Orvieto, Italy Hotels, Vacations, Tourism

Out on a limb from the rest of Umbria, ORVIETO is perfectly placed between Rome and Florence to serve as a historical picnic for tour operators. Tourists flood into the town in their millions, drawn by the Duomo , one of the greatest Gothic buildings in Italy. However, once its facade and Signorelli's frescoes have been admired, the town's not quite as exciting as guides and word of mouth make out. This is partly to do with the gloominess of the dark volcanic rock (tufa) from which it's built, and, more poetically, because it harbours something of the characteristic brooding atmosphere of Etruscan towns … more »