Duomo di Orvieto, A medieval architectural splendor!

Massive structure with gothic facade, walls depicting the stories from testaments, decoration by glittering mosaics and massive bronze doors, is the Duomo di Orvieto, construction which continued for three centuries! The cathedral dedicated to Assumption of Mary was designed by many master designers over the centuries changing it from Romanesque to Gothic structure. The gothic facade of the duomo is one of the masterpieces of the time while the side walls are very plain with no art work.

Well, after a hectic a day at Rome I visited this peaceful place of cathedral and cutlery! Do you believe the Comune di Orvieto is located on a hill top and that hill actually is an ancient volcano? And the cathedral stands right atop a volcanic plug? Amazing facts huh?

I took the funicolare for the first time here to reach the hilltop! Funicolare is a short electrically run cable railway or cliff railway! Two tram like vehicles on rails are connected to a cable which move up and down the steep slope. I have used cable cars in India but cable railway was first experience!

Rose window from outside and inside the cathedral

The Apse, Ippolito Scalza' Pieta and the Organ

Coronation of Virgin on the top of facade

Exterior wall decoration with mosaic and marble

Depiction of testament stories on exterior walls

Other than a cathedral I saw many shops here for tourists! The streets are lined with shops displaying colorful household items. Eye catching were family style dinnerware. See the yellow and poppies! Too heavy to carry in a backpack :( Still managed to get a pair of colorful coffee mugs!

Street side shop- colorful dinnerware on display

Hope you enjoyed the pictures of the magnificent cathedral. My next visit was to Leaning Tower of Pisa after enjoying a farm style late lunch or early dinner in sunny Tuscany. Lots of pasta and wine!

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Scrapbook- A Travel Blog by Kusum Sanu is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.