Orvieto - Walk IV

 

From Piazza del Repubblica to the Outskirts of the City


Leave Piazza della Repubblica along Via Filippeschi and fork left along Via della Cava.  This ancient street, which is so-called because it has been cut out of the tufa, leads directly to what was historically the main entrance to the city.   Indeed, it was probably the only entrance for many centuries.  For example, the historian Procopius described “Urbiventus” (almost certainly Urbs Vetus, Orvieto) when Belisarius besieged the Goths here in 539:


"The city occupies a lone hill that springs from low-lying ground, being on the top level smooth but precipitous at the base.  … Upon this hill men of old built the city and they neither placed walls around it nor constructed defenses of any kind since the place seemed to them to be impregnable by nature.  For there is only one approach to the city through the rocks …   (History of the Wars, VI:20)



Walk down the street, passing:

The private art gallery contains an important stretch of Etruscan walls.

Etruscan walls (ca. 600 BC)

These walls came to light in 1965 when a torrential storm caused subsidence.  Further excavation revealed eight courses of tufa blocks that had been used to build a wall against the natural rock.

The Byzantine historian John Zonara, writing in 1118 about the fall of Fanum Volsinae to the Romans in 264 BC, described the city as having a single entrance set back from the perimeter of the cliff (Epitome Storica, 8, 7, 4-8).  Procopius (as noted above) had described this single entrance and added: "the Romans of old built a short piece of wall across this approach.  And there is a gate in it ….” (History of the Wars, VI:20).  It seems likely that this stretch of wall, which certainly pre-dated the Romans, was in fact part of the fortified entrance to the ancient city.



Continue to Porta Maggiore, which was built at the edge of the cliff in the 13th century.

Porta Maggiore (13th century)

This gate provided the main entrance to Orvieto from the time of its construction until the 19th century, when Via Cassia Nuova was built outside it to take traffic to the new entrance to the east (see Walk III).

In 1297, the Commune erected a statue of honour Pope Boniface VIII in the niche above the arch in the inner wall.  The statue, which is attributed to Ramo di Paganello, is now preserved (along with another from Porta Postierla - see Walk III) in San Francesco.

 
 

Walk through the gate.  The church of Santa Maria del Velo was built into the face of the cliff on your right.

Santa Maria del Velo (1749-51)

Bishop Giuseppe Marsciano commissioned and designed this church as his burial chapel, and consecrated it in 1751.

The church, which was built into the cliff, was later incorporated into surrounding structures, all of which have been removed in the recent restoration.  Surviving documentation has permitted the faithful restoration of the façade.



Walk across the facade of the Madonna del Velo to join a path that now forms part of the Anello della Rupe, a path that will eventually circumnavigate the city.  Continue to the point where the Cappella del Crocifisso del Tufo was cut into the rock in the 16th century.  The entrance is now covered, but you can look through gaps to glimpse the Crucifix carved into the tufa from which the chapel (and the necropolis below) takes its name.

There is an interesting view of the necropolis of the Crocifisso del Tufo from the viewing point beyond on the left.  You can continue to the necropolis at this point.  (You can alternatively walk down to it from Via Pecorelli as a detour to Walk II).  If you do take the detour from here, you can avoid the steps back up the cliff by walking along the main road to Porta Maggiore.

Return to Porta Maggiore, cross Via Cassia Nuova and take the Strada Dritta del Marchigiano opposite, which follows the line of the medieval road to Bolsena.  The niche on the left and the fragmentary inscription above are all that remains of the church of Santa Maria della Fonte.

Continue to the end, turn right along the main road, left at the roundabout, left again along Strada dell’ Arcone and then next right along Via della Gabeletta to Tamburino. 

The road now crosses the Rio Chiaro: below on the left you can see:

  • Etruscan road, protected (as it now is) on the left and exposed on the right
    a surviving stretch of Etruscan road; and then










  • the old bridge.

These are relics of the ancient road from Orvieto to Bolsena.  The altar beyond on the left (just before the road bends to the right) records the meeting here between Pope Urban IV and the bishop of Orvieto in 1264 as the latter brought the Sacro Corporale from Bolsena to Orvieto.


 


Pope Urban IV meets the Bishop of Orvieto
at  Ponte di Rio Chiaro as he returns from
Bolsena with the Sacro Corporale
Fresco (1357-64) by Ugolino di Prete Ilario
Cappella del Corporale, Duomo

Continue ahead (i.e. turn left off the main road) along Via Tamburino, which continues along the line of the ancient road.  Take a short detour along the 1st turning on the right to the cemetery and the church of San Lorenzo delle Vigne (although the church is now closed).

Retrace your steps to Via Tamburino and continue along it.  The abandoned church of Santo Spirito degli Armeni is on the left, just before another road to the right.

Santo Spirito degli Armeni (1288)

A record in the episcopal archives records that Bishop Francesco Monaldeschi laid the foundation stone of a new church here at the request of Brother Peter of Armenia.  The monks also established a hospice here.

The Gothic portal (1421) and the fresco of the Annunciationin its lunette were moved to San Domenico in 1934.  


Continue along Via del Tamburino to the houses on the left and take the track on the right here that runs beside a field.  This takes you to the main road, where you turn left.  The restaurant "Girarrosto del Buongustaio" on the left has a lovely terrace with a fine view of Orvieto. 

Continue along the main road around three bends: when you get to the outlet signed as Mobile d’ Arte, keep its fence on your right and then continue along a short stretch of the old road to get away from the traffic.  When you rejoin the main road, you will see the ex-Convento di SS Trinità on the right, just before the restaurant "La Torretta di Nona Amelia".

