Orvieto - a Papal Refuge

Orvieto is a city in the Province of Terni in southwestern Umbria. It is situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff. Its highly defensible position atop the steep volcanic cliffs made it a very valuable location to all who lived there – including the Etruscans, the Romans, and eventually medieval Christians.  It is notable for being one of only 3 cities outside Rome that were home to Papal Palaces (the others being Viterbo, Italy and Avignon, France).



Orvieto is home to many interesting historical sites. One of the grandest is the Orvieto Cathedral or Duomo. Construction started in 1290 AD and subsequently enlarged between 1308-1330 AD.



The façade of Orvieto’s cathedral is covered with sculptures and biblical reliefs. The church looks different from many others we’ve seen as it was constructed using alternating bands of travertine and basalt rock.  Stepping indoors the cathedral you are greeted by some spectacular frescos.

The Pozzo di San Patrizio (English: "St. Patrick's Well") is a historic well in Orvieto, Umbria, central Italy. It was built by architect-engineer Antonio da Sangallo the Younger of Florence, between 1527 and 1537, at the behest of Pope Clement VII who had taken refuge at Orvieto during the sack of Rome in 1527 by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and feared that the city's water supply would be insufficient in the event of a siege. The well was completed in 1537 during the papacy of Pope Paul III.

The name was inspired by medieval legends that St. Patrick's Purgatory in Ireland gave access down to Purgatory, indicating something very deep.

The architect-engineer Antonio da Sangallo the Younger surrounded the central well shaft with two spiral ramps in a double helix, accessed by two doors, which allowed mules to carry empty and full water vessels separately in downward and upward directions without obstruction. The cylindrical well is 53.15 metres (174.4 ft) deep with a base diameter of 13 metres (43 ft). There are 248 steps and 70 windows provide illumination.

A Latin inscription on the well states QUOD NATURA MUNIMENTO INVIDERAT INDUSTRIA ADIECIT ("what nature stinted for provision, application has supplied").



It’s easy to see why this hilltop town is one of the area’s more popular tourist destinations. Lying beneath the town is a labyrinth of caves and tunnels dug out from the volcanic rock.  Initially, the tunnels and caves were dug by the Etruscans for living, storage, and livestock areas. In Roman and medieval times, they were expanded for use by the growing town. Most recently, they were used as bomb and air raid shelters during the world wars.  We took an underground tour and learned how noblemen would live in these tunnels during times of siege, and how they survived by tapping into wells for water, and eating pigeons.
Location: 05018 Orvieto, Province of Terni, Italy

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