Orvieto is another hill town with a funicular, but this one is longer and higher!
By the time we arrived in the carpark, it was already hot.
On with the sunglasses, hats and lashings of sunscreen and up we went.
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| Madeleine and Daniel next to the funicular |
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| Going up! |
Orvieto is the biggest town we have visited in Italy.
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| Come on Mum, get the camera out later! |
It is much busier with a bigger market that starts in the piazza and then flows on through the streets.
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| Can you see Madeleine, Daniel and Christopher? |
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| There they are. |
Although we have eaten ice-cream and sorbet in France and Germany, we were very excited to try our first Italian cold treats .... and at a market too!
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| Daniel with Chocolate and Chocolate chip gelato |
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| Madeleine with Strawberry and Lemon sorbet |
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| Daniel choosing yellow plums |
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| Daniel's favourite cheese. |
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| Mum and Dad's favourite cheese. |
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| Madeleine's favourite cheese!! |
We have noticed that at each market and sometimes parked on the side of the road, there are vans selling "porchetta". This is roast pork that is carved off a huge roll of meat and served with a bread roll (panino). It's time we tried one.....
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| Porchetta |
The other type of pork we came across was in and around the shops......
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| I wonder.....is it real??? |
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| Tell me if it moves.... |
The Torre del Moro was calling us; it is a clock tower in the centre of town and is the tallest building in Orvieto. As we hadn't climbed anything for a few days away we went. To us this was a "piccolo" (Italian for small) staircase as there were only 250 steps.
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| Torre del Moro |
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| Daniel, Madeleine and Dad starting the climb |
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| Madeleine, it looks more than 250 steps |
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| The clock from the inside |
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| Daniel, Madeleine and Mum at the top |
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| The view of the Duomo and countryside beyond |
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| The marketplace |
The day was warming up and the streets were getting busy. We wandered through the town along with many tourists looking in and around the artisan shops and restaurants offering local delicacies.
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They are everywhere! |
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| Madeleine, Daniel and Dad |
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| Keeping guard
We walked past the Duomo where they were setting up for a concert so unfortunately it was closed to the public.
 
The front of the church is very decorative, the sides are much simpler
Daniel with Pinocchio
Madeleine with Pinocchio
Orvieto hosts many attractions, the last two on our list were the theatre and the Pozzo di S. Patrizio.
The theatre is in the heart of town surrounded by shops and restaurants. It is quite small but beautiful and still in use today.
Daniel and Dad singing and dancing!
The bright and airy stairwell
High in the gallery
The magnificent chandelier.
Taking a seat.
Madeleine choosing where to sit.
Madeleine on the veranda.
Peekaboo!
We were the only visitors and were able to go right through the theatre, exploring all the rooms.
Then it was time to walk back to the funicular....but on the way we took a look at the Pozzo di S. Patrizio.
The Pozzo is a well that was built for Pope Clementine, starting in 1527 and finishing in 1537. It is built in a double helix, so we walked down one staircase and walked back up its twin. Donkeys used these spiral stairs to to carry the water up from the well.
The walk down to the Pozzo.
   
The view down the pozzo
After a great day in Orvieto we headed home to the house in Todi. No outings are planned for tomorrow.....  |
After such a big day out in Orvieto we were not surprised to hear that it was followed by a "rest day". The Pozzo is an amazing structure; those poor donkeys must have worked very hard when carrying the water up such a steep slope. We see that you are still sampling the gelati and cheese. They look delicious. Lots of love, Nanna and Pop
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