Orvieto
Umbria, Italy
  • Beautiful Vista A view from the Pozzo di San Patrizio across the Umbrian hills Wikimedia Commons; CC license via: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orvieto.jpg Beautiful Vista
    A view from the Pozzo di San Patrizio across the Umbrian hills

If you’re looking for spectacular views of Italy’s hill country, Orvieto may be just what the doctor ordered.  The ancient Etruscan city is located on a flat summit of at the top of a steep butte.  Its almost vertical cliffs allow you to peer at the green and brown countryside filled with farms and enchanting vineyards. 

Perfect place to be a base for exploration

A perfect community to make a base for exploration of the Umbrian and Tuscan hills, Orvieto is a magnet for history lovers on its own.  It is site for a grand cathedral that features a fresco masterpieces of Luca Signorelli that are said to have inspired Michelangelo’s work in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.  And it is home to the Pozzo di San Patrizio (St. Patrick’s Well), which has two spiral ramps in a double helix that allowed mules to carry water vessels up and down without a traffic jam.

With outstanding pottery, local wine and great food, Orvieto is an Italian hill town that you don’t want to miss.

Climate

  • Mediterranean

Physical Environment

  • Rolling countryside

Culture

  • Local community theatre
  • Ethnic restaurants
  • Fine art museum
  • Active club/bar/music scene

Politics

  • Moderate

Economy

  • $$$ -- Prices seem reasonable

Recreation

  • Biking, hiking, running trails

Infrastructure

  • Lots of downtown living space
  • Public squares
  • Mixed-use, mixed-income neighborhoods
  • Working farms within 25 miles

Health

  • Public-assisted (govt.) health insurance
  • Emergency medical services within 25 miles
  • Community hospital only