We went to Orvieto for the first time a few years ago and spent five nights there. How quickly and easily it was to feel a part of this beautiful city that sits high on a hill of volcanic rock in Umbria.

Its main piazza is overshadowed by the magnificent Duomo di’ Orvieto. The Church that dates back to 1290 is truly something to see. The exterior is covered in mosaic and the gold leaf glitters in the sun.

The streets are filled with little coffee shops, stores filled with local works and gelaterias. We quickly found our favorite coffee shop and gelateria the first visit. We also found our favorite restaurant, La Grotte del Funaro! It sits near the outer wall, at first glance looking like a very small building that you could easily miss. However, looking in the front door, you see a set of massive stairs leading down to the underground restaurant that is not only beautiful but has some of the best food we have found in all of Italy.

While there you also have the opportunity to visit the famous St. Peter’s Well and tour the caverns that were used during the war. I have written more about these sites in previous posts if you are interested in them.

This visit we were just here for the day so we used the time strolling along the streets, visiting our gelateria and having lunch in “La Grotte”. We also had to go and feed the cats that live in the small park overlooking the valley.