…but of the beautiful kind! Did you know that the “Green Rooster of Orvieto”, created in the 13th-century, is one of the oldest Majolica ceramics (Italian tin-glazed pottery) dinnerware designs in Italy? Some of my favorite local pottery-masters include L’arpia Ceramiche, Ceramiche Fusari and Ceramiche Giacomini. Oh, I haven’t forgotten famed artist Marino Moretti. On the lighter side – La Brocca di Gallo is the wine/water pitcher everyone needs for their table!
You may be wondering why in the world I’d be posting photos of my day in Rome on a project dedicated to Orvieto? Well, it’s to illustrate one of the great things about our town: It’s smack-dab in the middle of Italy, on a main rail line and right off the autostrada. Just a quick 1-hour train ride to Rome’s historical center, Orvieto can be the perfect day trip from Rome or… MAYBE.. Rome is the perfect day trip from Orvieto? Think about it! Like! Share! Visit!
Today, I shine the spotlight on fierce Chef Valentina Santanicchio. She grew up on her parents’ organic farm in nearby Ficulle where, I imagine, her dedication to real food began – it’s in her blood. She opened her first restaurant at the age of 28 and created a style of cooking that is a wonderful combo of tradition mixed with an edgy, contemporary flare – kind of like Vale…(Disclaimer: She’s also one of my closest friends). She is strong, determined, independent and loyal….and she makes a mean fried chicken! (Photos: Top: Vale and me 2011. Bottom: Vale and me now, and Below: The ‘welcome back’ cookie she once made for me!) Like! Share! Visit! Eat!
So, you think you have to forego your workouts when visiting Orvieto? Well, you’d be wrong. On top of lots of strolling, you can take a Zumba class with the great Oxana Voropinova at Persiede dance studio (along with ballet, jazz, etc). There’s also several yoga and pilates studios around town and the ‘the 2 Peppes’ (tennis pros) at Villa Mercede will hone your clay court tennis skills. Not sporty? Then take the ‘walks of all walks’ on the ‘Anello della Rupe”: An hour trek around the rock that will change your life! Read about it here. Orvieto is good for your health! Like! Share! Visit!
Day #9 of “31 Days of Orvieto” features my favorite church in Orvieto, Chiesa di San Giovanale. Built in 1004 (out-dating the Duomo by almost 300 years), it’s located in the Medieval part of town with expansive views of the countryside. What attracts me to this treasure is its austere beauty…and it’s ancient and illustrious past – they say it was constructed atop an Etruscan temple dedicated to Jupiter – which only adds to the mystique. Do the giant iron “belts” hold the columns together? The recent renovation brings the frescoes to life – obscured for years by white lime used to disinfect the church during the ‘Black Plague’. Like! Share! Visit!
View from the wall outside the Church of S. Giovanale
…Lago di Bolsena, that is. Just a 20-minute drive from Orvieto, this oval-shaped crater lake (with a quaint medieval village) was formed from a volcanic eruption 370,000 years ago. Geologist believe that a piece of the volcano was catapulted nearly 30 km and landed at the site that Orvieto was later built (hence the town’s nickname “la Rupe). Etruscans found the volcanic ‘tufo’ perfect for digging wells and caves…and the rest is history! Find out more about Orvieto and its surrounding sites when you visit! Like! Share! Visit!
Want a bird’s eye, panoramic view of Orvieto and its surrounding Umbrian countryside? Just climb the 271 steps (45m) to the top of Torre del Moro. The medieval tower sits at the ‘intersection’ of Corso Cavour and Via del Duomo and from it’s terrace you’ll see it all…but cover your ears at the hour, quarter- and half-hour, for the bells chime LOUDLY. Who needs a wristwatch when you live in Orvieto? Share! Like! Visit!
Some people live where they happened to be born, where they got a job or where a spouse is from. But some of us, like my friend Brian, chose our home. Brian is an example that it’s never to late to realize a dream or change your life. I once asked him, “How do I explain to people why I chose to live here in Orvieto? His answer is now mine: “It’s easy, just tell them it’s BECAUSE YOU LIKE IT!” Live, dream and do! That’s my friend, Brian.
Want to know more about Brian? Read a post I wrote about him back in 2012 here.
When you walk up the Corso Cavour from the funicular station, you’ll find the neoclassical, 560-seat Teatro Mancinelli. It hosts international theatre companies, avant-garde, jazz, dance and music. But, it’s the Fracassini masterpiece – a painted curtain (completed in 40 days) depicting the 535 AD event when a Byzantine army drove the Goths from Orvieto – that will blow your socks off! Visit the theatre for a self-guided tour and then afterwards, have a coffee or ‘lo spritz’ at the beautiful Caffe Del Teatro Mancinelli. Share! Like! Visit!
Did you know that: 1) 2,500ish year-old Orvieto sits on volcanic tufo cliffs; 2) The Pope(s) slept here; 3) There’s an underground city with as many as 1,200 Etruscan caves and wells; 4) It was sacked by Julius Caesar’s Rome in 280 BC; and 5) The famous funicular railway was once operated by a water-ballast counterbalanced system?
Want to find out more? Come! Visit and Share the “31 Days of Orvieto” with your friends!
Orvieto or Bust: 