HISTORY ON THE HILLTOP

As you disembark your cruise ship in Civitavecchia, meet your private driver and enjoy a full-day excursion to two intriguing, ancient hilltop towns. The origins of these settlements reach back to the Etruscan period and beyond, while successive ages and climatic factors have both added and stripped away layers from the texture and heritage of the fascinating places you can explore today. Your guide will be waiting in Orvieto ready to lead you on an unforgettable journey back down the centuries, through the town’s beautifully preserved historic centre.

Your first sight of Orvieto, built on a high plateau atop cliffs of tufo, will strike you for the sheer drama of its location. It is considered one of central Italy’s most prized jewels, famous among other features for its Etruscan remains and imposing Gothic cathedral. Thanks to its unique geological foundations and the remarkable geographical position it occupies, over the centuries this town found itself at the heart of numerous tumultuous historical events that shook the area. Invaded, occupied, conquered and abandoned at different times in its long history, Orvieto also survived tragedy and thrived, registering grand epochs of revival and prosperity. It was once the home and refuge of popes, a hub of religious communities and continues today to offer visitors a glimpse of its outstanding artistic and architectural treasures.

More astounding still, as your expert guide will show, is that what you see on the surface is only one dimension of the city. Below the ground, hewn out of the volcanic rock of the foundations, is a parallel city of tunnels and caves, wells and corridors dug by Orvieto’s inhabitants over the centuries as cellars and stores for their work tools, shelters for their animals and a rich mine of building materials to be used in construction. Medieval dwellers used to throw their refuse, both organic and inorganic, into pits or butti excavated deep into the tufa stone turning yesterday’s rubbish tips literally into treasure troves for archaeologists in our own time.

Back on ground level, your guide will lead you round the splendid cathedral which is famous for the bas-reliefs, bronze doors and rose window that characterise the facade. Inside you can admire a host of stunning, priceless artworks including the beautifully decorated Chapel of San Brizio – known to have provided Michelangelo with the inspiration for his Last Judgement. Luca Signorelli takes credit for most of the wonderful fresco cycle depicting scenes of Christian iconography that you can admire here. It seems he pleased his clients too, for documents show he promptly earned free board plus 575 ducats, including wheat and wine, for his labours in the chapel.

Highlights of your tour of Orvieto also include Piazza del Popolo, for hundreds of years the core of the town’s political, social and commercial life, and the ruins of the Albornoz Fortress, offering sweeping views of the lush Umbrian landscape.

But the town offers more than just medieval pleasures. Explore Orvieto’s shops, cafes and restaurants. The pottery tradition here began with the Etruscans and continues to be a source of pride. You can browse a range of tastefully handmade crafts including lace and woodwork, all enticingly displayed. Those who enjoy good food and wine, top class olive oil and gastronomic treats will find a wide range of choice is offered.

After some free time for lunch rejoin your driver and head for Civita di Bagnoregio. Perched precariously on a pinnacle of rock that can only be reached by a narrow footbridge, Civita di Bagnoregio is just about as near as you can get to a fairy-tale village. Centuries of wind and rain have washed away the volcanic rock of the cliff on which it sits and the path that once linked it to the neighbouring town, so that Civita is now completely isolated. The views across the surrounding hills and valley are simply stunning.

As you step through the imposing stone gateway, you leave the modern world behind and enter another dimension. Though so much of the foundations has worn away, you can still make out the medieval layout of the town. The old stone tower rises proudly beside the Romanesque church of San Donato. You’ll see picturesque buildings, their steps leading up to old wooden doors; tiny courtyards lined with creepers and flowering plants; picture postcard balconies set out with wrought iron chairs; the elegant, Renaissance facade of a nobleman’s home with nothing but blue sky behind it; cobblestone streets leading off the square past a cluster of huddled workshops to a stone wall and then a sheer drop where the side of the hill has crumbled and rolled down into the valley.

Civita warmly welcomes visitors with a choice of charming eateries, a handful of little shops selling crafts and several enchanting places to stay. The remaining buildings have been beautifully maintained and renovated in keeping with the peaceful atmosphere of this remote, exquisite and most fragile of hamlets.

After a leisurely stroll return to your cruise ship in Civitavecchia with your bag full of souvenirs and memories, some breathtaking photos, an unforgettable taste of Italy then and now… and plenty of reasons, we’re sure, to come back for more.