We moved from our little castle in Sermugnano to the former abbey, Hotel La Badia, in Orvieto, late yesterday afternoon. La Badia Abbey was built in the 12th century over the ruins of a 6th century abbey. It’s origins make it the oldest hotel in Italy. The 12 sided tower is 28 meters high and was built in 1103. Frescoes still remain in the chapel adjacent to the church and in the dining hall where breakfast is served. The floors of the church are mosaic, layed in intricate patterns. La Badia was the residence of cardinals and popes, and is located within 1 km of the Duomo of Orvieto. The Duomo is framed beautifully by an old chapel ruin at La Badia. It is quite beautiful and feels old and a “haven of peace and quiet.”
After breakfast this morning, we went to the train station to get tickets for Rome tomorrow. We next drove up to the hilltop of Orvieto and went to the Thursday market, where we bought fresh cherries. The flowers at the market were tempting! We visited St. Patrick’s Well, built between 1527 and 1537, at the urging of Pope Clement VII, who took refuge in Orvieto during the sack of Rome in 1527, and feared the city’s water supply would be insufficient in the event of a siege. The central well is 174’ deep with a base diameter of 43’. There are 248 steps down, with two spiral ramps in a double helix, accessed by two doors, which allowed mules to carry full and empty vessels separately downward and upward without running into each other. There are 70 windows built into the well shaft to provide light. We’ve never seen anything like it before!
At 12:30, we went to the UA Study Abroad offices to meet Alba and Claudio. We walked to a nearby restaurant for lunch, which was delicious! We talked over two hours, enjoying the afternoon, with temperature in the low 70’s and under partly cloudy skies. We took one more stroll to the Duomo, where we got a gelato and sat in the Piazza enjoying the view of the Duomo and people watching. It was a perfect last day in Orvieto!
