Itinerary Todi, Orvieto and the Marmore

What to see in Umbria?

Here is a beautiful itinerary between Todi, Orvieto and the famous Marmore Falls that will take you to discover an extremely evocative territory, in which all the salient features of Umbria are present. The itinerary is about 120 kilometers long but can also be traveled in stages.

Are you ready? We start in Todi, home of the poet Jacopone, once enclosed between two circles of walls, one Roman and the other medieval, some of which are still visible. The town is announced by the silhouette of the Temple of Santa Maria della Consolazione, located just outside the perimeter walls. The building, probably built to a design by the great architect Donato Bramante between the 16th and 17th centuries, represents one of the highest examples of Renaissance art. A few steps from the temple stands the Church of San Fortunato, a grandiose Gothic-style building inside which one can admire frescoes of the Giotto school and, in the crypt, the sepulchral monument of Blessed Jacopone. Continuing along Via Giuseppe Mazzini, one reaches Piazza del Popolo, overlooked by some of the city’s most important buildings: the cathedral, begun in the 12th century in Romanesque forms and finished in the 14th century in Lombard Gothic style; the crenellated Palazzo dei Priori; the Gothic Palazzo del Popolo; and the Palazzo del Capitano.

The second stop on the itinerary is Orvieto, a true open-air museum that has some of the richest historical, artistic and cultural heritage in Umbria. Perched on a tufa cliff, it owes its origins to the Etruscan civilization. The city’s landmark monument is the Duomo, one of the masterpieces of Gothic architecture in Italy. The façade is adorned with sculptures and mosaics while inside are splendid frescoes by Gentile da Fabriano, Beato Angelico, Benozzo Gozzoli and Luca Signorelli. At the rear of the cathedral is the extraordinary architectural complex of the Palazzi Papali, which houses the permanent collections of the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo di Orvieto – MODO. Also worth a visit are: the majestic Palazzo del Popolo, in Romanesque-Gothic style with elegant tufa decorations; the Church of St. Andrew and Bartholomew, which preserves remains of floor mosaics dating back to the 12th century; and the historic St. Patrick’s Well, an extraordinary work of engineering that descends more than 60 meters underground.

Leaving Orvieto, we visit the interesting necropolis of the Crocefisso del Tufo, one of the greatest vestiges, still visible today, of Etruscan civilization. The next stop is Amelia, one of the oldest towns in Umbria and Italy. Founded around the 9th century B.C., it preserves sections of the first walls built to defend against Etruscan incursions. Its well-preserved historic center is rich in evidence of the past, including medieval churches, Renaissance elements and streets from the pre-Roman period. Among the things to see are: the Romanesque-style cathedral, which houses the relics of the patron saints Fermina and Olympias; the Archaeological Museum, which preserves important artifacts found in the Amerino territory; Palazzo Petrignani, one of the finest examples of Renaissance palaces in Umbria; and the striking Roman cisterns, built between the second and first centuries B.C.

A few kilometers separate Amelia from Narni, a village of considerable tourist importance for the importance of its monuments. Its medieval roots are visible in every corner. The cathedral, dedicated to St. Juvenal, the town’s first bishop and patron, is undoubtedly worth a visit. It has Romanesque forms and is flanked by a beautiful bell tower decorated with polychrome majolica. Continuing along Via Garibaldi, the main artery of the center, you can admire the civic tower, the 14th-century Loggia dei Priori and the Palazzo Comunale. Also noteworthy are: the Church of Sant’Agostino, which houses valuable works of art, including a 16th-century crucifix by an unknown author, considered one of the most important sculptures in Umbria; and the 14th-century Rocca Albornoz, where the region’s first medieval theme park is housed.

From Narni we then head to Terni, known primarily as the “city of steel” but which actually offers several notable attractions. A provincial capital, it presents itself today with the face of a modern city, although alongside new buildings there are some with an illustrious past, such as: the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, which originated as a Romanesque basilica but was rebuilt between the 16th and 17th centuries; the Church of San Francesco, which is part of the Via di Francesco and the path of the Franciscan protomartyrs; and the Church of San Salvatore, Terni’s oldest, erected on a Roman domus. The city’s modern symbol is the “Lance of Light,” better known as Arnaldo Pomodoro’s Obelisk, the world’s largest work made of cast steel designed by the famous sculptor in 1985. Just outside the center, on the other hand, is the Basilica of St. Valentine, protector of the city as well as patron saint of all lovers. Finally, the itinerary concludes with two different spectacles of nature: the 165-meter Marmore Falls, one of the highest in Europe; and Lake Piediluco, the region’s largest natural lake basin after Lake Trasimeno.