Orvieto and Arezzo

It’s been said the small city of Orvieto is everything an Italian hill town should be; well-preserved medieval history, treasured renaissance art, a thriving contemporary culture and excellent local cuisine. Orvieto has all of this and more.

Whether you come by road or rail, the city announces itself well before you arrive. Orvieto is perched on top of a rock cliff, 300 metres above the Umbrian countryside. Easiest access from the train station in the new town below is by the regular funicular, and when you get to the top – unlike a lot of hill towns – Orvieto is relatively flat which makes for comfortable exploring.

The city is large enough to become slightly lost in narrow back streets yet small enough to retain the intimacy of a town enclosed by defensive walls.

North of Orvieto, and over the Tuscan border, is the lovely town of Arezzo. Located in the region’s eastern-most province, Arezzo is slightly off the beaten track – and all the better for it.

Much of the city was destroyed during WWII, but if you’re not put off by the new bits and push on into the old town, you’ll discover why Robert Benigni chose Arezzo as one of the locations for his wonderful film Life is Beautiful or, as they say here, La Vita è Bella. And it is.

Orvieto

Originally inhabited by the Etruscans, Orvieto was finally conquered by the Romans in the 3rd century BC

Even with all their might and power, it had taken the Romans a full two years to breach Orvieto's defensive walls

Orvieto today is a peaceful and very popular city

Orvieto's oldest church, San Giovenale (1004), is filled with beautifully preserved frescoes

The elderly caretaker here was surprisingly good at convincing visitors to part with several euros for a one-page information sheet

Orvieto's most famous landmark, the remarkable Cathedral of St Mary of the Assumption

The cathedral's facade features magnificent mosaics depicting the life of Mary

Comparisons are often drawn between this church and Siena's cathedral which is also dedicated to the Assumption of Mary

Ippolito Scalza's Pietà (1570-9); almost certainly based on Michelangelo's work, this sculpture is a masterpiece in its own right

Orvieto's churches and museums are filled with treasures

Mueso della Chiesa di Sant’ Agostino

Museo dell'Opera del Duomo

And in the city's streets, more contemporary works of art can be found

Each year Orvieto hosts a number of popular music festivals

Music, art, wine and food - there's a lot to like about this city

Arezzo

Over the border in Tuscany, Arezzo is only about 80 kms southeast of Florence, at the other end of the Casentino Valley

Piazza Grande; from its position at the top of the sloping square, Giorgio Vasari's Palazzo delle Logge (1595) dominates the piazza

Just to the left of the Palazzo delle Logge, the clock and bell tower of Palazzo della Fraternita dei Laici

Most visitors come to Arezzo to see Piero della Francesca's spectacular frescoes

His 'Legend of the Cross' is considered to be one of the masterpieces of all Renaissance painting

Completed in 1466, the beautiful and dramatic frescoes tell the story of the cross on which Jesus was crucified

Arezzo is also known for its goldsmiths; in the 14th and 15th centuries, many sacred objects were created here

And still today, hundreds of goldsmiths work in and around the city

But we really liked this ironmonger's shop where we had a fun chat with the owner about the 'lucky' way to hang a horseshoe

Some parts of Arezzo destroyed during the war have been replaced by parks and gardens; they're peaceful oases in the heart of the old city

The Cathedral of Santi Donato e Pietro sits at the top of the hill

Finally completed in 1511, construction of the cathedral had taken more than 200 years

Fun facts: Michelangelo was born near Arezzo, and the Renaissance poet and scholar Petrarch was also born here and described the city as the place where he 'saw the light'

Piero della Francesca's famous double portrait of The Duke and Duchess of Urbino (in an Arezzo bookshop)

And the slightly more contemporary version (in an Arezzo street)