Orvieto has two distinct parts: the old-town hilltop and the dull new town below. Driving in the upper old town is not recommended. And it’s not necessary: From the train station (and a vast free parking lot just behind it) a slick little funicular whisks visitors memorably and effortlessly up the town’s natural fortress hill and deposits them about a 10-minute walk or a quick shuttle ride from the heart of town.
Orvieto’s cathedral gets my vote for Italy's liveliest facade. This colorful, prickly Gothic exterior, divided by four pillars, has been compared to a medieval altarpiece – a gleaming mass of mosaics, stained glass, and sculpture. It's a circa-1300 class in world history, back when no one dared question "intelligent design.
" Things start with Creation and end with the Last Judgment. Inside, the nave feels spacious and less cluttered than those in most Italian churches. It was filled with statues and fancy chapels until 1877, when the people decided they wanted to “de-Baroque” their church.
The nave is also an optical illusion; the architect designed it to be wider at the back and narrower at the altar, making it appear longer than it is. Windows of thin sliced alabaster bathe the interior in a soft light. The cathedral's highlight is the Chapel of San Brizio, featuring Luca Signorelli's brilliantly lit frescoes of the Day of Judgment and Life After Death.
Although the frescoes refer to themes of resurrection and salvation, they also reflect the turbulent .
