Orvieto from Rome: the cathedral, St Patrick's Well and the underground city
Orvieto is an Umbrian hill town perched on a rock of tuff, 1 h 15 to 1 h 30 by train from Rome, and one of the easiest day trips from the capital: no change of train, and a funicular from the station to the centre. Its Gothic Duomo, with a façade covered in golden mosaics, houses the San Brizio Chapel and Luca Signorelli's Last Judgment (1499-1502). St Patrick's Well, dug between 1527 and 1537, drops 53 metres down a double staircase of 248 steps. Beneath the town, caves carved since Etruscan times can be visited in an hour. The Duomo, the well, the Torre del Moro and the main museums are all covered by the Carta Unica (€35 full price, valid for a year, prices checked in October 2026). The well alone costs €6; the guided Orvieto Underground tour, about 1 hour, €10.
Highlights
The Duomo
A Gothic façade from the late 13th and 14th centuries, covered in bas-reliefs and mosaics, that glitters in the late afternoon. Inside, the San Brizio Chapel (Signorelli, Fra Angelico) is worth the trip on its own: keep quiet and follow the dress code asked of visitors to churches.
St Patrick's Well
Two independent spiral ramps, lit by 70 windows, let mules go down and come back up without meeting. Allow for 248 steps down and 248 back up.
The rock and its panorama
The town overlooks the Paglia valley on a spur of tuff: the walk along the ramparts and the viewpoint at Piazza Cahen give the best views.
Orvieto Underground
A guided tour of about an hour through the caves, cisterns and presses carved into the tuff since Etruscan times, with regular departures from Piazza del Duomo.
The Torre del Moro
A bell tower in the town centre whose climb gives a view over the rooftops and the Duomo.
The pedestrian centre
Medieval streets, ceramics shops, wine cellars: Orvieto is also known for its white wine, Orvieto Classico.
Practical info
Tips
Prices checked in October 2026: Carta Unica €35 (full price; reduced rates depend on age and status, check the official site), St Patrick's Well €6, Orvieto Underground about €10. The €1.30 urban ticket (valid for 90 minutes) is also valid on the funicular. On the spot, buy the Carta Unica at Piazza del Duomo or Piazza Cahen, or online through the Carta Unica ticket office. The Duomo is a place of worship: cover shoulders and knees, and visits may be interrupted during services; it closes exceptionally on 1 January and on Corpus Christi. Orvieto is built on a hill: good shoes help. For a full day, combine the Duomo, the underground tour and the well, then have lunch in town. See also our other day trips from Rome.
How to get there
From Roma Termini or Roma Tiburtina, a direct train to Orvieto: about 15 services a day, from 1 h 15 (Intercity) to about 1 h 30 (regional), from about €10 when booked in advance. From the station, the funicular (or a shuttle) goes up to the centre in about ten minutes; the €1.30 urban ticket is enough. By car: A1 motorway, Orvieto exit, about 1 h 15 from Rome, with car parks at the foot of the hill. More details in our guide to getting around Rome.
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