The Medieval City of Orvieto, Italy
Orvieto is a town in Italy situated between Rome and Florence with a rich history dating back
to the middle ages. The architecture, the city design, and the multiple churches all showoff the
town’s medieval age beauty. The location of this city is “situated atop an isolated rock, 640 feet
(195 m) above the junction of the Paglia and Chiana rivers” (Britannica).
to the middle ages. The architecture, the city design, and the multiple churches all showoff the
town’s medieval age beauty. The location of this city is “situated atop an isolated rock, 640 feet
(195 m) above the junction of the Paglia and Chiana rivers” (Britannica).
Although the city has multiple churches, the Duomo di Orvieto that sits south-center in the town
is the heartbeat attraction. What puts this relatively small city on the map for many tourists (and as
a pilgrimage site back in the day) is a relic that is held within the Duomo. The construction of the
Duomo took place between 1290-1580 and was started to celebrate the miracle associated with
the relic. As the story goes, a priest was attending a mass just outside of Orvieto where when
partaking in Holy Communion he saw blood drip from the eucharist onto a cloth below. This was
believed to be christ’s blood, and the cloth is now inside the Duomo, framed in a room separate from
the main worship area.
is the heartbeat attraction. What puts this relatively small city on the map for many tourists (and as
a pilgrimage site back in the day) is a relic that is held within the Duomo. The construction of the
Duomo took place between 1290-1580 and was started to celebrate the miracle associated with
the relic. As the story goes, a priest was attending a mass just outside of Orvieto where when
partaking in Holy Communion he saw blood drip from the eucharist onto a cloth below. This was
believed to be christ’s blood, and the cloth is now inside the Duomo, framed in a room separate from
the main worship area.
Orvieto went through great expansion during the middle ages that brought wealth and power
to the city. The population and geographic size of the town grew, and the town controlled surrounding
areas and acted as a capital. Orvieto also “had a well organized political system and urban
structure, distinguished by four districts: Serancia, San Giovenale, Postierla and Santa Pace”
(The History of Orvieto) similar to other prosperous medieval towns at this time. This period of
cultural and economic growth lasted until Orvieto was affected by plague, much like Europe
as a whole. Restoration and beautification of the city has continued through current day and
Orvieto still shines as a medieval wonder.
to the city. The population and geographic size of the town grew, and the town controlled surrounding
areas and acted as a capital. Orvieto also “had a well organized political system and urban
structure, distinguished by four districts: Serancia, San Giovenale, Postierla and Santa Pace”
(The History of Orvieto) similar to other prosperous medieval towns at this time. This period of
cultural and economic growth lasted until Orvieto was affected by plague, much like Europe
as a whole. Restoration and beautification of the city has continued through current day and
Orvieto still shines as a medieval wonder.
On a personal note, I was able to visit Orvieto this past summer and absolutely fell in love with it.
The town is small, fairly quiet, and quaint. There are markets, plenty of shopping, amazing
white wine, and tons of history. The narrow winding streets are sometimes hard to navigate,
but they are a perfect example of medieval road systems. I adore this town and had to share my
experience!
The town is small, fairly quiet, and quaint. There are markets, plenty of shopping, amazing
white wine, and tons of history. The narrow winding streets are sometimes hard to navigate,
but they are a perfect example of medieval road systems. I adore this town and had to share my
experience!
Works Cited
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Orvieto.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/place/Orvieto.
“The Duomo Di Orvieto Is Widely Considered the Most Glorious Example of Italian Gothic.” The Cathedral of Orvieto | Italian Gothic at Its Finest - In Italy Online, www.initaly.com/regions/umbria/duomo.htm.
“The History of Orvieto: Orvietoviva - Orvieto Tourism.” Orvieto, 11 July 2018, www.orvietoviva.com/en/orvieto-history/.
Wow, that is really cool that you were able to visit this city over the summer! I am glad you were able to share your experience because that is really neat. The pictures you shared of the city demonstrate how Medieval this town is, like you said. The Duomo is also very interesting, along with the story of the relic that is inside the Duomo. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI have never been in a Gothic duomo before i would imagine it was just as beautiful as all the other duomo's i have been in. Do you know how many people died from the plague there.
ReplyDeleteOrvieto sounds like an amazing city and you took some really good photos while you were there. You can really see the medieval history throughout the city and why it attracts so many tourists.
ReplyDeleteThat must have been fun going to Orvieto. Thanks for sharing about your trip.
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