Ovieto is known for many things; its wine,
its well and its Duomo. Located in
southwestern Umbria, Italy, Orvieto is situated on a flat summit of a large
butte of volcanic tuff. The site of the city is among the most dramatic in
Europe. Rising above plains the
almost-vertical faces of tuff cliffs are completed by defensive walls built of
the same stone overlook vineyards below, which produce a fine dry white wine
classified as Orvieto Classico.
The ancient city has been populated since
Etruscan times and was a major centre of Etruscan civilization; the
Archaeological Museum (Museo Claudio Faina e Museo Civico) houses some of the
Etruscan artifacts that have been recovered in the immediate neighbourhood
Orvieto was annexed by Rome in the third
century BC. After the collapse of the Roman Empire its defensible site gained
new importance to where its population numbered about 30,000 at the end of the
13th century, and be became one of the major cultural attractions of its time
when Thomas Aquinas taught at the Studium, a small university, now part of the
University of Perugia.
The vast well of Orvieto was commissioned
in 1527 to provide the town with a water supply in case of a siege. It was designed with a double helix staircase
and drops over 62m, 203 feet and took over 10 years to complete. The double helix design allows one to descend
by one route and another to ascend up another, at the same time without
meeting. In addition to the well, Orvieto has an extensive labyrinth of caves
and tunnels. Dug deep into the volcanic rock, these hidden and secret tunnels
have yielded many historical and archeological finds and are open to view
through guided tours.
The jewel of Orvieto is its Duomo. The Duomo of Orvieto, was begun in 1290 and
took over 300 years to complete and is considered one of the greatest
Romanesque-Gothic churches in all of Italy.
On November 15, 1290, Pope Nicholas IV laid
the cornerstone for the present building and dedicated it to the Assumption of
the Virgin, a feast for which the city has had a long history of special
devotion. The design has often been attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio, but the
prevailing modern opinion is that its master mason was an obscure monk named
Fra' Bevignate from Perugia.
The Gothic façade of the Orvieto Cathedral
is one of the great masterpieces of the Late Middle Ages. The three-gable
design is attributed to Maitani,
The most exciting and eye-catching part is
its golden frontage, which is decorated by large bas-reliefs and statues with
the symbols of the Evangelists (Angel, Ox, Lion, Eagle) created by Maitani and
stand on the cornice above the sculptured panels on the piers. In 1352 Matteo
di Ugolino da Bologna added the bronze Lamb of God above the central gable and
the bronze statue of Saint Michael on top of the gable of the left entrance.
The bas-reliefs on the piers, also by
Maitani, depict biblical stories from the Old and New Testament. They are
considered among the most famous of all 14th century sculpture. Above this
decorations are glittering mosaics created between 1350 and 1390 after designs
by artist Cesare Nebbia and represent major scenes from the life of the Virgin
Mary.
The spandrels around the rose window are
decorated with mosaics representing the four Doctors of the Church. The frame
of the rose window holds 52 carved heads, while the center of the rose window
holds a carved head of the Christ.
The newest part of the decorations are the
central three bronze doors which give access to the entrance of the cathedral.
These were finished in 1970 by the Sicilian sculptor Emilio Greco and depict
mercies from the life of Christ and are surmounted by a sculpture of the
Madonna and Child created by Andrea Pisano in 1347.
The cathedral's side walls, in contrast to
the brilliant façade, are more simply furnished with alternating layers of
local white travertine and blue-grey basalt stone but as still hold a simple
elegance of their own.
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