Convento della Santissima Trinità

(15th century)

Pope Benedict XI established a Benedictine monastery and hospice here in 1038.  A Cistercian community settled here in 1265.  Nothing of these earlier structures survives.

The complex passed to the Observant Franciscans in 1429 and they rebuilt the church and convent.  The frescoes (ca. 1499) in the church included a last Supper, by Antonio da Viterbo, il Pastura.   [Where is it now ??]

The cloister was rebuilt in 1531.

The community was suppressed after the unification of Italy in 1860, after which the complex housed an agricultural business.  It is currently (May 2008) undergoing a major restoration that will convert it into a hotel and conference centre .

 
 


You now have two ways of reaching your next objective, which is the site of the excavation of what was probably the Etruscan cult site of Fanum Voltumnae:

  •  
     San Crispino
    (number 1, San Valentino)
     
     
    Number 5, San Valentino, with     the substation beyond 
    The lane in front of the former leads to the site of the excavations at
    Campo della Fiera
    The easier of the two is to retrace your steps to the bridge over Rio Chiaro. Cross it by the footbridge to the right of the road and continue past the parish church of San Crispino (number 1, San Valentino) on your right.  Turn right at the end and left just before the electricity substation, in front of the house at number 5, San Valentino.




  • The alternative is to turn right off the main road along the track opposite the Mobile d’ Arte and follow it towards Orvieto (of which you have lovely views).  When the track bends to the left, continue straight ahead through trees.  The track eventually ends at a junction with a lane:

    • If you do not want to see the site of the excavations at Campo della Fiera (see below) and you still feel like continuing your walk in the countryside, you can turn right here and follow the lane up and to the left to the Convento dei Cappuccini (see below).

    • Alternatively, turn left (towards Orvieto), pass the electricity substation on the left and turn right in front of the house at number 5, San Valentino. 

The lane leads to the excavations of an important cult site at Campo della Fiera.  (The area is so-called because it was the site of commercial fairs in medieval times).   This might well have been the site of Fanum Voltumnae, the most important cult site in Etruria.  It was also the site of San Pietro in Vetere, as described on the  information board in the second field along the lane.

San Pietro in Vetere

(12th century ?)

This church, the remains of which were discovered in 2001, seems to have been San Pietro in Vetere.  Although documented from 1211, this church fell out of use at around the time of the Black Death (1348) and was subsequently forgotten.

The church was ceded in turn to two newly-arrived mendicant orders: 

  • to the Franciscans in 1226-40, before they moved to San Francesco; and

It subsequently served the suburb that flourished here until the Black Death wiped it out.

Excavation in the area below the church has revealed a fragment of what is probably  Roman mosaic and a platform made from  tufa blocks that were probably cut in Etruscan times.   These and other finds suggest that the area was in use as a cult site almost continuously  from Etruscan times until the 14th century.

 
 Aerial photograph of the excavation
of a church here that is probably
San Pietro in Vetere


Continue to the T-junction and then left to reach the main road.  Turn right and continue to the point at which the medieval aqueduct crosses it. 

Medieval Aqueduct (ca. 1276)

The Venetian hydraulic engineer, Buoninsegna built this aqueduct, which fed a number of fountains in the city, including one in Piazza Maggiore (now Piazza della Repubblica - see Walk II).  However, it deteriorated from at least the time of the Black Death (1348). 

A major restoration project was carried out on the main fountain and on the aqueduct in 1503.  Nevertheless, the city relied increasingly on the well known as the Pozzo di San Patrizio and on cisterns that collected rain water.  The main fountain was dismantled in 1563. 

By the 17th century, the aqueduct fed relatively few fountains in the city.  In 1682, it was decided to divert what little water it still provided to the area of Campo della Fiera



There are now three possibilities:

  • Take  a detour by following the footpath to the right along the line of the aqueduct and then turn right along an avenue of conifers to reach the Convento dei Cappuccini.  It is a steep climb, but there are fine views of Orvieto.  Walk past the facade of the church and turn left at the exit from the complex to follow the lane down once more to the main road.

  • Continue along the road (or turn right along it after having visited the Convento dei Cappuccini) and then turn right following signs to the hotel “La Badia”, which occupies the ex-Abbazia di SS Severo e Martirio.

  • Cross the road and follow the footpath along the remains of the aqueduct as it leads up through fields and back to the city.  The path soon becomes a tarmac lane.  Turn right at the main road and follow it round the bend.  Continue along the footpath at the edge of the car park and then cross the upper level to the pay station.  You have a choice of the lift or the escalator from here to Piazza Ranieri.

If you have taken the first and/or the second of these options, return to the main road and turn right along it to the Strada Fontana del Lione on the left (opposite the petrol station).  You now have two options:

  • If you do not want to take the steep road up to Orvieto, continue for about 1 km long the main road and then take the paved path to the left that leads to a stretch of the old road that is now closed to traffic.  This continues a a quiet tree-lined road into Orvieto Scalo (about another 1 km).  Turn left at the T-junction to the funicular railway up to Orvieto.
  • Alternatively, turn left up the Strada Fontana del Lione towards the Rocca. 
A final detour is possible from the Strada Fontana del Lione to the site of the Cannicella temple and necropolis: take the first turning on the left and follow signs to B&B Cannicella.  The signs lead you:
  • along two sides of the remains of the temple; and then

  • along a lane on the right, with the only surviving visible evidence of the excavations of the necropolis on the left. 

(The B&B is just beyond, at the end of the lane.  There is a large dog in residence, so be careful not to walk uninvited through its gates.)

Retrace your steps and to the Strada Fontana del Lione and turn left along it to Porta Postierla (see Walk III). 

Via Postierla, which becomes Via Soliana, takes you to Piazza del Duomo, where the walk ends.