Orvieto · Umbria · Italy
St Patrick's
Well
A Renaissance marvel · from 1527 to 1537
A masterpiece of engineering
in the heart of Umbria
Commissioned by Pope Clement VII in 1527 after the Sack of Rome and designed by the architect Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, St Patrick's Well descends more than fifty-three metres into the heart of Orvieto's tufa rock. Its double helix staircase — two independent ramps of 248 steps each, lit by 72 windows — is still regarded as one of the most ingenious engineering solutions of the Italian Renaissance. As early as the late-eighteenth-century guidebooks it was called, after the Cathedral, the second marvel of Orvieto.
"Quod natura munimento inviderat,
industria adiecit"
The Trail of Wonders
Four unmissable stops to discover everything Orvieto has to offer
St Patrick's
Well
The helix staircase, the silence of the rock, Renaissance ingenuity.
Cathedral
of Orvieto
One of the masterpieces of Italian Gothic. The façade is a book written in stone.
Orvieto
Underground
The network of Etruscan and medieval tunnels beneath the city in the tufa.
Etruscan
Necropolis
The Crocifisso del Tufo. Orvieto's deep roots before the Middle Ages.
After a day among history and wonders, all that's left is to sit down to eat.
awaits you with traditional Umbrian cuisine made with local produce.
Discover Orvieto with us
Where to Eat
Traditional Umbrian cuisine with local produce. Pigeon Orvieto-style, umbrichelli pasta with truffle, grilled lamb chops. True tradition, in the countryside around Orvieto.
Find out where to eat To sleepWhere to Stay
Farm stays set in the Umbrian countryside, a few minutes from the historic centre. Wake up to views over the hills of Orvieto, among vineyards and olive groves.
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The complete guide to the city. Art, history, wine and food. Everything Orvieto has to offer in a day or a weekend.
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