A deep well of history hides beneath
Ancient Orvieto has captivated visitors for centuries with its lofty setting and network of Etruscan caves, writes
Dinner at Labirinto di Adriano, a charming traditional trattoria in the backstreets of Orvieto, comes with something of an unusual coda. After delicious plates of handmade pasta — coated in the kind of silky, cheesy sauce that only the Italians know how to do — our host, Alessia, suggests we might like to explore what lies beneath the restaurant. Following her downstairs, we discover an extraordinary tangle of underground passageways, caves and staircases that date back more than 2500 years, to when the Etruscans first began to dig a network of wells, cellars and tunnels into the soft volcanic rock.
Pozzo di San Patrizio, a Renaissance water well with a cylinder shaft surrounded by a double helix spiral staircase.
Many of Italy’s hilltop towns have caverns and cellars beneath, but few can match the extraordinary honeycomb that lies under Orvieto. The old town is built on an isolated outcrop of tufa
rock, with medieval palazzos, the 50mhigh clock tower, Torre del Moro, and breathtaking 13thcentury cathedral rising up like cutouts, set above some fantastical, floating land.
Much of the city looks as it would have done centuries ago — narrow alleyways flanked by thick stone walls and shuttered palazzos, restaurants, cafes and boutiques housed beneath medieval arches and in Etruscan caves.
It may be steeped in history, but that’s not to say Orvieto is stuck in the past. The long main street, corso Cavour, is dotted with boutiques and familiar Italian brands, slotted in between cafes, bars and trattoria that all spill out on to the streets, with waiters running neat piles of strangozzi, the local pasta, and giant discs of pizza out from the kitchen to alfresco tables.
Any visit to Orvieto should begin with the extraordinary, liquoricestriped cathedral, which took 300 years to build and has one of the most beautiful facades in the whole of Italy. Inside, the vast space is pleasingly free of the baroque ornateness that characterises so many Italian churches; on a hot day it’s a wonderfully airy space to sit and ponder. Equally worth a visit, although notably less spacious, is the Pozzo di San Patrizio, a 50mdeep well, encircled with two spiral staircases that never meet. Constructed in 1527 to ensure water was still accessible in case of siege, it’s another example of the mindblowing engineering and design that underpins the town.
Alongside Orvieto’s rich heritage, there’s an indulgent foodie culture with an emphasis on truffles and wild boar, often used to make ragu. By day, the city’s hub is Montanucci, a big, bustling cafe, where glass cabinets are heaped with biscuits, pastries, tarts and flans and the hot bar does excellent pastas served canteen style.
But it’s in the early evening when Orvieto is at its best. Daytrippers have disappeared into their coaches and the streets are filled with local families, taking a presupper passeggiata. My favourite spot to sit and soak it all up is the Bottega Vera, a pocketsized wine bar where every glass comes with a slate of savoury snacks, and as much information on the grape, vineyard and maker as you want to know. — Guardian News and Media