Orvieto

 
Orvieto, Umbria, Italy | Reid Burchell Photography
 

On the penultimate day of our trip, we made a longer excursion to see two locations a bit farther away from our lodgings. The first stop was Orvieto, a city in the Umbria region southeast of Tuscany. Traveling there alone was quite the ordeal, as the main road SR2 had an bridge closure that did show on any of our navigation systems. The detour we needed to take had us doubling back and going about 45 mins out of our way winding up and down a nearby mountain. Once arriving, we took the funicular at the base of the train station up to the top of the cliffs, as the city itself sits atop a high plateau. A quick time-lapse of the ride up is below.

We first visited the Fortezza dell'Albornoz near the exit to the funicular, an impressive structure dating back to the 14th century. The fortress was originally constructed by a Spanish cardinal on orders from the Catholic Church, and from atop its stone walls, a wide and unobstructed view of the valley below can be seen.

We walked up one of the main roads (Corso Cavour) towards the center of town, which was bustling with traffic from local shops and an outdoor market. Our intended lunch location ended up being closed for renovations, so we ate at a nice café with a beautiful secluded terrace out back. After that, we spent a hour or so doing a little gift and souvenir shopping, during which I spotted a few picturesque side streets and candid portraits of the city's denizens.

 
 

Before heading out, we stopped to see the Orvieto Cathedral and have yet another gelato in the surrounding square. While we didn't end up going inside, the stonework, murals, and impressive metal doors at the front of the building stood out compared to the many other churches we visited on our trip (see photo at top of post). We concluded our time in Orvieto relatively quickly, as we still intended to travel to the nearby town of Civita di Bagnoregio during our day trip (stay tuned for next weeks post on this impressive town).

For other posts in my Italy series, see below:

Italy 2016
Civita di Bagnoregio
Civita di Bagnoregio

The last major location we visited on our trip was the town of Civita di Bagnoregio, about 10-15 km. south of Orvieto. The town is truly impressive, sitting atop a rock outcrop that overlooks the surrounding countryside.

Orvieto
Orvieto

On the penultimate day of our trip, we made a longer excursion to see two locations a bit farther away from our lodgings. The first stop was Orvieto, a city in the Umbria region southeast of Tuscany.

Montepulciano
Montepulciano

One of the last larger towns in near proximity to our lodging (i.e. within about 30 minutes) was Montepulciano. Marcello, the son of family that owned the agriturismo where we stayed, specifically recommended we stop by as it was one of his favorite places to visit for a evening away from home.

Montalcino
Montalcino

After our day long excursion to Siena, we returned to taking shorter trips to other local hill towns. Montalcino was next on our list, famously know worldwide for its Brunello wine, and like most of the other ancient settlements in the region, stems from Etruscan origins. The town has been known for its high-quality leather products since the medieval times, with many tanneries and cobbler shops still lining the streets.

Siena
Siena

After our stop at the Abbey, we continued north towards Siena. As with just about every other place we visited, the architecture of the primary landmarks did not dissappoint. The Siena Cathedral is at the heart of the city, dating back almost 800 years.

Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore
Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore

This a short post about a abbey we visited early in the morning during our drive to Siena. The Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore, located about 5 miles northeast of Buonconvento, dates back to the 13th century.

San Quirico d'Orcia and Pienza
San Quirico d'Orcia and Pienza

After our first night at our new lodgings, we ventured out to some of the nearby hill towns to explore what the local communities had to offer. Our first stop was at the Town of San Quirico d'Orcia, about 20 kilometers southeast of Buonconvento, which dates back to around 700 AD. The town's fortified walls still stand, intended to protect its citizens from invasion over the centuries.

Agriturismo Podere Cunina - Timelapses
Agriturismo Podere Cunina - Timelapses

A quick follow up to yesterday's post with a few timelapses I took of the countryside while staying at Podere Cunina. These were all taken on an iPhone 6.

Agriturismo Podere Cunina
Agriturismo Podere Cunina

We left San Gimignano in the late afternoon headed for our lodging further south near Buonconvento. The apartment we stayed in was one of several in an old farmhouse that had been repurposed for tourists while still serving as an operational farm.

San Gimignano
San Gimignano

We picked up a rental car at the Florence airport and headed out of the city bound for our apartment rental further south about halfway between Florence and Siena.

Florence - Day 3
Florence - Day 3

Our last day in Florence began with a trip back to the Palazzo Vecchio (the town hall of the city), this time to tour the inside of the historic building.

Florence, Tuscany, Italy | Reid Burchell Photography
Florence - Day 2

Our second day in Florence woke up early to go on an amazing food tour put on by Taste Florence. We met at La Norcineria, and old-school grocery and prosciutteria located a few blocks from the train station.

Florence - Day 1
Florence - Day 1

It been a few months since I've been able to post, but rest assured, I have quite a bit of material to cover in the near future. That's because last month I was able to travel internationally for the first time in almost a decade, spending a fantastic week and a half in the Tuscany region of Italy with my wife and parents. This post will be the first of many detailing some of the amazing locations we were able to visit and the images I captured along the way.