve-
loce
€7.50, 80 minutes, eight daily). From the train station you'll need to take the
funicolore
(cable
car; €1 each way, €0.80 with train ticket; every 10 minutes 7.05am-8.25pm Mon-Fri, every 15 minutes
8.15am-8pm Sat & Sun) up to the town centre. Tickets are available from the
tabacchi
(tobacconist) at
the station.
The carpark next to the
funicolore
station in the upper town charges €1.20 per hour between 8am
and 8pm.
Shopping
LEATHER GOODS
Maledetti Toscani
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
