Orvieto

Orvieto is a city of 21,048 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2012) in southwestern Umbria, in the province of Terni in Italy.

Geography

The entire old town is built on a tufa platform. This town rock is crossed by a maze of cellars, corridors and huge cisterns, of which a small part was opened up again for the visit. Numerous arranged in street lines Etruscan tombs can be found directly below the town rock, and on the slopes opposite the city, there were tombs with murals.

History

It is believed that Orvieto is ( Urbs Vetus = old city), the medieval name and location of the Etruscan city Velzna (Roman Volsinii ), one of the twelve cities of the Etruscan Federal Capital Empire. However, this is not backed up.

Velzna was conquered after a slave revolt in 264 BC by Marcus Fulvius Flaccus. The Romans forced the survivors to settle in a less to be fixed location in Novi Volsinii on Lake Bolsena, Bolsena today.

Orvieto was once the residence of the popes of the Middle Ages. Clement VII had to flee here in 1527, after Rome had been destroyed.

During the Second World War was at Orvieto, a military airfield ( ⊙ 42.73666666666711.996388888889 ) on which the engineer Pier Luigi Nervi built a exceptional for its time hangar that was destroyed in the war.

Attractions

Numerous palaces from the Renaissance and Middle Ages, such as the Palazzo del Capitano at the Piazza del Popolo, now a convention center.

Churches

  • The Cathedral of Orvieto is that of the Diocese of Orvieto - Todi Cathedral.
  • Chiesa di San Juvenal (1004 )
  • Chiesa di Sant'Andrea, built over the ruins of a pagan temple and an early Christian church
  • Chiesa di San Domenico with the Mausoleum of Cardinal Guillaume de Bray (s) of Arnolfo di Cambio
  • Chiesa di San Ludovico
  • Chiesa di San Francesco, XIII. Century
  • Abbazia di San Severo e Martyrdom, Romanesque monastery

Pozzo di San Patrizio

Another attraction is the da Sangallo the Younger 1527-1537 built by Antonio fountain Pozzo di San Patrizio (depth 58.5 m, diameter 4.7 m).

Pope Clement VII had fled to Orvieto because of the siege of Rome by the troops of Charles V. and was here to protect against the consequences of a further siege by wanting to ensure the supply of the city with water.

Sangallo designed an ingenious plan: The paths to and from the wells consist of two interwoven spiral stairs. This form of a double helix, the paths never cross, so that the donkeys with their water loads without meeting, to descend and ascend again could.

Shortly after its completion in 1537, this fountain is considered as a special building and been visited by numerous architects.

The name of the building dates back to a legend, according to which Christ is said to have the St. Patrick's shown a cave or pit, which provides access to purgatory and thus was able to convince doubters of the existence of hell torments.

Tourism

Orvieto thrives on tourism. In the surrounding hills, the sculpture garden is La Serpara.

The city is a member of Cittaslow, a company incorporated in Italy in 1999 motion to decelerate and increase the quality of life in cities by environmental policy, infrastructure policy, urban quality, appreciation of indigenous products, hospitality, awareness and scenic quality.

Viniculture

Orvieto is also known as the namesake of the surrounding wine region with the status of a Denominazione di origine controllata, short DOC, famous for the white Orvieto, which is offered in the dry and sweet flavors. A total of 1480 winegrowers work 2,853 hectares of vineyards in the surrounding area approved the municipality of Orvieto.

Sons and daughters of the town

  • Lamberto Baldi (1895-1979), conductor and composer
  • Mario Frustalupi (1942-1990), football player
  • Stefano Tilli (born 1962 ), athlete

Pictures

Cityscape

Orvieto Piazza Repubblica ( Old Town)

Tempio del Belvedere Etrusco

Swell

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