The Empire is now kaput

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Geo: 42.7165, 12.1116

So, we drove north and are now in Tuscany. We stopped at Orvieto, which is an Italian Hill Town. There are many hill towns in Tuscany and Umbria, particularly the former. They were built during the middle ages as defensive structures due to the constant small time warfare and raiding. So, this massive Roman Empire is reduced to sibling squabbling. But there are attractive sights left for us.

In Orvieto, the church is rated by some as the most beautiful in Italy. We do not disagree. Unfortunately for us they were engaged in restorative work on the exterior front. The inside was pristine. The church is rich with paintings and frescoes. In fact Mike (aka Michelangelo) reviewed the ceiling and wall art before painting the Sistine Chapel. Bird is also especially impressed with the alternating black and white stone work. Rather surprising they could build such a structure in a fairly out of the way place during the middle ages.

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