The boys got a much-deserved sleep in today. But today we begin our adventures in Italy with a day out in our host city, Orvieto. The 7 of us packed into 2 cars and headed down the hill to the other side of the freeway and parked in the train station lot. From here you take a funicular up to Orvieto, as the old city sits on the summit of a large butte. The boys loved the less than 2-minute ride that drops you off in the north-east part of town.
You can see the Duomo from pretty much anywhere in the city so we head to Corso Cavour and start to meander through the city. But first – Gelato! As is mom’s want, ice cream is a must on every day of a summer vacation, so we stopped almost immediately to begin our new addiction to gelato. That gets everyone happy.
B,D,L&M, Orvieto, Italy
This city (dating back to Etruscan times 750 BC) just has one beautiful side street after another coming off the main street. We eventually get to Torre del Morro, turned left up Via del Duomo to walk up to the cathedral. Wow! What a beautiful sight! This church, completed in 1590, is massive. The front façade, covered in intricate sculptures and beautifully tiled columns, is a breathtaking site. And the door on its own could be an attraction. In contrast, the side of the cathedral is a plain, green and greyish striped wall – beautiful in its own way, but not the marvel of the front.
We sat and looked at the façade until it was time for lunch. We walked back down Via del Duomo until we got to Il Dialogo Ristorante, where we got a table outside and had lunch. Our first meal out…. and we all went for it. I had a sausage pizza which was delicious (and huge). Pasta, pizza and salad all round and a bottle of white. A great first dining experience.
The heat was getting substantial, and after lunch Pops and NanNan took the boys home to spend some time by the pool, while Drew, A and I continued to wander around the city.
A went and did some window shopping while Drew and I headed back to look through the Duomo. If I thought the outside was spectacular, the inside was just as magnificent. From the incredibly picturesque alter, to the massive organ, the statues (including Adam & Eve) and the Luca Signorelli frescoes in the Chapel of Madonna di San Brizio were jaw-droppingly beautiful. Signorelli, especially, with his “The Damned in Hell” was both visually amazing, and surprising to see pictures of demons in a church. Another thing I liked was some of the windows were covered in alabaster, allowing a beautiful light in, though completely unseen from the outside. Obviously the stain glass was impressive as well, but I’d never seen anything like this in a church before.
Duomo, Orvieto, Italy
Alabaster Window, Duomo, Orvieto, Italy
Luca Signorelli's "The Damned", Duomo, Orvieto, Italy
We wandered around the city, not looking for anything in particular, just enjoying being in a foreign land, seeing buildings and people for the first time, watching a new town operate.
Eventually we made our way back to Piazza Cahen, where we walked through Fortrezza Albornoz. This 14th century fortress gave wonderful sweeping views of Umbria in the general direction of where we were staying – and south.
A quick ride down on the funicular and we were on our way back home, via a stop at the Coop supermarket to get some supplies for the house. An Italian grocery store – another first for me.
Dinner tonight was leftovers from last night’s feast before heading into an evening swim with the boys, who I think had been in the pool since they got home mid-afternoon.
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