"City of the Etruscans" a Orvieto Travel Page by mikey_e

I won't lie - I wasn't drawn to Orvieto because of some overwhelming desire to see the city. Rather, I transfered here on a train from somewhere south of Umbria (probably Termoli) on my way to Perugia. The time between trains was enough to see a bit of the city, and I wandered around for a few hours in the deserted town centre. This is the heart of Umbria, a region once inhabited by the Etruscans, one of pre-Roman Italy's dominant tribes. There are a few traces of these ancient Italians in Orvieto, but much of the draw is in mediaeval and Renaissance architecture. The city is definitely worth a few hours of sightseeing if you're on your way to Perugia, but it isn't quite the spot to spend several days exploring.