A city under the city..

Monday, Maggi and I decided to tour Underground Orvieto. We walked up to the Piazza del Duomo, bought our tickets and settled down to wait for the English speaking tour. Waiting is always more fun when you people watch and in Italy, that is an approved past time. While waiting we're pretty sure we saw a man take his dog (not a service anima that we could ascertain although it was across the piazza) into the Duomo. We couldn't decide if he was part of the tour group going in, or just crashing by getting lost in the mix, but he and the dog disappeared. They allow dogs in restaurants so why not the cathedral? Makes sense to me.

Anyway, on with the tour. Underground Orvieto is composed of thousands of caves, wells, grottos and passageways, many interconnected that were dug in the stone under the city above.  Beginning with the Etruscans sometime in the 5-6th century B.C., the inhabitants of this plateau found that the distinctive geological nature of the stone on which Orvieto stands, tuff or compressed volcanic ash, was easily cut and carved into a warren of underground areas. Some of the uses included hiding from pesky Romans, wells to get water, dove and pigeon cotes for raising food, olive oil presses and storage,  (the caves stay around 57°), cisterns, escape routes in case the city came under siege, a cement quarry, kilns for their ceramics, and living areas for more people when the city was rebuilt in middle ages after it was razed by the Romans in 264BC. The caves were even ready to be used in WWII as protection for patients with a direct passage cut to the hospital. As you can tell, there is a whole secret history under modern Orvieto, a true city beneath the city with a history that archaeologists are still exploring to learn more about the Etruscans.

Now, as you can tell, we went underground. (Title gave it away, right?) Everyone knows that when you go down, some how you have to get back up.  Well I can tell you for sure, THERE WAS NO ELEVATOR.  No, instead there were teeny, tiny, narrow passageways with steps a long way from code and they almost did me in!!!  I thought I would die getting "back up." Even Maggi agreed her heart rate took a beating. OK, so I didn't die, but just so you won't have to wonder...Yes, I did climb all the stairs by myself, and yes I was almost catatonic at the top and yes, I had to sit for 15 minutes (at least) to recover but....we made it!  Honestly, the tour was worth the €6 we each paid, and was much better than the Duomo. The young guide did a great job on the English version, making sure all questions were answered and enlightening us with several versions of the historical views of the Etruscan origins and way of life. Seems there are always differences of opinions when a people just seem to disappear and don't leave a clear trail for later historians. Imagine that. What were those Etruscans thinking?

Exhausted and hungry we went in search of food and drink, thankfully finding it not too far away. After a panini and gelato we managed to make it back to the apartment for a well deserved rest.

Dinner was ok, ate at La Polomba not too far away. Had our requisite bruschette and primi piatti (pasta) and came home. Another well played day. Ciao.