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 | Abruzzo Basilicata Calabria Campania Emilia Romagna Friuli Venezia Giulia Lazio Liguria Lombardia Le Marche Molise Piemonte Puglia Sardinia Sicily Tuscany Trentino Alto Adige Umbria Terni Orvieto Valle D Aosta Veneto | | OrvietoItaly > Umbria > Terni > OrvietoOrvieto is a city in southwestern Umbria, situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tufa. The site of the city is among the most dramatic in Europe, rising above the almost-vertical faces of tufa cliffs that are completed by defensive walls built of the same stone. The ancient city (urbs vetus in Procopius' designation, whence "Orvieto") populated in Etruscan times, has usually been associated with Etruscan Velzna, but some modern scholars differ. Orvieto was certainly a major center of Etruscan civilization; the Archaeological Museum (Museo Claudio Faina e Museo Civico) houses some of the Etruscan artifacts that have been recovered there. Orvieto is noted for its Gothic cathedral, striped in white travertine and greenish-black basalt in narrow bands; its design has often been attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio, but the prevailing modern opinion is that its master mason was an obscure monk named Fra' Bevignate from Perugia; construction began in 1290. The façade (illustration, right) is particularly striking and includes some remarkable sculpture by Lorenzo Maitani (14th century). Inside the cathedral, the Chapel of San Brizio is frescoed by Fra Angelico and with Luca Signorelli's masterpiece, his Last Judgment (1449-51). Orvieto has long been in papal territory. Pope Boniface VIII was from Orvieto and donated statues of himself at the main city gates, which earned him some detractions. Orvieto is home to Etruscan ruins and the remnants of a wall that enclosed the city more than 2000 years ago (illustration, top right). At the foot of the butte, surrounded by peach and apple trees and a vineyard, the Etruscan necropolis of Crocefisso di Tufo counts a hundred or so chamber tombs laid along a rectangular street grid. The white wine of the Orvieto district, to the northeast of the city, is highly prized; red wines are also grown. Content Referred to by This ArticleFind out more about the information contained in this article by clicking one of the links listed below. Perugia, Umbria Snippets of Articles Relating to OrvietoItaly > Umbria > Terni Terni, an ancient town of Italy, capital of Terni province in southern Umbria at 130 meters (427 ft) above sea-level in the plain of the Nera river. It is 104 km (65 mi) N of Rome, 36 km (23 mi) NW of Rieti, and 29 km (18 mi) S of Spoleto. Its population according to the 2003 census was 106,000. Italy > Umbria Umbria is a mountainous region of central Italy, in the valley of the river Tiber. It is bordered by Tuscany to the west, the Marche to the east and Lazio to the south. The region covers 8,456 km² and has a population of 834,000 (2003 census). Italy > Umbria > Perugia Perugia (population 150,000) is a city in the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the Tiber river, and the capital of the province of Perugia. | |
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