SPELUNKING IN ORVIETO

Orvieto, a small city perched high on a cliff, offers the most stunning panoramic views of the rolling green fields found in the region of Umbria, Italy.

A massive Duomo stands in the city center, with its marble and golden mosaic facade glinting in the sun.

Cobblestone alleys, lined with restaurants, wine bars, and gelato shops, are an invitation to “get lost on purpose,” which is exactly what we did for our few days here.

What I found most enchanting about Orvieto were its 1,200 underground caves, dug by the Etruscans 2,500 years ago. Initially, they were excavated for the purposes of collecting clean water through wells and rainwater tanks, but over time, they were also used to breed pigeons (a delicacy), to mill olive oil and to shelter safely during WWII. We spent an hour spelunking through these grottos and tunnels with a tour guide, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My travel companions, however, were more excited to make it back above ground for the aforementioned restaurants, wine bars and gelato shops. Così è la vita!