OLD TOWNS,
CASTLES
AND JESTERS

Day one
Morning: arrive in Orvieto and visit to the medieval quarter with la Cava, San Giovenale, San Giovanni, Palazzo Comunale and Sant'Andrea.
Afternoon: depart for Lugnano in Teverina and Castello del Poggio. Continue on Baschi and visit to the historical center.

Day two
Morning: visit of Torre del Moro and Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo.

LA CAVA
see the web site of La Cava e i Cavajoli [in Italian only]

SAN GIOVENALE
known as one of Orvieto's oldest churches, it contains XIII-XIV century frescoes

SAN GIOVANNI
this church was built by Pope John X in 916

PALAZZO COMUNALE
the modern town hall was built on the ancient foundations of a medieval building in 1573-1581 according to Ippolito Scalza's project

SANT'ANDREA
this church dates from the mid-12th century and it was built on the remains of two previous basilicas

LUGNANO IN TEVERINA
about 1000 this commune belonged to the church. The following are worth a visit: the façade of the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta, Palazzo Pennone, the Monasteries of San Francesco [1229] and Cappuccini [1579]

CASTELLO DEL POGGIO
this castle is perched high on a hill with a spectacular view. It was built by the Normans in 1034 A.C.

BASCHI
probably of Etruscan origin, this town bears numerous traces of the Roman period

TORRE DEL MORO
the tower is 47 meters high and it was built in the 13th century. Stunning view from the top

PALAZZO DEL CAPITANO DEL POPOLO
ancient seat of the Capitano del Popolo, today it is one of the most beautiful congress centers

MENDICANT
ORDERS TOUR

Day one
Afternoon: visit to the Duomo of Orvieto and the Mendicants sites in the historical center: San Francesco, San Domenico, and S.M. dei Servi. Visit to Fortezza Albornoz and Abbazia dei SS. Severo e Martirio.

Day two
Morning: visit to small medieval towns in the surroundings of Orvieto: Civitella del Lago, Morruzze, Acqualoreto, Collelungo and Izzalini.

SAN FRANCESCO
built in the early 13th century, the church contains remains of 14th century frescoes ascribed to Piero di Puccio

DUOMO
on November 1290 Pope Nicholas IV laid the foundation stone of the new church. The magnificent façade was erected according to Maitani's project. The rose window is the work of the Florentine artist Andrea Orcagna. In the interior are the Cappella Nova frescoed by Luca Signorelli and the Cappella del Corporale

SAN DOMENICO
according to tradition, it was the first church dedicated to S. Domenico. It was founded in 1220. Inside the church it's possible to see the pulpit of St. Thomas Aquinas

SANTA MARIA DEI SERVI
this church was built in 1265 and completely reconstructed in a sober neoclassical style by Vespignani

FORTEZZA ALBORNOZ
Cardinal Egidio Albornoz had this fortress built in 1359. Commissioned by Pope Clement VII, the St. Patrick's Well was built in the same area, about two centuries later

ABBAZIA DEI SANTI SEVERO E MARTIRIO
is an old monastery about four kilometers away from Orvieto. In 1103 Countess Matilde di Canossa built the church's dodecagon crenelated tower

CIVITELLA DEL LAGO
originally Roman, it was a defensive castle in Todi's region

MORRUZZE E COLLELUNGO
historical centers of the 12th century

ACQUALORETO
this is a 10th century military outpost, dominating the «Gola del Forello». Not far from Acqualoreto is the wonderful hermitage of Pasquarella

IDEAL CITY TOUR

Day one
Afternoon: visit to Todi (the ideal city).

Day two
Morning: visit to the medieval towns of Parrano and Monteleone.

TODI
the town's heyday waste 13th century, when as a free Comune it managed to annex Amelia and Terni. The Piazza del Popolo is described as the most perfect medieval square in Italy, with a trio of public palaces: Palazzo del Podestà, Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo and Palazzo dei Priori

PARRANO
this is a small town around a castle and encircled by medieval walls. In the surroundings are «Le Grotte del Diavolo», with traces of the Paleolithic and Bronze Age

MONTELEONE DI ORVIETO
MONTELEONE DI ORVIETO it's a medieval town with an important artistic heritage, noted for the Collegiate and the Church of SS. Crocifisso

UMBRIA AND
LATIUM TOUR

Day one
Afternoon: depart for Città della Pieve, noted as hometown of Pietro Vannucci, known as «Il Perugino»

Day two
Morning: depart for Bagnoregio, town of St. Bonaventura. Visit to the historical center and Civita, called «the dying town».

CITTÀ DELLA PIEVE
in the Etruscan-Roman period the town was part of Chiusi territory as shown by the interesting obelisk from the 6th century B.C.

BAGNOREGIO
probably pre-Etruscan, this small town was St. Bonaventura birthplace. The Saint's bones are preserved in a silver reliquary in the church of San Nicola. On the Belvedere there is the «Saint Bonaventura Cave», where the Saint was cured from a serious illness through St. Francis' intercession

CIVITA
this town is perched high on a hill, which used to be linked with Bagnoregio by a thin line of earth which collapsed after a quake in 1695. Points of interest include the Romanesque Church of S. Donato

UNDERGROUND
TOUR

Day one
Afternoon: tour and track into «Orvieto Underground» and the Pozzo di San Patrizio located in the heart of Orvieto.

Day two
Morning: visit to the Pozzo della Cava, Marino Kiln and Di Mario Cellars.

ORVIETO UNDERGROUND
you'll be brought back to the Etruscan Velzna, in medieval and Renaissance time, trekking into the historic caves of Orvieto.

POZZO DI SAN PATRIZIO
this is a 50 meter deep Renaissance well with two helicoidal staircases constructed by Antonio da Sangallo to provide water supplies during sieges

POZZO DELLA CAVA
see the web site of the caves of Pozzo della Cava.

"MARINO" KILN
this is a typical central Italian tufa kiln used during the 15th-16th centuries

"DI MARIO" CELLARS
"DI MARIO" CELLARS it is also possible to visit a medieval shaft used to throw away inorganic waste material

RENAISSANCE
TOUR

Day one
Afternoon: depart for Bomarzo and tour of the Parco dei Mostri, continue on to Bagnaia and visit to Villa Lante.

Day two
Morning: depart for Pienza and visit to its historical center.

PARCO DEI MOSTRI DI BOMARZO
this is an incredible Renaissance park with massive statues of fantastic, grotesque mythological characters. Vicino Orsini had it built in the mid-1500s

VILLA LANTE
Cardinal G. F. Gambara commissioned its construction most likely to Vignola in 1599. Lovely fountains, decorated pools, falls and waterworks are also found in this fascinating Italian-style garden

PIENZA
founded in 1462, this historic Renaissance center is noted as Pope Pious II's town