Cave Tour, Orvieto, Italy

Deep in the volcanic rock that serves as the foundation for the ancient city of Orvieto in Italy there are hundreds of tunnels and chambers crisscrossing below the sleepy town above. While some of these tunnels and underground rooms are used as cellars by the owners of the buildings above, others are ancient tunnels dating even to centuries before Christ.

When I was visiting Orvieto, I did not know whether I'd be able to make it to the caves or not. But I found the time and was able to buy the tickets at the information office on the Duomo's piazza. The tour guides met outside that office in the square in front of the Duomo and took us down to the cave area on the outskirt of the town on the cliff. This was about half a block from the Duomo.

The caves are all man made, dug out from the tufa and volcanic rock the city rests upon. One of the first rooms we saw was a pigeon room where there were pigeon holes dug into the walls. A window to the side opened out to the cliff and provided a way for the pigeons to fly in and out of their nesting area to feed in the valley below.

Our tour guide said that up until a few centuries ago, people would raise the pigeons for food and some would sell pigeons to the other side of the town where there wasn't enough sunlight and warmth to make a comfortable home for the birds. On account of a fear of smugglers, the townspeople were required to bar their windows. A law was passed to prohibit pigeon raising and the cellars were put to other uses.

One use they put the pigeon hole room area to seems to be that of a water reservoir. They dug a hole from the top of the ground and let the water build up in the cellar. When it came to a certain level, a tile chute like pipe conveyed the water elsewhere so as to keep the room from flooding.

Duomo of Orvieto: The Last Judgment

The Duomo itself is a massive, beautifully zebra colored structure with grey stripes alternating with white. It has a beautiful facade and one of the most beautiful rose windows in Europe.

My two favorite items, however, in the Duomo, other than the famous corporal, were the organ and the Last Judgment frescos.

To see the Last Judgment frescos, you need to get tickets and you can't use a camera or videotape the room. In this Madonna of St. Brizio, you'll find not only the vivid frescos of Luca Signorelli, but also some stuff done by Fra Angelico.

Signorelli's frescos are awe inspiring. They begin with the last day. You can see the anti-Christ hurtled from the sky and dashed to the ground, martyrdoms of various descriptions, and there is an overall sense of action. The next scene is that of the resurrection. Bodies are emerging from the grave.

To the side of the resurection, you'll find a scene depicting hell and the lot of the damned. Here you can see the demons sporting about torturing the humans damned for eternity in hell.

Last, there is a scene depicting the blessed receiving their crowns in heaven. This is quite tame in contrast to all the other scenes. Above, on the ceiling are groups of saints. You have the prophets, the doctors, the virgins, and other groups around the throne.

As I've mentioned before, this is one of my favorite chapels because it is so vivid and awe inspiring.

How To Get To Orvieto's Duomo Taking The Train

In my last post, I shared a picture of the Duomo in Orvieto. It is a magnificent gothic cathedral constructed in the middle ages.

To get to the Duomo from the train station, I suggest that once in the train station you pick up a map of the city for about one euro. You can get it in the BAR (cafe) inside the station. Then you walk across the street to what is called the Funicolare.

At the Funicolare, you'll enter and buy two tickets with the FS train discount. They'll ask to see your train ticket, they'll stamp it, and give you your discounted tickets. Using the ticket, you should step inside the tram there which will take you up the hill. It is a steep path and I don't know how you can get up the mountain walking it unless you take a road up there which might be less direct.

Once you're up in the hill, you are in Orvieto, on the remains of a volcano. The town is quite a nice little place with the sort of feel you get in Assisi. There are winding streets, etc.

Anyway, you get off the tram when it stops. Then outside the door take the bus to the Duomo. If you don't want to take the bus, it is about 5 city blocks to get there on foot. I don't recommend going on Via Postierla on foot because the one car road is narrow and they drive fast.

Orvieto, Italy: Part One - The Duomo

The Duomo in Orvieto, Italy, houses some magnificent works of art from talented artists such as Fra Angelico. Its biggest claim to fame in the Catholic world, however, lies in the fact that it houses the Eucharistic miracle of Orvieto.

Apparently a priest was doubting the True Presence during the Consecration and the Host bled. The corporal is preserved in the Blessed Sacrament chapel above the Tabernacle. A year later, the Pope instituted the feast of Corpus Christi.

Here is a photo of the corporal as found in the cathedral:




Another very impressive sight within the Duomo of Orvieto is the Chapel which hosts the famous frescos of the Last Judgement and a work done by Fra Angelico. To get into that chapel, one must pay a fee of about 5 euro at the time of writing which also gives a person admission to the museum connected to the church outside.

I did not go to the museum as I didn't have the time so I can't comment on what was in there. I must say that the Last Judgement is truly a massive and moving piece of art and something that shouldn't be missed.