Orvieto, one of the oldest cities in Italy, owes its origins to the Etruscan civilization: the first settlements date back to the 9th century BC. and they were located inside the tufaceous caves obtained in the massif on which the Umbrian town currently stands.
Although the fame of Orvieto is deeply intertwined with that of its magnificent cathedral, the city offers numerous historical-artistic ideas and itineraries, precisely by virtue of its ancient origins. Furthermore, perched on a cliff, Orvieto offers truly splendid panoramic views.
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Summary
Orvieto stands on a tuff cliff (ignimbrite from Orvieto – Bagnoregio), between 280 (Piazza Cahen) and 325 (S. Francesco) m asl, overlooking the valley of the Paglia river, a right tributary of the Tiber and just below the the city receives from the left the Chiani, the Roman Chiana coming from the Val di Chiana. This huge tuffaceous mass, which rises from twenty to fifty meters above the ground level, is due to the collapse of ground sourge (pyroclastic currents, clouds and burning avalanches) from the Quaternary activity of the volcanoes of the Volsinio system, the largest volcanic lake in Europe, that of Bolsena.
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