We spent most of our final day in Rome on a day trip- to the hillside town of Orvieto. This volcanic city in Umbria was a major center of Etruscian civilization, and is accessible by a quick and frequent 1.5 hour Trenitalia train ride from Roma Termini (starting at 7.5o Euros).
Traveller Tip: Make sure you validate your ticket before boarding all trains, or the grumbling conductors will try to hustle you for a 40 Euro penalty- EACH. The little validation machines will be at the entrance to the train terminal- save yourself the stress and remember this important step.
The funicular to the top of the hill
The usual method of transportation to the hilltop is a funicular, which you can buy tickets for directly outside the train station. The funicular was down on the day we visited, and the supplementary buses took about 15-20 mins to get up the hill instead of the supposed 2 minute funicular. If you find yourself in this situation, allow an extra 3o minutes at least to get back down to the train station for your return train.
The Orvieto Cathedral, plastered with Bas Reliefs and shimmering golden narratives from the Old and New Testament
The bus dropped us directly in front of the Orvieto Cathedral, a marvel of Romanesque-Gothic architecture. Besides the immaculate decorative paintings, the bas reliefs were extremely impressive.
Figurative sculptures on the Cathedral’s facade
The winding cobblestone streets hide a treasure trove of treats, and wandering through the town could easily take a full day.
Handwritten street signs, advising of the delicacies that await.
You can also climb to the top of the Torre del Moro Clock Tower, the highest building in Orvieto, tour the 2500 year old underground caves, or catch jazz ballet or opera at Teatro Mancinelli.
Wild boar and other local delicacies available
We chose to eat our way through the city, sampling local meats, cheeses, and wines. We even bought a bottle of Amaro del tartufo, though I haven’t yet figured out a way to successfully consume it. I love truffles, but drinking them takes a little getting used to.
Fillings for the delicious panino- we chose guanciale (wild boar) and pecorino
The region is famous for their Olive Wood products, medieval pottery, and lace products inspired by the Duomo. There are many shops selling these items peppering the town, so pace yourself.
A typical street in Orvieto
The weather was not on our side, so we chose to get out of the rain with a proper sit-down at Ristorante Antico Bucchero. Their homemade pasta was the perfect vehicle for the wild boar and rabbit ragouts that we ordered, the Rosso Orvietano wine only available within the region.
Wild Boar ragout with homemade pappardelle
Orvieto is the perfect half-day of sightseeing, and I napped entire train ride back to Rome-we had unfinished business to tend to. From Termini station, we took the Metro to Basilica San Paolo to see the inside of the church before they closed for the evening.
The thousands of chairs set up in St Peter’s Square for mass
We arrived at the Basilica around 6:00 pm, which provided beautiful light in which to explore. The setting sun splashed shadows across the religious icons throughout the church, the gold detailing glimmering.
St. Peter of Alcantara in shadow
The altars, inscriptions, and domes all looked especially beautiful in the Italian evening light, giving everything a magical glow.
Blue dome in St Peter’s Basilica
The tomb of the Apostle Peter
We wanted to get back to the hotel to pack and have a drink before getting to bed early, so we found Tritone Antica Trattoria close to the Trevi fountain and Barberini square.
Gnocchi al Pomodoro
We sat outside, the most frantic waiter I’ve ever seen serving us. He barely slowed, burping out questions as he passed and multi-tasked. Who knew we would have dinner and a show?
Ravioli di Zucca con tartufo
The single best thing I ate this trip was the pumpkin Ravioli, bathing in truffle butter. We also ordered antipasti and yet another bottle of wine (when bottles are cheaper than glasses, it’s a sin not to!). Of course, we saved some room for dessert….
Il Cantagalli Gelateria, right next to Trevi fountain- and still delicious!
Instead of walking off the meal, we stuffed in one last gelato before taking the last shuttle back to the Rome Cavalleri. Sipping a final glass of wine while listening to the lounge singer, I reluctantly acknowledged the obvious. Our Rome journey had come to an end.
The lounge singer at the Rome Cavalieri- with a shockingly accurate Louis Armstrong impression
Beautiful pictures. Sounds like quite a trip!