Orvieto

Located in the western part of Umbria, midway between Rome and Florence, Orvieto is built on top of a large butte of volcanic tuff. The town has Etruscan origins and was then conquered by the Romans. It is dominated by the imposing Cathedral inside which the marvellous St. Brizio's Chapel decorated with frescoes by Renaissance masters Beato Angelico and Luca Signorelli can be admired. On top of the beauties of palaces and churches Orvieto offers also an interesting visit to its undergrounds, where hundreds of rooms, corridors and secret passages were used in the past for various purposes, such as storing wine and olive oil, shelter or escape in case of attack from enemies. A well known white wine, named Orvieto Classico after the town, is produced in the vineyards of its surroundings.