A visit to Orvieto

Thursday, June 9. 2011

A drive to Orvieto

We took a drive to Orvieto, with the goal of seeing the renowned Signorelli chapel's 16th C. frescoes - the Chapel of the Madonna di San Brizio inside the 15th C. Duomo.

Pics and verbiage below the fold -

Driving through the scenic Tiber Valley. That's a lake behind a dam in the Tiber. The non-agricultural parts in the valley's hills, which separate the Tiber Valley from the Valle Umbra to the east, are mostly national park. Nice pic, given my cheapo photo "equipment" - Panasonic Lumix mostly -

The old town, in a thunderstorm. As I am wont to say to other tourists when Mrs. BD is not nearby, "It's all Disney Italy; none of this is real." I have no idea why they look at me strangely, because I am just being jocularly metaphysical.

The facade of the duomo is magnificent and absorbed Mrs. BD for over half an hour, but I was just glad to get to see the deservedly famous Signorelli frescos in the chapel. The dead rising from the earth, the devils, etc. No pics allowed, but it has been much-published.

I have limits to what I can process, absorb, and appreciate whether it is serious music, museums, art, architecture, littacher, dance, great food and wine, deep thinking, sermons, lectures, people, gardens, etc. When I am full, I need to remember to stop.

Got to watch your visit times: no visitors during Mass. This is a church, not a museum:

The stripes are cool - the duomo on the town square at the top of the hill speaks loudly about the grandeur of God, but the thunderstorm spoke even louder - but in harmony:

Orvieto is a bit of a tourist destination, but most of the tourists we saw were from Italy. We did meet a honeymooning couple there from South Carolina, at lunch. They were taking trains through Austria, Switzerland, and Italy. I told them I rented a car through Costco. They laughed, said they love trains.

Grabbed a light lunch at a little Mom and Pop joint in Orvieto, where the proprietor and his wife seemed annoyed to have anybody coming in to bother them. Typical. The Pappardelle with Porcinis was great. Perfection. Italians sure know how to get their pasta al dente every time. We said so, but they understood not a single word of English. We shared the Papparedelle and each had a salad, I think.

Naturally, I had a beer, then a glass of Orvieto. Stupid not to, in Orvieto.

I think the Porcini mushroom might be the best flavor on earth.

Then a gelato during our hike to the car. For gelato, I just close my eyes and point because they are all tasty, and I like surprises.

After a few days based at our lovely tenuda outside Todi, onwards to Bevagna!
More Italy to come. I took lots of pics...