After a relaxing afternoon, we head to the underground for our 5:15 tour. We are hanging out in the square, in front of the underground tour entrance with 4 young kids and a family (mom, dad and 2 babies). But as 5:15 arrives, our tour guide, Alyssa, comes out and takes only the 2 of us on the tour. So we get a private tour.
We walk around the Duomo, into a park and then through a gate onto a path that winds down around the walls of the city. Along the way Alyssa gives us an overview of the cave system in Orvieto. I didn’t realize that all the caves were manmade. I guess I just assumed they were natural – but in fact they date back to the Etruscan age when everyone had wells and excavated for storage and refuse. The Etruscans also used the caves as shelters during the Roman siege. After the Romans, the caves remained unused until the medieval ages when people used them for wine cellars and farms.
There are only 2 caves here open to the public and we enter the first one where there are posters with an overview of all the caves. There are more than 1200 caves around the city – virtually all privately owned. If you have a house or building in Orvieto, more than likely, you also own a cave below it.
This first cave is large, with high ceilings (thankfully for the claustrophobic part of this couple) and held an olive processing factory. There are still crushing wheels and presses built into the walls. Plus we can see an example of a well from the Etruscans, which is just wild. They built it with footholds and little else – so these people dug down all that way (and then later climbed down into the well) just holding onto the sides with their hands. In the dark. Remarkable.
We walk around the cave, then follow a twisting and turning path up and down, through little tunnel like areas, exploring all around. All the while Alyssa is pointing out different features of the caves, more wells, the tunnels that would lead up to the private homes – the way the caves were originally accessed – and tons of other facts I’ve of course forgotten.
After fully exploring all the areas available in the first cave, we go back outside and walk down to another level of cave – there are typically 3 levels to all caves. This one is carved lower into the tuffa and the entrance is narrow with uneven stairs and very low ceilings. Once inside though, we enter a large chamber with small little cubby holes dug out of the walls. We play the guessing game as to what it is – a tomb for ashes? (Not big enough for bodies) Storage? We give up! It is actually a farm – for pigeons. The medieval owners would farm pigeons to sell but also to eat (it is a common dish on menus here). There was always a window in these farms where the pigeons could fly out – and where the farmers could throw out the pigeon poop to keep the area relatively clean. This practice went on for years, until the 1500’s when the Pope decreed farming in the caves illegal. It seems there was so much pigeon poop and trash build up outside the farms, that merchants were able to climb the pigeon poop hills and enter the city without paying taxes/fees. The Pope wanted to collect the taxes, thus made pigeon farming off limits.
Fascinating. We climb around the caves a bit more, and then we are done with the tour. We walk back out into the pitch blackness of night, thankful for the path lighting Alyssa has turned on when we entered. We chatted about the weather – and how it’s been hotter here than normal as well – climate change. Everywhere. Then we bade Alyssa goodbye and headed back into town (actually following her since we were her last tour and she was heading home, walking through town). It’s a little after 6pm and the streets are crowded with locals of all ages – passeggiata. The nightly ritual where the locals come out and walk the streets and socialize with each other. We love that about Italy’s small towns!
It’s still early, so we hang out more at the apartment, then at 7:30 head over to La Palomba, another highly recommended restaurant that specializes in truffle dishes. We are the first ones there (as usual) but tonight it matters. Virtually every table is reserved. We are incredibly lucky to get a table for two in the corner. The menu looks great and there are tons of items with truffles, but nothing that really appeals much to us. We settle for antipasto (of course) and then Ed has Salsicce (Italian sausage) and I have scallopine al limone. All excellent and expertly prepared.
I also ordered a carafe of wine, which turns out to be way too much. So Ed helps finish it, and we decide we don’t need to stop at the Blue Bar for a night cap. We just head home and hang out at the apartment, sitting outside on the bench overlooking the valley until the cold chases us inside and we hit the hay.
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